Unsavory choices: The high sodium density of U.S. chain restaurant foods

• Published in: Journal of food composition and analysis Vol. 40; pp. 103 - 105
• Main Author: Wu, Helen W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.06.2015
• Subjects: Fast food; Food analysis; Food composition; Food industry; Menu; Restaurants; Sodium; Sodium density; Table salt; Sodium density; Sodium; Table salt; Food industry; Fast food; Food composition; Menu; Food analysis; Restaurants
• ISSN: 0889-1575; 1096-0481
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2014.12.018

•Cross-sectional study on the sodium density of 30,073 chain restaurant menu items.•Sodium density varies substantially based on restaurant type, cuisine, and item type.•Average sodium density of 2196mg/1000kcal across all regular menu items.•Large gap between sodium density of restaurant foods and recommended daily limits. The restaurant industry is a major component of the food environment, but the sodium density (mg sodium per 1000kcal) of menu offerings is not well documented. This cross-sectional study reports on the sodium density of 30,073 menu items from 237 unique U.S. chain restaurant brands in 2010. Sodium density was evaluated with descriptive statistics and stratified by restaurant characteristics and menu type (regular or children's). Sodium density varies substantially based on restaurant type, cuisine, and item type. Sodium density is very high overall, an average of 2196mgsodium/1000kcal across all regular menu items and 1865 across all children's menu items. A tremendous gap exists between the sodium density of most restaurant foods and what consumers must eat to stay within recommended daily limits. The restaurant industry must reduce the default amount of salt used in order to help our taste buds readjust to healthier sodium levels.