Table 1. Sodium Reduction Intervention Activities Implemented by 3 Community Meals Programs Participating in the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program, Arkansas, 2016–2019.
| Intervention Strategy | Activities to Address Each Strategy |
|---|---|
| Food service guidelines that discuss sodium | • Implemented comprehensive food service guidelines that include sodium reduction standards and practices. Example: Adjusted donation requests to specify low- and lower-sodium products (eg, low-sodium or reduced-sodium canned corn) |
| Procurement practices to reduce sodium content | • Implemented standardized purchasing lists with lower sodium items.a Example: Switched from purchasing canned to frozen vegetables (eg, frozen green beans). • Participated in taste tests of lower-sodium ingredients for program staff. Example: Conducted taste tests with lower-sodium Thai chili sauce for grain bowls. |
| Food preparation practices to reduce sodium content of menu items and meals | • Implemented policy to eliminate “free salting.” Example: Implemented policy for chefs to follow recipes for measuring salt rather than adding salt to taste. • Developed and served recipes for lower-sodium menu items that incorporate donated foods. Example: Incorporated donated spinach into lasagna roll-up recipe. • Implemented rinsing of canned vegetables to reduce sodium content. Example: Encouraged chefs to rinse canned vegetables (eg, black beans) with water. |
| Environmental strategies that encourage reductions in dietary sodium intake | • Placed posters featuring sodium-reduction messages in food preparation areas. Example: “Shake the Habit” poster depicting spices with a message that reads “Shake the Salt Habit, Spice it Up!” • Placed multilingual educational signs and dining table tents that address sodium reduction in dining areas. Example: “Eat More Color” table tents depicting tips for adding fruits and vegetables to meals in English, Spanish, and Marshallese. • Received monthly newsletters of sodium-reduction tips sent by UAMS staff. Example: Suggested using onions, garlic, and vinegars in place of salt to add flavor to foods. • Moved salt shakers away from dining tables to locations across the room. Example: Replaced salt shakers on dining tables with black pepper shakers. |
Abbreviations: UAMS, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
a
All 3 programs implemented each of the activities in Year 1 and sustained them throughout the evaluation period, with the exception of standardized purchasing lists, which were not implemented until Year 2.