Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate, we thought we'd talk about something that could help our hearts - and our customers' hearts - keep loving for a long time - heart health and sodium reduction! :)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has some great information and resources on heart health, including the following facts and resources:
Over three-quarters of the sodium consumed by Americans comes from processed and prepared food1, and the average American is consuming well over the recommended daily allowance.2 Consuming too much sodium is associated with elevated blood pressure, posing health risks including heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States.3
In the last few years, market demands and food trends have helped to build a case for reducing sodium in the food supply. There has even been legislation - new mandates to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) - that include further sodium reductions to be phased in. Thus, many companies in the food industry have embarked on efforts to reduce sodium, with several meeting National Sodium Reduction initiative standards, as well.4 And consumer interest in fresh, locally-sourced foods and “clean labels” (simplified ingredient lists on food labels) present opportunities and motivation to reduce sodium content.
However, the CDC knows that there are things in the food service industry that can make it difficult to reduce the sodium content of foods or offer lower-sodium alternatives. These include time, professional training, availability of ingredients and overall concerns about costs and the bottom line.
Here are some tips from our Martin Bros. Dietitians on how to help decrease sodium in the foods you serve:
- Choose foods with lower sodium whenever available (no added salt canned vegetables, low sodium soups and broths, etc.) and avoid or limit foods high in sodium.
- Serve fresher foods such as fresh or frozen vegetables (no sauce added), lean meats, skinless poultry and fresh seafood.
- For flavor without salt, use salt-free seasonings and add spices/herbs (garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.) and/or acids (vinegar, lemon/lime juice, etc.).
Finally, click here to download our great ebook Beyond Salt, all about bringing big flavor to foods without heavy salting!
