Sodium Intakes of US Children and Adults from Foods and Beverages by Location of Origin and by Specific Food Source

Abstract

Sodium intakes, from foods and beverages, of 22,852 persons in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES 2003–2008) were examined by specific food source and by food location of origin. Analyses were based on a single 24-h recall. Separate analyses were conducted for children (6–11 years of age), adolescents (12–19), and adults (20–50 and ≥51 years). Grouping of like foods (e.g., food sources) used a scheme proposed by the National Cancer Institute, which divides foods/beverages into 96 food subgroups (e.g., pizza, yeast breads or cold cuts). Food locations of origin were stores (e.g., grocery, convenience and specialty stores), quick-service restaurant/pizza (QSR), full-service restaurant (FSR), school, or other. Food locations of sodium were also evaluated by race/ethnicity amongst adults. Stores provided between 58.1% and 65.2% of dietary sodium, whereas QSR and FSR together provided between 18.9% and 31.8% depending on age. The proportion of sodium from QSR varied from 10.1% to 19.9%, whereas that from FSR varied from 3.4% to 13.3%. School meals provided 10.4% of sodium for 6–11 year olds and 6.0% for 12–19 year olds. Pizza from QSR, the top away from home food item, provided 5.4% of sodium in adolescents. QSR pizza, chicken, burgers and Mexican dishes combined provided 7.8% of total sodium in adult diets. Most sodium came from foods purchased in stores. Food manufacturers, restaurants, and grocery stores all have a role to play in reducing the amount of sodium in the American diet.

Changes in Serving Size, Calories, and Sodium Content in Processed Foods From 2009 to 2015

“…Over-consumption of processed foods that contain empty calories from added sugars or saturated fats and contain excess sodium has detrimental health effects (1, 2). Approximately 60% of the calorie and sodium intake of adult Americans is from processed foods bought from stores (3, 4). Despite the focus of public health leaders on changes in the food supply as a strategy to influence the nutritional intake of Americans, existing research that monitors the nutritional quality of food is limited and has typically focused on changes in a single nutrient or on multiple nutrients at a single point in time.…”

Sandwiches Are Major Contributors of Sodium in the Diets of American Adults: Results from What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010

“…Ranked among the top food group contributors to sodium are many common sandwich ingredients-for example, bread, cold cuts, and cheese. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] The few studies that included sandwiches per se as a food group found them also to be among the top contributors of sodium. 7,9 It is noteworthy that in those studies only foods that were represented by a single food code denoting a sandwich were categorized as sandwiches.…”

“…3 To inform public health efforts by increasing understanding of eating behavior, researchers have identified food categories that make significant contributions to sodium intake of different populations. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] A relatively small number of food categories contribute a large portion of the total daily sodium intake. Two studies using slightly different food groups reported that 10 food categories accounted for 44% 7 and 66% 9 of total sodium intake.…”

“…[6][7][8]11 In WWEIA data files, many sandwiches (often fast-food items) are represented by a single food code, such as the code described as "Cheeseburger with tomato and/or catsup, on bun." These are referred to as "single-code sandwiches."…”

Blood pressure and sodium intake from snacks in adolescents

“…In fact, some of the major sources of sodium in worldwide children's diets are pizza, chips, sandwiches that are often eaten as snacks between meals 20,21,22 .…”