Formative Evaluation of a Restaurant-Based Approach to Sodium Reduction in a Local Community

Excess sodium consumption has been linked to adverse health outcomes such as hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. 77% of sodium present in the American diet comes from processed foods and restaurant meals. Addressing the sodium content in the food supply, including restaurant meals, is critically important.

Shasta County Public Health (SCPH) is a recipient of grant funding for the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health. SCPH has used multiple strategies to reduce sodium consumption in Shasta County, including modifying local procurement policies and standards, initiating labeling initiatives, and expanding current restaurant meal standards to include sodium guidelines. To address sodium content in the local restaurant food supply, SCPH staff have been working with local restaurant owners to promote the adoption of nutritional guidelines for children's meals. The partnership between SCPH and Healthy Shasta, a local partnership promoting healthy and active living among residents, has been central to success, providing connections between grant staff and local restaurants.

The purpose of this presentation is to share the findings from grant evaluation activities. Information learned from key informant interviews with restaurant owners, menu analysis results, consumer survey data, and other lessons learned about successful sodium reduction strategies for restaurants will be presented. A case study of a local restaurant that has successfully changed both child and adult menu items to reduce sodium will be highlighted.