How to improve children's dietary habits.

Capper A.; Witschi J.

How to improve children's dietary habits.

1986

Capper A. | Witschi J.

Two New England boarding schools have successfully reduced the sodium content of their foodservice menu as part of a nutrition study called the Exeter-Andover Blood Pressure Project. This four-year study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, is examining the effects of the reduced-sodium menus on students' blood pressure readings. Sodium was lowered in foodservice menus by using reduced-sodium products and by reducing salt in recipes. Examples of some reduced-sodium products substituted in menus include meats (hot dogs, ham, bologna, salami, sausage), cheeses, crackers, potato chips, margarine, salad dressings and condiments. Recipes were modified for certain soups, pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, bread dressings, and meatballs. Herbs, spices, and flavorings were added to enhance the taste of many lower-salt items. Thus far, students have adjusted well to the recipe changes. In addition, reduced-sodium diets have led to a 20-35 percent overall reduction in students' sodium intake and a drop in students' blood pressure readings.

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