title: Do Lower Calorie or Lower Fat Foods Have More Sodium Than Their Regular Counterparts?
abstract: The objective of this study was to compare the sodium content of a regular food and its lower calorie/fat counterpart. Four food categories, among the top 20 contributing the most sodium to the US diet, met the criteria of having the most matches between regular foods and their lower calorie/fat counterparts. A protocol was used to search websites to create a list of "matches", a regular and comparable lower calorie/fat food(s) under each brand. Nutrient information was recorded and analyzed for matches. In total, 283 matches were identified across four food categories: savory snacks (N = 44), cheese (N = 105), salad dressings (N = 90), and soups (N = 44). As expected, foods modified from their regular versions had significantly reduced average fat (total fat and saturated fat) and caloric profiles. Mean sodium content among modified salad dressings and cheeses was on average 8%-12% higher, while sodium content did not change with modification of savory snacks. Modified soups had significantly lower mean sodium content than their regular versions (28%-38%). Consumers trying to maintain a healthy diet should consider that sodium content may vary in foods modified to be lower in calories/fat.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. yfr6@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. vjh6@cdc.gov.|IHRC, Inc., 2 Ravinia Dr Ste 1750, Atlanta, GA 30346, USA. vjh6@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maalouf
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105, USA. cdblissbarsness@stkate.edu.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: B Barsness
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. vrm4@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Keming
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. mec0@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cogswell
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. bfy2@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Janelle P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gunn
mesh_terms: D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005502:Food / Q000145:classification*; D005504:Food Analysis; D005515:Food Labeling; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012964:Sodium / Q000737:chemistry*; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000032:analysis*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D012964:Sodium
keywords: food products; lower calorie; lower fat; nutrient information; sodium