Ahead of the salt curve in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — The majority of school-aged children — about 90 percent — consume too much sodium, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Iowa schools already are ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing sodium levels in school lunches.

A CDC report, released on Tuesday, claimed that children aged 6 to 18 years old are taking in an average of 3,300 mg of sodium per day before salt is even added at the table — far more than the 2,300 mg per day recommendation.

That extra sodium is equal to consuming a teaspoon and a half of salt each day versus just a teaspoon.

Ann Feilmann, bureau chief of nutrition and health services at the Iowa Department of Education, said the state's schools had certain federally mandated sodium level targets to meet for the 2013-2014 school year, but they already were ahead of the curve.

'In years previous, we had added this as a nutrient to monitor,' she said. 'So Iowa was working to lower sodium levels for several years...

Districts aren't having as much trouble here as other areas of the country.'

Schools will have additional targets to meet in the 2017-2018 school year.

Feilmann said the state began working with schools to lower sodium intake about seven or eight years ago. But it didn't set targets or guidelines.

Instead it worked with individual schools to show them where they stood and what they could do to improve sodium-content through seasoning foods differently or purchasing lower-sodium options.

'We looked at how much salt is being added to foods and worked on developing flavor shakers, with herbs and seasoning, for schools and students to use.'

Avoiding expensive problems later

The national problem, Ileana Arias, the CDC's deputy principal director, said in a conference call Tuesday, is that most of the sodium children consume is in food before the meal is even purchased or prepared.

To get a better idea of what food items are the major culprits, the CDC interviewed and examined the eating habits of more than 2,300 children aged 6 to 18 years old in 2009 and 2010. Researchers found that about 43 percent of sodium eaten by children comes from only 10 foods. (See the list.)

Furthermore, about 65 percent of sodium comes from food purchased at grocery stores, 13 percent from fast-food and pizza, and 9 percent from school cafeteria foods, Arias said.

In addition, children eat about 15 percent of their sodium intake at breakfast, 30 percent at lunch, 39 percent at dinner and 16 percent while snacking. Leaving off a slice of cheese from your child's lunchtime sandwich, for example, would be a good first step, she noted.

'Most sodium is from processed and restaurant food, not the salt shaker,' said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden in a statement.

'Reducing sodium intake will help our children avoid tragic and expensive health problems.'

Health problems such as heart disease — the leading cause of death in the United States — and high blood pressure. This is something that one out of every six children in this country already is facing as they have borderline high blood pressure, the CDC said.

In 2010, heart disease and stroke killed 142.5 people per 100,000 residents in Linn County, according to Linn County Public Health.

'How do we reduce the sodium intake?' Arias said. 'Through a collective effort to ensure our children have a healthy diet.'

The report underscores the importance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's school meal standards, said Kevin Concannon, USDA undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services.

'Hypertension, heart disease and stroke all happen to adults but these eating habits are formed in childhood,' he said.

The federal government is applying new nutrition standards for foods sold and served in schools that will reduce sodium up to 50 percent by 2022.