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Tips for Reducing Sodium without Reducing Flavor 

Commissioned by the National Resource Center on Nutrition & Aging; Written by: Amy Myrdal-Miller, MS, RDN, FAND

Many older adults depend on prepared meals such as those provided by senior nutrition programs. Meals 

provided by nutrition service providers make significant contributions (40% of daily calorie intake and up to

47% of daily nutrient intake) to the diets of older adults (Malbi, et al., 2017). Recent findings from the Older

Americans Act Nutrition Title III-C Nutrition Service Program Evaluation revealed that sodium intakes were 

high for older adults who participated in congregate or home-delivered meals programs.

Table 1. Top 5 Contributors of Sodium to Senior Nutrition Program Diets 

CONGREGATE NUTRITION PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS HOME DELIVERED MEAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS 

Sandwiches Sandwiches 

Mixed dishes with meat, poultry and seafood Cured meats and poultry 

Soups Mixed dishes with meat, poultry and seafood

Sweet bakery products Soups 

Cured meats and poultry Mashed potatoes 

Reducing sodium in these meals is important for older adult patrons who need to limit their sodium intake, as

well as clients with chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and heart failure.

FIELD-TESTED SUGGESTIONS 

Humans can detect five basic tastes in foods and beverages: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. 

Flavor is our overall impression of all sensory properties (e.g., visual appearance, aromas, temperatures,

textures, tastes, even sounds) in a food or beverage. Reducing the amount of sodium in a food may have a 

negative impact on the flavor of a dish and the overall liking of it. The following tips can help you reduce 

sodium in foods without having a negative impact on the perception of flavor.

1. COMPARE BRANDS: When using processed foods like canned tomato products, cheese, bread 

products, and cured meats, compare brands to find ones with less added salt. Today, a number of 

brands offer reduced sodium or no-added salt versions of many products.

2. SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT SALT: Some salt products have larger crystals. These crystals are large,

“fluffy,” and less dense compared to fine grain table salt. Consequently, they provide less sodium per 

unit consumed. It is important to note, however, that some larger crystal salts may not be iodized.

3. USE SAVORY INGREDIENTS: Umami is our fifth taste, often described as savory or meaty. Our 

perception of sodium in foods is enhanced in the presence of umami-rich ingredients like low-salt 

Worchester sauce, soy sauce, mushrooms, miso, and processed tomato products. Even though many 

of these are high sodium ingredients, you can use small amounts of them to improve flavor while 

contributing less sodium than if just table salt was used.

4. USE MORE ACID: Adding vinegar, citrus juice, processed tomatoes, cultured dairy foods (e.g., 

buttermilk, yogurt), pickled juice, or other higher acid ingredients at the end of cooking can help 

balance flavors of a dish, lessening the need to add salt. Offering a citrus wedge as a garnish is one 

way to let the diner impart a fresh burst of flavor right before enjoying a meal.

5. MAKE SMALL SUBSTITUTIONS: Tried and true methods of lowering sodium in meals served

by senior nutrition programs include making menu modifications, such as using fresh fruits and 

vegetables instead of canned vegetables, rinsing canned vegetables and beans to reduce sodium (up 

to 40%), using less of the high salt item (cutting the item in half, using it sparingly in the dish, etc.), and 

swapping out salt in recipes for herbs, spices, and salt-free seasonings.

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Reducing Sodium 2

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References & Sources of More Information 

Mabli, J., N. Redel, R. Cohen, E. Panzarella, M. Hu, and B. Carlson. “Process Evaluation of Older

Americans Act Title III-C Nutrition Services Program.” Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, Administration for Community Living, September 30, 2015. Available at: https://www.

acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2017-02/NSP-Process-Evaluation-Report.pdf. Accessed March 2,

2019.

Sources of Sodium in U.S. Diet: Harnack LJ, et al. Sources of Sodium in US Adults From 3 Geographic

Regions. Circulation. 2017;135:1775–1783. Available at: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/

circulationaha.116.024446. 

Tasting Success with Cutting Salt. Available at: http://ciahealthymenus.com/success-stories/. 

Umami Information Center. Available at: https://www.umamiinfo.com/. 

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Connecting Public Health and Food Sector

Collaborators: Simple Culinary Techniques to Lower Sodium in Northwest Arkansas. Available at:

https://nnphi.org/resource/connecting-public-health-and-food-sector-collaborators-simple-culinarytechniques-to-lower-sodium-in-northwest-arkansas/.