| Food category | No. of food items | Sodium level (mg/serving), mean ± SD* | Food items with a decrease in sodium level | Food items with an increase in sodium level | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2013 | n (%) | Percent change; median (25th, 75th percentile) | n (%) | Percent change; median (25th, 75th percentile) | ||
| Sit-down restaurant | |||||||
| Stir fry entrées | 10 | 2198 ± 986 | 2209 ± 802 | 1 (10.0) | –50 | 4 (40.0) | 25 (8, 67) |
| Sandwiches or wraps | 73 | 1906 ± 1083 | 1933 ± 933 | 21 (28.8) | –8 (–23, –4) | 22 (30.1) | 21 (9, 49) |
| Pasta entrées | 76 | 1822 ± 738 | 1619 ± 723† | 49 (64.5) | –11 (–22, –7) | 10 (13.2) | 12 (3, 17) |
| Entrées with multiple meats and seafood (e.g., surf-n-turf) | 12 | 1821 ± 798 | 1862 ± 802 | 1 (8.3) | 0 | 3 (25.0) | 6 (6, 14) |
| Hamburgers | 39 | 1653 ± 657 | 1753 ± 642‡ | 13 (33.3) | –7 (–8, –6) | 11 (28.2) | 35 (21, 57) |
| Breakfast entrées (e.g., pancakes, waffles, or eggs and bacon) | 74 | 1595 ± 678 | 1573 ± 681 | 19 (25.7) | –24 (–35, –8) | 18 (24.3) | 13 (2, 47) |
| Rib entrées | 19 | 1594 ± 712 | 1717 ± 956 | 3 (15.8) | –4 (–4, –2) | 1 (5.3) | 137 |
| Salad entrée with meat | 41 | 1218 ± 447 | 1259 ± 487 | 8 (19.5) | –11 (–16, –9) | 13 (31.7) | 20 (13, 29) |
| Chicken entrées | 42 | 1145 ± 669 | 1142 ± 731 | 10 (23.8) | –28 (–44, –11) | 9 (21.4) | 25 (18, 41) |
| Salad entrées | 19 | 863 ± 434 | 908 ± 394 | 7 (36.8) | –20 (–25, –9) | 6 (31.6) | 54 (18, 182) |
| Steak and beef entrées | 36 | 832 ± 816 | 836 ± 777 | 9 (25.0) | –15 (–39, –8) | 6 (16.7) | 135 (39, 217) |
| Seafood entrées | 24 | 804 ± 588 | 811 ± 578 | 2 (8.3) | –38 (–40, –36) | 3 (12.5) | 48 (34, 64) |
| Pizza (one medium slice) | 93 | 575 ± 204 | 446 ± 163† | 85 (91.4) | –17 (–12, 32) | 7 (7.5) | 17 (12, 32) |
| Fast-food restaurant | |||||||
| Stir fry | 24 | 1766 ± 181 | 1766 ± 181 | 0 (0.0) | 0 | 0 (0.0) | 0 |
| Poutine | 15 | 1617 ± 722 | 1505 ± 476 | 6 (40.0) | –17 (–23, –6) | 3 (20.0) | 8 (1, 129) |
| Tacos or burritos | 61 | 1389 ± 852 | 1123 ± 618† | 48 (78.7) | –21 (–34, –11) | 12 (19.7) | 16 (4, 32) |
| Sandwiches or wraps | 203 | 1354 ± 554 | 1327 ± 659 | 82 (40.4) | –18 (–25, –12) | 33 (16.3) | 23 (10, 56) |
| Hot dogs | 13 | 1203 ± 236 | 1163 ± 264 | 8 (61.5) | –10 (–13, –6) | 4 (30.8) | 4 (1, 31) |
| Salads with meat | 22 | 1094 ± 282 | 1047 ± 342 | 12 (54.5) | –11 (–28, –8) | 3 (13.6) | 60 (21, 67) |
| Hamburgers | 60 | 1061 ± 307 | 1039 ± 319 | 33 (55.0) | –6 (–11, –4) | 5 (8.3) | 20 (18, 73) |
| Stir fry (no sodium or low sodium) | 37 | 1041 ± 246 | 1041 ± 246 | 0 (0.0) | 0 | 0 (0.0) | 0 |
| Sushi | 11 | 897 ± 261 | 961 ± 236 | 0 (0.0) | 0 | 4 (36.4) | 35 (14, 36) |
| Chicken | 47 | 777 ± 338 | 689 ± 301§ | 20 (42.6) | –20 (–25, –13) | 3 (6.4) | 7 (2, 97) |
| Breakfast (e.g., bagels or breakfast sandwiches) | 113 | 721 ± 427 | 710 ± 397 | 28 (28.3) | –5 (–11, –1) | 14 (14.1) | 6 (2, 13) |
| Pasta | 25 | 718 ± 335 | 718 ± 335 | 0 (0.0) | 0 | 0 (0.0) | 0 |
| Salads | 20 | 588 ± 222 | 646 ± 311 | 2 (10.0) | –32 (–44, –20) | 4 (20.0) | 71 (37, 107) |
| Pizza (one medium slice) | 263 | 432 ± 211 | 436 ± 211 | 56 (21.3) | –9 (–17, –5) | 76 (28.9) | 14 (6, 22) |
| Kid’s menu items | |||||||
| Sit-down restaurant kid’s meal entrées | 68 | 760 (567, 1008) | 730 (535, 972)‡ | 21 (30.1) | –26 (–39, –13) | 10 (14.7) | 10 (6, 36) |
| Fast-food kid’s meal entrées (e.g., hamburger or nuggets) | 13 | 752 (592, 900) | 717 (686, 770) | 3 (23.1) | –24 (–34, –22) | 3 (23.1) | 16 (11, 17) |
| Sit-down restaurant kid’s side dishes | 27 | 420 (75, 570) | 380 (85, 520) | 9 (33.3) | –30 (–32, –23) | 3 (11.1) | 140 (54, 258) |
Note: SD = standard deviation. Additional analysis using general linear models to predict the change in sodium while including establishment as a covariate produced the same results and confirmed that establishment is not a covariate. Data for baked goods, desserts and side dishes are provided in Appendix 1 (Supplementary Table 2, available at www.cmajopen.ca/content/2/4/E343/suppl/DC1). Data for changes in sodium density (sodium per 100 g) in each category are provided in Appendix 1 (Supplementary Table 3, available at www.cmajopen.ca/content/2/4/E343/suppl/DC1). *Unless otherwise indicated. †p < 0.001. ‡Paired t tests, p < 0.05. §p < 0.01.