SRCP Resources

Public health practitioners and healthcare providers can use these resources as they work to reduce sodium consumption in their communities.

These resources were developed by or highlight the work of the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) and funded recipients of the Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP).

Sodium Reduction Tools and Toolkits

Key Messages on Sodium and Sodium Reduction [PDF – 11 MB]
DHDSP and funded recipients of the SRCP worked collaboratively to develop this resource that includes key messages related to sodium, the importance of sodium reduction, and sodium reduction strategies. The document may be useful to pull content from when communicating about the impact of sodium on health and about the value of sodium reduction work.

Sodium Reduction in Communities Program: Outcome Evaluation Toolkit [PDF – 1 MB]
This evaluation toolkit was developed using CDC’s Evaluation Framework to provide guidance and tools for anyone evaluating sodium reduction activities, especially Sodium Reduction in Communities Program recipients.

Sodium Reduction Partner Readiness Tool
DHDSP and funded recipients of the SRCP worked collaboratively to develop this tool. The purpose of this assessment tool is to help public health organizations that partner with food service, such as health departments, to determine the readiness of partners to implement sodium reduction strategies and then develop an action plan that outlines next steps for facilitating greater readiness.

The tool itself is a simple Microsoft Excel file [XLS – 15 KB], and the corresponding instruction document in PDF format [PDF – 270 KB] provides details on how to use the tool.

Sodium Reduction: Assessment to Action Tools
The Sodium Reduction: Assessment to Action Tools are easy-to-use, online tools to help food service providers reduce sodium consumption among the people they serve. These tools can help food service managers, dietitians, and chefs—and the public health practitioners they may partner with—to meet goals to serve healthier foods to their customers and clients.

These tools help food service providers assess current practices that impact sodium content and consumption and identify actions to take to reduce sodium. They can be used in a variety of food service settings, including congregate meal settings, cafeterias, snack bars, and vending machines.

The two online tools work together.

  • The Assessment Tool captures site background information and assesses current policy and practices in four areas: (1) food service guidelines/standards, (2) food purchasing, (3) food preparation, and (4) nutrition promotion.
  • The Action Plan Tool helps turn assessment results into actions that sites can implement. Based on assessment results, the Action Plan Tool recommends policies and practices to help reduce sodium. Providers can then prioritize the strategies for immediate or later action.

Sites can also conduct a post-assessment after implementing their action plan to monitor progress in sodium reduction efforts.

The Assessment to Action Tools are digital versions of the Sodium Practices Assessment Tool (SPAT) 2.0 and Site Action Plan developed and used by the New York State Department of Health.

Health Resources in Action translated these tools into a digital format, in collaboration with the National Network of Public Health Institutes through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Partnering with Food Service to Reduce Sodium: A Toolkit for Public Health Practitioners [PDF – 422 KB]
CDC, the National Network of Public Health Institutes, and Health Resources in Action developed this toolkit for public health practitioners. The toolkit highlights a list of strategies, case studies, tools, and resources for building new or enhancing existing partnerships with food service providers to reduce sodium in foods prepared, served, and sold. It aims to help public health practitioners understand the context of food service settings as well as the language and drivers of food service providers to support effective partnerships.

Reducing Sodium and Added Sugar Through Partnerships
Read these issue briefs from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials that provide insights and share strategies used by food service management companies and operators across the nation.

Sodium Tip Sheets

The Sodium Reduction in Food Service resource is a compilation of tip sheets for public health professionals partnering with food service providers. The tip sheets summarize key messages and strategies highlighted in the Culinary Institute of America webinar series.

Webinars and Videos

Reducing Sodium with the World’s Premier Culinary College: Training Videos for Food Service Professionals
The National Network of Public Health Institutes, in collaboration with CDC and The Culinary Institute of America, released a video series featuring chefs from The Culinary Institute of America. Whether you are a food service provider managing an operation, food service staff responsible for preparing delicious and healthy foods, or a public health professional working with food service providers to improve the nutritional value of foods, these videos provide valuable techniques and recipes that will enhance flavor without the sodium.

The four instructional videos highlight simple culinary strategies and techniques to reduce sodium in food service settings:

Sodium Reduction Web Forum Series

CDC and the National Network of Public Health Institutes have published three web forum series that share best practices, successes, and subject matter expertise for public health audiences collaborating with the food sector to reduce sodium. Watch the archived events.

Connecting Public Health and Food Sector Collaborators

Connecting Public Health and the Food Industry

Connecting Public Health and Food Service Operators

SRCP Recipient-Led Publications

Kansas (Shawnee County)

Los Angeles County

New York City

New York State

Philadelphia

Seattle-King County

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Read the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice supplement, “Public Health Interventions to Reduce Sodium Intake,” which features articles from the 2010 SRCP sites.

SRCP-Related Publications