Since the caveman discovered that salt makes bad food taste good and good food taste great, the world has had a love affair with salt. Yet, reducing sodium intake may not be high on the priority list of seniors who feel good and want the best things in life.

It’s recommended that older adults should limit their daily intake to 1,500 milligrams (mg). Hiding the salt shakers in the dining room will only account for about a 10% reduction in your residents’ sodium intake and will greatly increase the angst of your customers.

The real culprit is processed foods that account for about 75% of an American’s sodium intake. That is why senior living foodservice and dietary personnel are always looking at the sodium levels of foods they buy for their kitchen. Beyond prepared foods, even condiments and sauces offering low-sodium solutions can help.

Red Gold® is one supplier that has been a leader in lower-sodium condiments for more than a decade. While Red Gold’s regular 9 gram ketchup packets contain 160 mg of sodium, their Naturally Balanced Ketchup packets contain just 25 mg and are made with just 2 grams of natural sugar.

“We first began offering Nutritionally Enhanced tomato products to address a need we saw for enhancing the diets of school students,” says David Halt, Red Gold’s Vice President of Foodservice Sales. “The products have helped K-12 dietitians and foodservice directors address their needs by simply serving our great-tasting products to all of their students.”

For example, the company’s line of Naturally Balanced prepared sauces under its Redpack® brand is made with natural sugar, is 70% lower in sodium, is a good source of Vitamins A, C, and E, is made with zero trans fats, and is gluten-free. The company’s Red Gold Tomato Juice and diced tomatoes are available with no salt added. Red Gold also offers a variety of Naturally Balanced portion control cups such as marinara sauce and salsa that are made with natural sugar and are low sodium for grab-and-go applications.

“We monitor the needs of segments, such as senior living, that are in search of nutritional solutions—especially sodium intake. Our low-sodium products taste so good you can serve them to all of your residents and no one has to know.”

If you would like to explore Red Gold’s line of “Naturally Balanced” products with reduced sodium that are made with natural sugar, visit http://besttastingtomatoes.com/samples/ to request up to two free samples and taste just how good these products can be for your menu. Remember, Shhh!!! No one needs to know.