{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T03:03:39Z","timestamp":1760238219290,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,24]],"date-time":"2020-07-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1595548800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100007048","name":"EEA Grants","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["171NU2"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["171NU2"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100007048","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>High sodium (salt) consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing non-communicable diseases. However, in most European countries, Portugal included, sodium intake is still high. This study aimed to assess the sodium content of school meals before and after the Eat Mediterranean (EM) intervention\u2014a community-based program to identify and correct nutritional deviations through the implementation of new school menus and through schools\u2019 food handlers training. EM (2015\u20132017) was developed in 25 schools (pre to secondary education) of two Portuguese Municipalities, reaching students aged 3\u201321 years old. Samples of the complete meals (soup + main course + bread) from all schools were collected, and nutritional quality and laboratory analysis were performed to determine their nutritional composition, including sodium content. Overall, there was a significant decrease (\u221223%) in the mean sodium content of the complete school meals, which was mainly achieved by the significant reduction of 34% of sodium content per serving portion of soup. In conclusion, EM had a positive effect on the improvement of the school meals\u2019 sodium content, among the participant schools. Furthermore, school setting might be ideal for nutrition literacy interventions among children, for flavors shaping, and for educating towards less salty food acceptance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu12082213","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,24]],"date-time":"2020-07-24T11:16:35Z","timestamp":1595589395000},"page":"2213","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Salt Reduction Strategies in Portuguese School Meals, from Pre-School to Secondary Education\u2014The Eat Mediterranean Program"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4356-6202","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Isabel","family":"Rito","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition and Childhood Obesity\u2014National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA, IP), 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Centre for Studies and Research in Social Dynamics and Health (CEIDSS), 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Sofia","family":"Mendes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Studies and Research in Social Dynamics and Health (CEIDSS), 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"National School of Public Health, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1600-560 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7836-1100","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariana","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition and Childhood Obesity\u2014National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA, IP), 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"National School of Public Health, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1600-560 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Francisco","family":"Goiana-da-Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Health Policy, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7842-5493","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco Paolo","family":"Cappuccio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Warwick, WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition, Warwick Medical School, Coventry CV2 2DX, UK"}]},{"given":"Stephen","family":"Whiting","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, 125009 Moscow, Russia"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Dinis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Regional Health Administration of Lisbon and Tagus Valley (ARSLVT), 1700-179 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carla","family":"Rasc\u00f4a","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Regional Health Administration of Lisbon and Tagus Valley (ARSLVT), 1700-179 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Isabel","family":"Castanheira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WHO Collaborating Centre on Nutrition and Childhood Obesity\u2014National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA, IP), 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ara","family":"Darzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Health Policy, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8177-4926","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Breda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, 125009 Moscow, Russia"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2014). 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