Canadians don’t expect to enjoy low sodium foods

November 17, 2010, Toronto – More than half of all Canadians think
spending the holidays with their in-laws would be more enjoyable than
eating a lower sodium diet, according to a new national survey.

The results from the national survey highlight one of the main
challenges in reducing Canadians’ sodium intake to the 2,300 mg per day
recommended by the Sodium Working Group.

“Consumers are no longer as willing to trade-off great taste for health
as they were earlier in the healthy foods movement,” says food trends
expert Dr. Elizabeth Sloan.

The goods news is that 88 per cent of Canadians still believe lower-sodium foods can be delicious.

However, the bad news is that younger Canadians are less likely than
their older counterparts to think this way. In fact, 55 per cent of 18
to 34 year olds report it would be harder to enjoy a lower-sodium diet
than to spend the holidays with their in-laws, compared to 43 per cent
of 35 to 64 year olds.

The study also found that men (79 per cent) are more likely than women
(67 per cent) to feel that they have to sacrifice taste in order to
follow a lower sodium diet.

The national Omnibus survey was conducted among 1,050 Canadians.