Objective: To conduct a 1-year food environment intervention and nutritional education to promote the reduction of salt intake during meals in work cafeterias among workers, and investigate its effect on the amount of salt intake as well as the factors influencing behavior changes.

Methods: A facility-based randomized controlled trial was conducted involving eight facilities. ​The facilities were assigned into three groups: food environment and education, food environment, and control groups. ​For the food environment group, table tents containing nutritional information based on the transtheoretical model and soy sauce drop dispensers were provided in the work cafeteria. ​The food environment and education group received four to six educational sessions a year. This study included 216 male and 161 female participants. The amount of salt intake and behavioral changes were estimated using a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and a self-administered questionnaire, respectively.

Results: The amount of salt intake decreased by approximately 0.4 g/1,000 kcal over the 1-year period among the female workers in the food environment and education group, which was significantly different compared to the control group. Significant improvements in eating attitudes and access to information on nutrition and healthy food, in addition to a reduction in soy sauce and seasoned salt intake, were observed in the female workers. In the male workers, although there was no change in the amount of salt intake, behavioral changes had significantly improved in the food environment group.

Conclusion: Combining nutritional education with a food environment intervention may be effective in reducing the amount of salt intake among female workers.

Objective: Okara, a residue of soybean product, is fermented with Rhizopus oligosporus (Tempeh) and mixed with banana to reduce food waste. In this study, we explored the usefulness of this Okara–Tempeh–Banana (OTB) product on postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses.

Methods: Seventeen healthy adults consumed control yoghurt (CON-Y) or yoghurt containing OTB (OTB-Y) in a cross test. The preprandial and 30-, 60-, and 120-min postprandial blood glucose and serum insulin levels were measured.

Results: There were no differences in blood glucose levels between those who consumed OTB-Y those who consumed CON-Y. However, 30-min postprandial serum insulin levels in those who consumed OTB-Y were significantly lower than in those who consumed CON-Y.

Conclusions: The intake of OTB instead of sugar did not affect blood glucose levels, whereas it did affect the 30-min postprandial serum insulin level. Further research is needed to elucidate the insulin-sparing effect of OTB.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the status of the method used for estimating energy requirement (ER) in nursing home residents and to identify fundamental issues.

Methods: We conducted survey among nutrition managers at 229 nursing homes in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefectures using anonymous, self-administered questionnaires.

Results: Responses were received from 133 (response rate = 58.1%) nutrition managers. A majority of them (64.7%) used the following method for estimating ER: "basal metabolic rate × physical activity level × stress factor." Further, 66.1% used the "Harris-Benedict equation" to estimate the basal metabolic rate. ​Overall, 21.8% thought that their method was "appropriate" for the elderly and 23.3% thought that their method was "not appropriate," whereas 49.6% were "not sure" if their method was appropriate.

Conclusions: The present study reports that nutrition managers thought that the currently calculated ER is not appropriate for the elderly and 44.4% of nutrition managers made adjustments to their ER calculations. It was suggested that the recommended method for estimating energy requirement is not appropriate in nursing homes. Instead, evidence-based methods should be used. ​In addition, it is important to not only propose an estimated equation for ER but also establish a method for adjusting estimated ER among individuals.