Traffic Light Eating

Changing your diet does not have to be difficult or complex. Traffic light eating is a simple and easy way of making healthy food decisions.

Red means “Stop” and think. Foods and drinks that are not essential. If these foods are consumed in large amounts, they lead to weight gain and diseases. Before eating a red light food, stop and think about a food that you can eat from one of the other color categories instead.

Yellow means “Slow down”. Foods and drinks should be selected carefully and should only be eaten in moderation.

Green means “Go”. Foods and drinks that are the healthiest choices and she be eaten all the time.

Red Light – Foods that are low in nutrients; high in calories, fat or sugar; contain artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils or trans-fats. Examples include cookies, candy, fatty meats, chips and white bread.

Yellow Light – Foods that contain saturated fat, added sugar or salt but they can be eaten everyday BUT in moderation. Examples include low fat cheese, whole grains, low fat yogurt, olive oil and lean meat.

Green Light – Foods that are grown not manufactured, low in calories, high in nutrients, colorful and usually eaten raw. These foods should be eaten most often. Examples are fruits and vegetables.

Putting it into Practice

So, you may be thinking, ok you got the concept but how can you put it into practice in your home? Here are a few tips:

1. Buy three sets of stickers that are in the form of small circles – one set in red, one set in yellow and one set in green.

2. Label everything in your refrigerator and panty with the appropriate sticker. Red – foods that should be eaten sparingly. Yellow – foods that are okay to eat but should be eaten in moderation. Green – foods that you should eat all the time.

3. You can keep track of the foods in a food diary or on a notepad where you can keep a daily tally of how often you eat in certain food categories.

4. When you run out of red foods, the next time you go grocery shopping, simply replace the red foods with alternate foods.

5. Use a food checker if you are uncertain about which category a food belongs. Here is one online food checker source: http://foodchecker.heas.health.vic.gov.au/search/

This system helps you make changes in your diet in a stress-free way. It allows you to visually see your food options and to be mindful of the amount of times you eat foods in the different categories. You can gradually make the necessary changes to a healthier diet without the complexity or difficulty that some habit changing plans can cause. This system allows you to be forgiving of yourself when you make small “mistakes” by not completely derailing your progress. Using this system can be applied to various diets and help decrease the risk of various diseases.