1 Go for Green® Navy G4G IntroductionWho knows what Go for Green® is? – or --- Today you will be trained on the re-designed/revamped G4G 2015. FYI for speaker: outline — - What Our Service Members Eat Matters – Food intake directly affects readiness. - A Brief History of G4G – Program existed since 2010, but was not consistent DoD wide. Nutrition criteria was based only on 2 factors. G4G 2015 is based on 4 criteria and an additional salt symbol. - What’s Different About the New G4G? – The new program provides 8 training modules, resources, marketing materials available on NKO. This info is standardized and all services use it. Deviation is not permitted. - Food Cards/Beverage Cards – These are green, yellow and red and have a salt symbol associated with each of these colors. There is a total of 9 cards. Beverages have 3 cards since they do not have a salt symbol. - Food Placement – Uses choice architecture to organize the food on serving lines by presenting the green coded items first. - Dining Facility Staff Role As the G4G Champion – Promote the program through marketing materials display, sample plates and positive expression of G4G. - Managers-Only Section – Quality control on accuracy of food cards, supervisory goals and resources.
2 SECNAV Directive SECNAV - directs the Navy to advance nutrition efforts to provide healthier eating options NAVADMIN 178/15 calls for establishing Go for Green® (G4G) ashore and afloat The relationship between food intake and performance has become a SECNAV focus. The implementation of Go For Green is being advocated from the SECNAV level down. There is a drive to advance nutrition efforts to provide healthier eating options. Navy is implementing G4G in all ashore and afloat galleys by Sept Every CS has a responsibility to learn G4G so that you can help promote the program, implement it and answer questions from the crew.
3 Rebranded & RedesignedWHY? Lessons learned Standardize G4G for the food service operation Make Green-coded menu items visible Global Joint Service program Regain trust of the service member The Go for Green® program you may be familiar with and that has been in use for several years needed an update. The rebranding and redesign responds to all the lessons learned and challenges of previous Go for Green® programs. TALKING POINTS for lessons learned: Go for Green® cards got lost, and/or were mislabeled. All meals did not offer a healthy Green-coded option in all food categories. Make it easier to offer Go for Green®: In response to the lessons learned, we made it easier for the food service facilities and staff to offer Go for Green® by providing guidance, support, and resources on Go for Green® menu coding and marketing. The updated Go for Green® makes it easier for service members to choose Green-coded foods and drinks. How? Go for Green® includes menu planning goals which ensure healthy, Green-coded recipes are offered. Also, the marketing campaign promotes dining facilities as a place to get healthy foods. The new Go for Green® includes all services. This is important for standardization and consistency across all foodservice operations. Build back the trust of service member. Sailors have stopped looking at Go for Green® - we want to recapture their interest. Think about the companies and brands you’re familiar with. Everyone knows who you are referring to when you say “the golden arches” – McDonald’s. Their brand is consistent and reliable no matter where you see it. The same is with Nike’s swoosh and Starbucks’ logo – they are recognizable. This is why we are standardizing the Go for Green® program more – we want it to look the same from coast to coast (fill in service specific names, depending on who training).
4 Code # 1: Green, Yellow, RedGreen = EAT OFTEN Yellow = EAT OCCASIONALLY Red = EAT RARELY What makes a food or beverage Green, Yellow, or Red? The first code that all food and beverages get is a Green, Yellow, or Red code. The Green, Yellow, or Red code represents the nutritional quality of a food or beverage. G4G 2015 has different coding criteria than the former Go for Green program. Nutrition professionals look at many aspects of the food or beverage before it’s given a color code – the total fat, saturated fat (a less-healthy type of fat), amount of processing, sugar content, fiber content, and whether it has chemical or artificial ingredients. The best way to think of the Green, Yellow, Red colors is a stoplight. Green coded foods are those you should eat often – the healthiest foods, Yellow coded are those to be eaten occasionally – less healthy foods, and Red coded foods should be eaten rarely. You should STOP (and think) before eating – the least healthy foods and beverages. The Go for Green guide is available to be printed out and on the Go for Green website as a quick and easy guide for how popular foods are coded.
5 Go for Green® For PerformanceGreen: High-Performance Foods/Beverages – Preferred performance fuel for service members’ minds and bodies Yellow: Moderate-Performance Foods/Beverages – Less-effective fuel Red: Performance-Limiting Foods/Beverages Least-effective fuel Go for Green® categorizes foods and beverages into Green, Yellow, and Red based on what type of fuel they provide. Green-coded foods and drinks are preferred fuel for service members’ minds and bodies. Yellow-coded foods and drinks are moderate-performance fuel for service members’ minds and bodies. Lastly, Red-coded foods and beverages – these are performance limiting foods and drinks and are the least-effective fuel for service members’ minds and bodies.
6 Green, Yellow, Red Codes GREEN YELLOW RED ProcessingLeast-processed foods Some processing Most-processed foods Nutrients Whole foods, nutrient packed Some healthful nutrients Lowest-quality ingredients Fiber High in fiber Lower in fiber Minimal fiber Sugar Low in added sugar Added sugar or artificial sweeteners Fat Healthy fats Poor-quality fats Excess fats / Trans fats Fried foods When we look at these color codes in more detail – we can understand the breakdown of each of the aspects of nutritional quality. Green foods and beverages are the least-processed, whole foods, which are nutrient packed. Because of this, they are usually high in fiber, low in added sugar, and contain healthy fats. These foods should be eaten often. Yellow foods and beverages are moderate – they have some processing and some healthful nutrients. They are lower in natural fiber than Green-coded foods. They may also higher amounts of less healthy ingredients such as added sugar or artificial sweeteners and poor-quality fats. These items should be eaten occasionally. Red foods and beverages are the most-processed foods with the lowest-quality ingredients. They contain minimal fiber and similar to Yellow-coded foods may contain added sugar or artificial sweeteners. In addition, they may have excess fats or trans fats which are very unhealthy. Also, any fried foods are Red-coded. These items should be eaten rarely or in small amounts.
7 Code # 2: Sodium Code # 2 is sodium or salt contentThe amount of salt service members need varies from person to person Too much can be bad Too little can be bad What makes a food Low, Moderate, or High sodium? The second code on food cards is sodium or salt content. This a new code that Go for Green® is introducing, so don’t be surprised if you haven’t seen it before. The amount of salt that service members (and all people) need varies from person to person depending on their activity, health, and environment. Too much salt can be bad and too little salt can be bad. By coding foods with a sodium symbol, diners can be more aware of how much salt is in the foods they eat. Remember that beverages and fruits will NOT be coded for sodium – so these items only have color codes.
8 Permanent: Food Cards The Food Label Cards are part of the permanent marketing material that needs to be displayed at all the serving lines in front of the food or on top of the serving line. They are printed in three colors – each signifying a message eat often, eat occasionally and eat rarely. Green, Yellow, and Red each have 3 different Cards – one for Low, Moderate, and High sodium content. There is a total of 9 Food Cards. Ideally, every food item should labeled with the correct Food Card.
9 Food Cards/Beverage CardsCode #1: Color Green, Yellow, or Red Food or beverage name Here is what the new Go for Green® food card and beverage cards looks like. They contain the following information: Click 1, 2 = The name of the food or beverage is clearly listed on the card. Click 3, 4 = The first code is the color code – the laminated cards will have either a Green, Yellow, or Red background. Click 5, 6 = The second code is the sodium or salt content – the cards will have a low, moderate, or high salt shaker to indicate sodium content. As a reminder, beverages and fruit will not be coded for sodium, so they will only have a color code. Code #2: Sodium Low, Moderate, or High
10 G4G Approved Color-Code TableFor tight spaces or crowded bars, you can use the G4G-approved color code table. (Do not make your own so we can keep a uniform/ standardized look!) This puts items in Red, Yellow, and Green and Low, Moderate, and High sodium categories. This allows for a clean, organized look. The website for obtaining this table is:
11 Display Keep Food Cards neat, clean, and easy to readWhen displaying Food Cards, it is important to keep them neat, clean, and well-organized. This keeps the Food Cards easy to read and more likely that the service member will notice and trust them. This visual shows that each menu item has a standardized G4G coded Food Card right in front it and that the item is clearly labeled.
12 Food and Beverage PlacementNot only does what you serve matter, where you place foods can influence what diners choose to eat People tend to choose what’s easiest and/or closest Food placement is such an important part of the Go for Green® program. It is a new feature of Go for Green®. This training will help describe how you can nudge service members to increase their Green-coded foods by simply changing WHERE these items are displayed. What you serve matters, but also WHERE you place foods can influence what diners choose to eat. In addition to where you place menu items, promotion and marketing along with availability all affect the what diners choose. In general, diners tend to choice foods that are closest to them. Go for Green® can encourage performance-enhancing choices, by making the best fuel (Green-coded items) easy to find.
13 Food Placement Goals Place Green-coded (healthiest) foods and drinks in easy to reach and most visible spots The Go for Green® labeling needs to be accurate. Check – does the food, drink, or recipe match the Food Card or Beverage Card near it? If it’s a match – great! If not, find the correct Food Card. The integrity of the program is displaying accurate food codes to the food displayed. Place Red-coded (least healthy) foods and drinks in harder to reach, less visible places
14 Hotline MENU Steamed green beans Baked sweet potato Mashed potatoesWhite rice pilaf BBQ pork chops Grilled chicken Fried fish Roasted zucchini Creamed spinach Mac and Cheese Roasted zucchini Steamed green beans Baked sweet potato Grilled chicken Mashed potatoes BBQ pork chops White rice pilaf Fried fish Creamed spinach Mac and Cheese
15 Hotline MENU Steamed green beans Baked sweet potato Mashed potatoesWhite rice pilaf BBQ pork chops Grilled chicken Fried fish Roasted zucchini Creamed spinach Mac and Cheese Grilled chicken BBQ pork chops Fried fish Baked sweet potato Mashed potatoes White rice pilaf Mac and Cheese Steamed green beans Roasted zucchini Creamed spinach
16 Armed Forces Recipe ServiceAFRS is located at the Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center AFRS works to: Create new recipes Update and revise old recipes Standardize recipes Test local recipes Provide dining facilities with standardized recipes The Armed Forces Recipe Service (AFRS) is located at the Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center and is an important partner of Go for Green® . AFRS is working hard to create new recipes, updating and revising old recipes, testing local recipes, and providing dining facilities with standardized recipes. AFRS recipes have been lab tested to create high-quality, nutritious, and tasty recipes for use in military dining facilities. Lab testing confirms details including yield, temperature, timing, and food safety procedures. Lastly, AFRS develops, creates, and updates recipes with Go for Green® coding criteria and program goals in mind. This means there is a plan for more new, updated, and tasty Green-coded recipes. Currently, AFRS recipes are all individual, meaning that variations have been made into their own recipe rather than existing as a note at the bottom of a recipe. If you need a variation that you don’t see in the FSM system, contact NAVSUP foodservice headquarters and a variation can be created or requested to be developed by the AFRS team.
17 Permanent: Posters Three posters are part of the permanent marketing material – The first being the “Food Card” poster. This poster describes what information you will find on the Food Cards – food name, color code/when to eat messaging, and sodium content. The second poster of the permanent is the “Traffic Light” poster. This poster describes the basics of the Green, Yellow, and Red color codes along with the “how often to eat” messaging. Green foods are high-performance fuel and should be eaten often; Yellow foods are moderate-performance fuel and should be eaten occasionally; and Red foods are low-performance fuel that should be eaten rarely. The third permanent poster is the “Sodium” poster, which describes the three different sodium or salt codes and provides the salt shaker symbols. The three codes – low, moderate, and high sodium are described in detailed along with who should be choosing each of these. Display these posters in high traffic areas like entryways in your dining facility and where a line forms. Wall space in the serving areas is another great place for the posters to be displayed. This gives service members more time to read the information. The permanent posters should be MEDIUM SIZE 11x17.
18 Permanent: Table SignsIntroduction to Go for Green® for service members Keep on tables throughout the galley Replace as needed The Go for Green® table sign is designed as an introduction to Go for Green® for service members. Keep on tables throughout the galley so service members can read them. Replace these signs as needed – when they may become lost, torn, or stained. The should be 5.5x8.5.
19 Go for Green® Website Provides training modules/marketing materialsNAVSUP G4G POC: What to learn more? The G4G website has more information and education. You can contact the NAVSUP Nutrition Program Manager at the listed above for any questions about the program.