The Traffic light System

Reading labels and ingredients isn't easy.  The 'traffic light' system is popular for its simplicity dividing foods into three categories.

Green foods are full of nutrients and are low in sugar, fat and salt - you can eat plenty of them. Green foods include fresh fruit and vegetables; most breads, pastas and rice; some wholegrain breakfast cereals; reduced-fat dairy products; fresh meat, fish and chicken; and water and reduced fat milk or soy.

Orange /Amber foods have some nutrients, but are often fairly high in sugar, fat or salt, so you should eat these in moderation and choose small serves.  Orange foods include full fat dairy products, some reduced-fat savoury foods like pasties, sausages, spring rolls, oven-baked biscuits, oven-baked chips or wedges and steamed dim sims; processed meat; margarine, mayonnaise and oils; gravy and other sauces; snack food bars; plain milk-based ice-creams; ice-blocks; and fruit juices in small servings.

(Some orange foods can slip into the red category, depending on the ingredients used, the serving size, and the method of cooking).

Red foods are low in nutrients and are high in sugar, fat or salt, so should be only eaten occasionally and in very small serves - these are the most obviously unhealthy. This category includes soft drinks (including sports drinks); all lollies; all deep fried foods; chips, crisps and other fried foods; chocolate covered ice-creams; and most cakes, muffins, sweet pastries and slices – especially in large serves.

The idea is to look at ways to shift the number of choices in your canteen menu from 'Red' to 'Green' and 'Amber' as well as making some small adjustments to make the food healthier e.g:

• using light, unsaturated oils for frying
• steaming dim sims instead of frying
• reducing the size of the serves e.g. small cans of soft drink
• using multigrain bread with a low fat spread instead of butter or margarine
• Only buttering one side of the sandwich or roll or not at all
• using reduced salt products e.g. soy sauce