Green, Yellow and Red-The Food System at Noom

The Food System at Noom. Green, yellow and red. These 3 colors are central to the food system at Noom. All foods are in 1 of these 3 categories. Which color category the food is in, is dependent on that food’s caloric density. We will get into that shortly.

The Food System At Noom

Green foods are considered very healthy and nutritious for you like fruits and vegetables and whole grains. 30% of your daily intake should be in this category, but more is always welcome. Yellow foods are comprised of lean meats, low-fat dairy, and starchy carbs and should be taken in moderation. 45% of your daily intake should be in the yellow food category. Red foods tend to be the highest calorie foods and most do not have much nutritional value. There are a few exceptions to this rule though from the nutritional value aspect. 25% of your daily intake should be from the red food category.

So What Is Caloric Density?

Noom’s goal is for you to learn healthy nutritional habits and feel full by eating fewer calories. You will not succeed through the program or through life if you are hungry all the time. This is where caloric density comes into play. You want to eat foods that are a“low calorie density”. Foods that are low calorie for a larger volume of food. Foods that contain a high content of water are low-calorie dense foods. Fruits and vegetables are a great example. The water dilutes the calories giving you a larger volume of food for the same amount of calories.

Let’s look at grapes and raisins as an example. They are both the same food. 1 cup of grapes, high in water content has 62 calories. 1 cup of raisins, low in water content has 500 calories. You will feel full after eating both, but the grapes have much fewer calories. The raisins in comparison, have a high caloric density. If you eat foods with a lower caloric density, you will feel full and satisfied for fewer calories and can lose weight as well!

Caloric Density And The Food System At Noom

For Noom, every food in its database (3.7 million items!) will be categorized in the color system by its caloric density. Every food will have calories and portion size listed to choose from. Green foods have a very low caloric density, yellow foods are middle of the road, and red foods have a very high caloric density. Eating foods in the yellow and red categories within their daily limits will be conducive for weight loss and maintenance in the long run. These foods when taken occasionally and in moderation can help you from feeling deprived. Daily intake of green foods should be at least 30%, but more is definitely allowed because of their low caloric density and their nutritional value. The more of merrier of the greens!

Food Tracking On The Noom App

Throughout the course, you will want to track your food intake on your phone’s Noom app. You will be set up on this app on day 1 when you sign up. the app is like the epicenter of where it happens at Noom and has lots of cool features, but today we will be looking at the food tracking part of the app. Towards the top of your home screen, you will notice a calorie tracker. You will be assigned a set number of calories you can eat every day. This really helps guide you as you go through your day. Keeps you aware of how much you are using and how much you have available to use for the rest of the day. This screen is reset daily.

Logging Food Screen

The logging food screen looks like this at the beginning of the day. You press each meal or snack to track it. You will get a running tabulation of how many calories you are using in each meal or snack that day. The analysis button in the top right-hand corner can tell you what color category your foods landed for the day. How many calories were used and how many calories are either left or over in each category. Very helpful tool!

Click on the specific meal or snack category and that is where you add your meals. Add each specific food item and amount. You’ll get a drop-down menu for your choice. Personally, this is my favorite app for tracking food. I find it picks up your most frequently used foods very quickly and are prevalent at the top of the drop-down menu items when you are making choices. It even senses your most common choices with your meals and snacks. Super easy process and takes little time to complete. You can add your own recipes by pressing on the pot icon above the search bar. You can also scan a barcode for the food items information if it’s not in the database. Depending on how you had set up your preferences, you may get a notification on your phone if you are overdue with tracking. Just another accountability feature!

Green Foods

When you think of green foods, think healthy and nutritious foods with low calories. Remember these foods have a low caloric density. Fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods, non-fat dairy products. If you are hungry and want something, this is a good category to head to. Here are some examples, but not them all!

Yellow Foods

Yellow foods are less nutritious and healthy than green foods but better than red foods. Foods in this category would include lean meats, starchy carbs, low-fat dairy. Yellows make up about 45% of your daily intake at Noom. Here are some examples, but not them all!

Red Foods

Red foods have the highest calorie density and are generally the least nutritious (in most cases but not all). These foods should be enjoyed a little less frequently and in smaller portions. It makes up about 25% of your daily intake. Here is a list of some red foods, but not all of them!

Noom’s Food System In A Nutshell

Noom wants you to live a healthy life-at Noom and beyond your life at Noom. They teach you to make changes for life. Deprivation is not a part of the equation. Learning to eat healthily and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be achieved even with the occasional indulgence and in moderation. You can read some of the advantages of the Noom Weight Loss Program here.

The color system helps you to navigate what foods will keep you full and satisfied by understanding their calorie density and nutritional values. Making wise choices is possible when you are aware of where your food choices fit into the green, yellow and red categories.

Noom’s Easy To Use Phone App

Noom’s easy to manage phone app makes food tracking a breeze. They have 3.7 million food items in their database making it easy to find your foods. Noom’s recognition of your most popular foods will appear frequently with the first 2-3 letters typed. You can add favorite recipes. Check your calorie tracker simply by opening the app. Check your green-yellow-red food ratio with the Analysis button in the food tracking link. Know where you stand for the day with your choices.

Losing weight is hard. We all know that. Having tools and systems at your disposal can make your journey easier. If you want to lose weight, Noom offers a 14-day trial. Try it. See if it fits your goals. You’ve got 14 days to see what you think. What have you got to lose but the weight?