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. That is what the Noom food plan is and we will talk about caloric density shortly here in this article.

The Food System At Noom

So how do the green, yellow, and red foods work? Green foods are considered very healthy and nutritious for you. Foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. 30% of your daily intake should be in this category, but more is always welcome and even encouraged on the Noom food plan. Yellow foods are comprised of lean meats, low-fat dairy, and starchy carbs. They can still be quite healthy, but they have a higher caloric density and should be taken in moderation. 45% of your daily intake should be in the Noom yellow food list. 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 however 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. Noom knows full well, 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-caloric 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 the Noom food plan, every food in its database (3.7 million items and growing!) 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!

I lost 50 pounds on the Noom Weight Loss Program. Tracking my food was so easy with the color system and tracking food on the go with the easy to use Noom app. If you are ready to lose the weight and you’d like to give Noom a try, click the link below and try it out for yourself with Noom’s free trial.

Food Tracking On The Noom App

Throughout the course, you will want to track your foods 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 in that category, and how many calories are either left, or over in each category. Very helpful tool! As time goes along this aspect will make you very aware of just what types of foods you are eating. Knowing this can help you plan differently as you go along if needed.

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 you can’t find it 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. Eat away and enjoy according to Noom! Here are some examples, but not them all!

Yellow Foods

Yellow foods are higher in caloric density, but can still be nutritious and healthy. This makes them the middle of the road category on the Noom food plan. 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!

Being in the middle, Noom yellow foods tend to be less on the mind of “Noomers”. It is an important category to use and if you’d like more information on the yellow category, please read my blog post, “Yellow Foods at Noom (and Their Significance With Weight Loss)”

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. Consider using the 25% daily intake in this category for the healthier options in this category. You can also use this if you would like a little indulgence now and then-with portion size in mind. Here is a list of some red foods, but not all of them!

Get Your Noom Food Lists Printables!

The Noom app is a super-easy way to track your food and I love it! Besides remembering your most common foods very quickly, it is so easy to use on the go. Sometimes, it is nice to have the Noom food lists in a printable form. It makes it easy when you would like a quick glance at an entire category, or when you are doing your meal planning, grocery list or even grocery shopping! You can download your free Noom Food Lists Printables here with a quick signup below.

Get Your Green, Yellow and Red Noom Food Lists

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and receive my weekly email with updates and relevant information you need to know for your journey!

Get Your Free Noom Food Lists Here!

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 (and counting) 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 free trial. Try it. See if it fits your goals. What have you got to lose but the weight?