Use this chart as a guide to help you and your family make smart food choices. For more healthy eating information, visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/.
| Food Group | GO
Almost anytime foods |
SLOW
Sometimes foods |
WHOA
Once in a while foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | Almost all fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables without added fat and sauces | All vegetables with added fat and sauces; ovenbaked french fries; avocado | Fried potatoes, like french fries or hash browns; other deep-fried vegetables |
| Fruits | All fresh, frozen, canned (in juice) | 100 percent fruit juice; fruits canned in light syrup; dried fruits | Fruits canned in heavy syrup |
| Breads and Cereals | Whole-grain breads, including pita bread; tortillas and whole-grain pasta; brown rice; hot and cold unsweetened whole grain breakfast cereals | White refined flour bread, rice, and pasta. French toast; taco shells; cornbread; biscuits; granola; waffles and pancakes | Croissants; muffins; doughnuts; sweet rolls; crackers made with trans fats; calorically sweetened breakfast cereals |
| Milk and Milk Products | Fat-free or 1 percent lowfat milk; fat-free or low-fat yogurt; part skim, reduced fat, and fatfree cheese; low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese | 2 percent low-fat milk; processed cheese spread | Whole milk; full-fat American, cheddar, Colby, Swiss, cream cheese; whole-milk yogurt |
| Meats, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, Beans, and Nuts | Trimmed beef and pork; extra lean ground beef; chicken and turkey without skin; tuna canned in water; baked, broiled, steamed, grilled fish and shellfish; beans, split peas, lentils, tofu; egg whites and egg substitutes | Lean ground beef, broiled hamburgers; ham, Canadian bacon; chicken and turkey with skin; lowfat hot dogs; tuna canned in oil; peanut butter; nuts; whole eggs cooked without added fat | Untrimmed beef and pork; regular ground beef; fried hamburgers; ribs; bacon; fried chicken, chicken nuggets; hot dogs, lunch meats, pepperoni, sausage; fried fish and shellfish; whole eggs cooked with fat |
| Sweets and Snacks | Ice milk bars; frozen fruit juice bars; low-fat or fatfree frozen yogurt and ice cream; fig bars, ginger snaps, baked chips; low-fat microwave popcorn; pretzels | Cookies and cakes; pies; cheese cake; ice cream; chocolate; candy; chips; buttered microwave popcorn | |
| Fats/Condiments | Vinegar; ketchup; mustard; fat-free creamy salad dressing; fat-free mayonnaise; fat-free sour cream, | Vegetable oil, olive oil, and oil-based salad dressing; soft margarine; low-fat creamy salad dressing; low-fat mayonnaise; low-fat sour cream | Butter, stick margarine; lard; salt pork; gravy; regular creamy salad dressing; mayonnaise; tartar sauce; sour cream; cheese sauce; cream sauce; cream cheese dips |
| Beverages | Water, fat-free milk or 1 percent low-fat milk; diet soda; unsweetened ice tea or diet iced tea and lemonade | 2 percent low-fat milk; 100 percent fruit juice; sports drinks | Whole milk; regular soda; calorically sweetened iced teas and lemonade; fruit drinks with less than 100 percent fruit juice |