This program is for Service members and other personnel who eat at participating military dining facilities, galleys, and medical treatment facilities.

Go For Green® (G4G), a multicomponent worksite nutrition education program, is designed to encourage participants to choose foods that will help them improve their physical fitness and performance levels. This program uses a traffic light labeling system to designate foods in participating military installation cafeterias as high-performance foods (green); moderate-performance foods (yellow); and low-performance foods (red).

Results from one pre/post no control group evaluation in a non-trainee dining facility showed that 3 weeks after menu changes were made, participants chose a higher percentage of green items and a lower percentage of red items and consumed fewer total calories, a lower percentage of calories from total fat and saturated fat, and less sodium. There was no change in service quality or food quality; however, food appeal increased slightly. Another observational study in 299 active duty soldiers found that soldiers who reported using the labels reported consuming a significantly lower fat intake when compared to non-users of the labels. No significant differences between users and non-users were observed for body mass index or consumption of fruits and vegetables.

G4G intends to support mental and physical performance and improve the nutrition environment on military installations. The program uses a traffic light color-coding system in the cafeteria to help participants identify the nutritional value of foods, beverages, and condiments. The coding system is displayed on posters hung in the cafeteria and described on a free iPhone app, and color-coded labels are placed near food selections. Items are categorized into the following three groups.

• Green: High-performance foods, which are low in added sugar, high in fiber, contain healthy fats, are minimally processed, are high in vitamins and minerals, and should be consumed most frequently (e.g., fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains, chicken or turkey breast without skin, fish, olive oil, nuts, water, skim milk);
• Yellow: Moderate-performance foods, which are higher in added sugar or contain artificial sweeteners, lower in fiber, contain poor-quality fats, are somewhat processed, are lower in vitamins and minerals, and should be eaten occasionally (e.g., dried fruit with added sugar, baked french fries, ham, roast beef, vegetable oil, 100% fruit juice, 2% milk); and
• Red: Low-performance foods, which are highest in added sugar or contain artificial sweeteners, have minimal fiber, contain excess fats and/or trans fats, are highly processed, provide the lowest amounts of vitamins and minerals, and should be selected rarely (e.g., deep-fried vegetables, canned fruit in heavy syrup, biscuits, bologna, creamy salad dressing, energy drinks, whole milk).

Required components of the program include the following: providing standardized, online training for management; assigning traffic light color codes based on an approved coding algorithm; offering a minimum number of green-coded menu items and a maximum number of red-coded menu items; creating standardized labels that use a green, yellow, or red color code to indicate nutritional quality and a salt shaker using a low, medium, or high code to indicate sodium content; strategically placing foods to encourage selection of healthy options; displaying promotional signs to encourage selection of green-coded foods; using marketing and education strategies to generate interest in nutrition and motivate increased selection of green-coded foods and drinks; and providing standardized in-person training for all supervisors and foodservice staff.

G4G was developed in 2008 and was designed to help support fueling during initial Army training. The program has undergone several revisions and has evolved into an intervention that is implemented across all U.S. military branches.

Training is required, and the length and format will vary depending on who the target audience of the training is. Please visit https://www.hprc-online.org/nutrition/go-green/training/classes for more information.

Considerations for implementing this program include acquiring buy-in from dining facility managers and dietitians; ensuring management, supervisors, and foodservice staff complete training; determining the nutritional properties (e.g., calories, grams of fat, milligrams of sodium) of all cafeteria offerings; labeling food choices; and marketing the program to participants.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing G4G, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Full implementation will take 6 to 12 months from the planning stages to program launch. This time will depend on the size of the facility, the amount of staffing and support, and the general state of the current menu. Please visit https://www.hprc-online.org/nutrition/go-green/start-implement/timeline to see a general timeline for program implementation.

Materials needed to implement G4G include posters and color-coded labels. Costs associated with these materials are minimal. Please visit the Marketing and Materials section of https://www.hprc-online.org/nutrition/go-green for more information on print, digital, and social media marketing materials.

To move G4G to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one evaluation should be performed demonstrating positive effects lasting at least one year from the beginning of the program or at least six months from program completion.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185     Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact G4G by visiting https://www.hprc-online.org/nutrition/go-green/news-contact/us

https://quartermaster.army.mil/jccoe/Operations_Directorate/QUAD/nutrition/nutrition_main.html, https://www.hprc-online.org/nutrition/go-green, and Kleinberger et al. (2023)

Arsenault, J. E., Singleton, M. C., Funderburk, L. K. (2014). Use of the go-for-green nutrition labeling system in military dining facilities is associated with lower fat intake. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(7), 1067-1071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2013.12.013

Belanger, B. A., & Kwon, J. (2016). Effectiveness of healthy menu changes in a nontrainee military dining facility. Military Medicine, 181(1), 82-89. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00027

Kimmons, J., Nugent, N. B., Harris, D., Lee, S. H., Kompaniyets, L., & Onufrak, S. (2025). Behavioral design strategies improve healthy food sales in a military cafeteria. American Journal of Health Promotion, 39(2), 234-243. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171241293369

Kirkpatrick, K. M., Billington, J., & Robinson, D. (2023). Ready-to-use-item database to improve nutrition labeling program efficiency. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 124, 105704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105704

Kirkpatrick, K. M., Kleinberger, C. A., Moylan, E. M., Bukhari, A. S., & Deuster, P. A. (2023). Nutrition program fidelity assessment tool: A framework for optimising implementation in military dining facilities. Public Health Nutrition, 26(1), 219-228. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022001896

Kleinberger, C. A., Bukhari, A. S., Kirkpatrick, K. M., Moylan, E. M., Billington, J. L., Armstrong, N. J., … Deuster, P. A. (2023). Go for green® nutrition program: Translating evidence into practice. Military Medicine, 188(5-6), 1046-1053. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab503

Robinson, D., Kirkpatrick, K. M., Heetderks-Cox, J., Kazman, J., McCarthy, R., Caffrey, Y., … Deuster, P. (2021). Go for green SNACKOs: Transforming the military food environment. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121(9), A12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.06.020

Thorndike, A. N., Sonnenberg, L., Riis, J., Barraclough, S., & Levy, D. E. (2012). A 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention to improve healthy food and beverage choices. American Journal of Public Health, 102(3), 527-533. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300391