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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The Go, Slow, Whoa food system separates foods that are loaded with nutrients from foods that are loaded with calories. It was developed by the National Institute of Health to help families and children make smarter food choices.
Assigning foods and drinks into the Go, Slow, Whoa categories is largely based on calories, sugar and fat. Go foods and drinks are foods that can be eaten any time. They are low in calories, fat and added sugars. Slow foods are higher in calories, fat and added sugars and should be eaten sometimes, several times a week at the most. Whoa foods are the highest in calories, fat and added sugar. They should be eaten once in awhile or as a special treat.
Let’s take a look at how some of the foods are sorted into the groups.
GO – Almost all fresh, frozen and canned vegetables; all fresh, frozen and all fruits canned in juice; whole grain breads, pasta, cereal (unsweetened) and brown rice; fat free or 1% milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese, and part skim, reduced fat or fat free cheese; extra lean beef, chicken and turkey without skin, tuna in water, baked, steamed and grilled fish, egg whites, beans, and tofu; vinegar, ketchup, fat free salad dressing, mayonnaise and sour cream; and water, diet soda, and unsweetened ice tea and lemonade.
I have an issue with recommending diet soda, but based on the criteria it has been put into the GO group.
SLOW – Vegetables with added fat and sauces; oven baked French fries; avocado, 100% fruit juice, fruits in light syrup, and dried fruits; white rice, bread and pasta made from white flour, French toast, waffles, pancakes, cornbread, biscuits, and granola; 2% milk and processed cheese; hamburgers, chicken and turkey with skin, lowfat hot dogs, tuna in oil, peanut and other nut butters, whole eggs cooked without fat; ice milk bars, frozen fruit juice bars, lowfat and fat free frozen yogurt and ice cream, baked chips, microwave lowfat popcorn and pretzels; oil, soft margarine, lowfat salad dressing, mayonnaise and sour cream; sport drinks.
WHOA – Fried potatoes and vegetables; fruits in heavy syrup; muffins, doughnuts, sweet rolls and sweetened cereals; whole milk, whole milk yogurt, and regular cheese; fatty cuts of meat and poultry, bacon, chicken nuggets, regular hot dogs, lunch meats, sausage, fried fish, whole eggs cooked with fat; butter, stick margarine, lard, gravy, regular salad dressing, mayonnaise and sour cream, cheese sauce, cheese dips, and cream sauce; whole milk, regular soda, sweetened iced tea and lemonade, and fruit drinks.
As you look at these categories, there are some issues with the placement of foods. There are no sweets and snacks in the GO group. In the real world we all snack and everyone loves a sweet treat once in a while. There is little reference made to serving size. A Hershey kiss or a few animal crackers are a nice treat and a far cry from a regular-sized chocolate bar or a large cupcake. Often serving size is the real WHOA.
Children under the age of 2 and preschool children usually drink whole milk or 2% milk. At a glance, parents might think this is not the right choice.
There is little room in the system for combination foods like salads, soup, pizza and casseroles, all of which can be healthy choices. Though in some of the additional material available for this program, there is some information on handling combination foods. Fortified, low sugar, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, that are not 100% whole grain, are not classified. At the least, they should be a SLOW food.
A simple at-a-glance system for classifying foods and drinks that concentrates on nutrient dense foods can be a useful tool for families. Should we focus on nutrients to encourage – vitamins, minerals and fiber – found mostly in the GO group? Or should we focus on substances to limit – fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium – found mostly in the WHOA group? This system does both.
It is tough to categorize foods because any food, eaten in moderation, can fit into a healthy diet. Yet, most Americans have lost the concept of moderation. Go, Slow, Whoa may help put choices back into perspective.
For more information on Go, Slow, Whoa, go to: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/eat-right/choosing-foods.htm
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales of more than 8.5 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Diabetes Counter, 4th Ed., 2011
The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011
The Calorie Counter, 5th Ed., 2010
The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010
The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to TheNutritionExperts
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