Understanding GREEN, AMBER & RED foods

The NSW Fresh Tastes @ School Guidelines use a system that categorise foods into a colour spectrum ranging from GREEN to AMBER to RED. GREEN foods are encouraged and should ‘Fill the Menu’. AMBER foods should not dominate the menu and should be ‘Selected Carefully’. While RED ‘Occasional’ foods are only allowed in school on two occasions per term. RED sugar sweetened drinks are banned from NSW school canteens.

We’ve created a handout to remind you of the spectrum and help you plan your menu in colour.

What is a GREEN food?

Generally, foods in the GREEN segment:

  • Are a good source of nutrients
  • Contain less saturated fat and/or added sugar and/or salt
  • Help to avoid an intake of excess kilojoules

What are examples of GREEN foods?

  • All fruit, legumes and vegetables
  • Lean meat, fish and lean poultry
  • Breads and wholegrain cereals
  • Low fat milks, yoghurts and cheeses
  • Water 

What is an AMBER food?

AMBER foods should be selected carefully as they have moderate levels of saturated fat and/or added sugar and/or salt and can, in large serve sizes, contribute excess kilojoules. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if a food is AMBER or RED. That’s when you need to look at the “Occasional Food Criteria Table” to analyse the nutrition panel.

What are examples of AMBER foods?

  • Full fat dairy foods
  • Some savoury commercial products
  • Processed meats
  • Margarine, mayonnaise and oil
  • Spreads, sauces and gravy
  • Some snack food bars
  • Some savoury snack foods and biscuits
  • Some cakes, muffins and sweet biscuits
  • Some ice creams, milk based ice confections and dairy desserts
  • Some ice blocks, fruit based and ice confections
  • Some fruit juices and sugar sweetened drinks

What does ‘Select Carefully’ mean?

AMBER foods must not dominate the menu. Check your menu to see how many AMBER foods there are in relation to the number of GREEN foods. Ideally there should be a majority of GREEN foods. Have a variety of GREEN foods available every day, but have a restricted variety of AMBER foods for sale. Select small to moderate rather than large serving sizes for your students to avoid excess kilojoules. If you feel that a small serving would not satisfy the hunger of a student, then the food should be combined with a salad, bread roll or reduced fat flavoured milk.

Proportion of AMBER and GREEN Foods on the Canteen Menu

Schools often ask when developing their canteen menu, “What is the correct proportion as a percentage of AMBER to GREEN foods?” The answer is that there is no specific rule governing the percentage of GREEN and AMBER foods on the canteen menu. The Fresh Tastes @ School NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy states that schools should “fill the menu” with GREEN foods and not let AMBER foods “dominate the menu”. It is up to individual schools as to how they go about this. Below are some strategies to help you develop the menu that best suits your school.

Combine AMBER with GREEN

Serve AMBER foods with a side of salad e.g. nuggets, meatballs, fish pieces with salad. Or fill chicken fillet wraps and rolls and hamburgers with salad (not just lettuce), try adding tomato, cucumber and grated carrot.

Combo Deals

Sell AMBER foods with GREEN foods. For example, sell a reduced-fat pie with a reduced-fat flavoured milk and a piece of fruit. If possible, lower the price slightly to what it would be if the items were sold separately.

Promote GREEN Foods

There is no point having a menu that is predominately GREEN if the majority of sales are from the AMBER category. Ensure that those GREEN foods are promoted so that they are represented in your sales figures.

• Promote the GREEN foods you sell through advertisements in the school newsletter or on notice boards.

• Use new packaging methods to help make the GREEN foods look more appealing and place the GREEN foods at eye level in the fridge or on the front counter.

• Sell GREEN foods with a reduced mark up and place the difference in price onto the cost of AMBER foods.

• Primary schools can try giving GREEN foods fun names.

Restricted Days

Have a variety of GREEN foods available everyday, but have a restricted variety of AMBER foods for sale. This may encourage students to try foods other than their regular order. Some schools have removed all hot AMBER foods during summer serving only fresh sandwiches, wraps and salads. Madang Public School does this on a Friday to coincide with sport. The school found that it was more convenient for students travelling to sporting venues to have a cold sandwich or a wrap rather then a hot lunch. 

Serve Size

When serving size is controlled by canteen staff, care needs to be taken to avoid serving large portions of AMBER foods for example chicken nuggets, meatballs, hash browns, or fried rice. If you feel that a small serving would not satisfy the hunger of a student, then the food should be combined with a salad, bread roll, fruit, or a reduced-fat flavoured milk.

The ‘Healthy Kids’ Buyers’ Guide

The Healthy Kids’ Buyers’ Guide lists GREEN and AMBER products that are placed at the healthier end of the Canteen Menu Planner. Schools that use the guide are therefore selecting healthier choices within the AMBER category.

Please contact HKA if you would like advice in regards to your canteen’s menu on 02 9876 1300 or [email protected].