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Green light foods are high in nutrient value and lower in fat and calories. Most green light foods contain important nutrients such as fiber or protein. Green light foods include low-fat yogurt, lean protein, and whole grain breads and cereals. Your child should have a green light food at every meal and snack.

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Yellow light foods are moderately high in calories and slightly higher in fat than green light foods. Yellow light foods provide healthy nutrition but should be eaten in moderation. Examples of yellow light foods include olive oil, granola bars, ice cream, chicken nuggets, and ground beef.

Red light foods are treats that can be eaten twice a week. They are generally high in calories, fat, and sugar and don’t have many nutritional benefits. Examples include cakes, pies, fried foods, and pizza. Your child can make two pit stops per week and still maintain a healthy weight.

The plan also includes free fuel foods. These are unlimited and do not count as traffic lights of any color. All fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables are free foods except for potatoes, corn, avocados, fat free cheese, and some beans.

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In the book, you’ll find recommendations for how many lights to eat per meal depending upon your child’s BMI. An example healthy eating game plan for a boys and girls ages 4-6 with a BMI of less than 17.3 includes two green lights for breakfast, one for a morning snack, four green lights for lunch, one for an afternoon snack, and four green lights for dinner. Green lights can be swapped out for yellow lights at a ratio of 2 yellow lights is equal to 1 green light. In addition, 2 yellow lights is equal to 1 red light. While the book has a database of more than 1000 foods color coded for you, it is easy to determine the color of the food by its calorie count. Green light foods have 0-100 calories. Yellow light foods have 101-200 calories. Spend a yellow plus green on 201-300 calories, and over 300 calories is a red light. The book includes proper portion sizes and plenty of healthy recipes for kid favorites like chocolate chip cookies, brownies, burritos, burgers, and soups.

Tip:

From page 14 of Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right, draw a daily calendar on a white poster board or even a simple sheet of paper and have your kids fill in their lights for each day as colored dots. After ever meal and snack, they can stick on the corresponding sticker as they use up their lights. This helps them keep track of their nutrition but also turns it into a game they’ll enjoy.

Remember to ensure your child gets at least one hour per day of physical activity in addition to proper nutrition, water intake, and sleep for a happy, healthy child.

References:

1. https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-physical-consequences-of-childhood-obesity-1095130

2. https://www.medicinenet.com/childhood_obesity/article.htm#what_are_the_risks_complications_and_long-term_health_effects_of_childhood_obesity

3. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html

4. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/obesity/Pages/The-Emotional-Toll-of-Obesity.aspx

Rebecca Eanes is the bestselling author of multiple books including Positive Parenting: An Essential Guide, The Positive Parenting Workbook, and The Gift of a Happy Mother. She is the grateful mom of two boys.