Go, Slow And Whoa Foods: A Practical Guide To Making Smart Food Choices

It's January, the first month of a brand new year and New Year's resolutions. Most of us will follow the resolutions for a while and eventually go back to the same old routine. If you have decided to remove certain foods like pizzas and chocolate muffins from your family's meals afraid that your family won't be able to keep this grim resolution, then this article is for you. Read on to learn about the 'Go, Slow, and Whoa' foods concept that does not talk about 'healthy and unhealthy' food. Instead, it talks about how to balance your intake of all kinds of foods.

What are Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods?

The concept of Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the US to encourage people to eat healthily. It's an updated version of the Red, Green, and Yellow Foods concept. The Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods concept is a guide for children (and adults). It helps us learn that some foods can be eaten regularly, some less often, and others only once in a while. Experts consider this concept effective because instead of labeling foods as healthy and unhealthy and saying no to certain foods, you're getting your child to understand that all foods can be consumed, but certain foods need to be consumed in moderate or smaller quantities.

Go Foods

Go foods can be eaten anytime, as they're rich in nutrients and low in fat, added sugars, and calories. Go foods are described as whole foods, as they're unprocessed or minimally processed compared with foods in the Slow and Whoa categories. Encourage your child to choose Go foods for most of their food choices.

Slow Foods

Slow foods contain nutrients but are higher in fat, sugar, and calories than Go foods. Slow foods can be eaten sometimes.

Whoa Foods

Whoa foods are low in nutrients and high in fat, added sugars, and calories. Ideally, they should be eaten only once in a while. Whoa foods are the least healthy and are the most likely to cause weight gain, especially if a person eats them regularly. Hence, Whoa foods are once-in-a-while foods.

Here are some examples of Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods:

Note: A food item can be a Go food, Slow food, or Whoa food, depending on how it's cooked and prepared. For example, potato is a Go food if it's baked or boiled, baked potato chips are a Slow food, and fried potato chips and French fries are Whoa foods. Similarly, if pizzas and sandwiches are oily and rich in trans fats, they belong to the Whoa foods category. But when pizzas and sandwiches are made with low-fat, healthy ingredients, they can become Go foods.

Activity Time

Here are three simple fun activities to help your child learn the concept of Go, Slow, and Whoa foods. As you do the activities with your child, discuss the importance of selecting Go foods for most of the meals and snacks, and emphasize how Slow and Whoa foods shouldn't be eaten every day.

Activity 2: My Go, Slow, and Whoa Food Chart

Materials Required: An A4 sheet of paper, chart paper, crayons, scissors, glue, and marker.

Steps:

1. Get your child to list their top 10 (or even more) favorite foods.
2. Have them draw and color their favorite foods on an A4 paper. Cut the images carefully using child-safe scissors.
3. On a chart paper, draw three columns, one for each category: Go, Slow, and Whoa Foods.
4. Have them categorize their favorite foods under each column and stick the images, using glue. This will help them discover whether their favorite foods belong to the Go, Slow, or Whoa category.
5. Display the chart in your child's bedroom or the dining area.

Activity 3: Colors, Music and Dance

1. Choose a bunch of foods your family members like.
2. Play your child's favorite music and have them dance. Ask your child to stop dancing when the music stops.
3. Bring out one food item and show it to your child.
4. If the food item is a Go food, your child has to jump. If the food is Slow food, your child has to clap their hands. If the food is a Whoa food, your child has to stand still.
5. Get all family members to take part in the game.

This concept of Go, Slow, and Whoa foods is a simple and easy way to make healthy food choices. Remember, the aim is not to label the food as good, bad, or unhealthy, but to encourage your child and family to learn about foods that can be eaten regularly, eaten sometimes, and eaten once in a while. Make a chart of Go, Slow, and Whoa foods with your child. Display it on the fridge or in your kitchen. Get everyone in your family to learn when to say Go and when to say Whoa!