Red, Yellow, Green?? What are Noom GREEN Foods?

If you are on the Noom Weight Loss Program wondering what the Noom Food Colors mean, then you are in the right place. Today we are talking all about Noom Green food, including a Printable Noom Green Foods list. Since sharing my review of the Noom Weight Loss Program, I'm been a huge believer in their habits-based approach, and I share my Noom Referral link in my many posts about how I live by the Noom principles. I'm glad you are here and I look forward to supporting you on your journey.

If you are new to the Noom Diet, here is a quick overview. Noom is an app-based health and weight loss program that encourages breaking unhealthy habits and building new ones. They do this using short, daily lessons as well as a Green, Yellow, Red Food category system.

If you would like to get a free, printable 7-page Noom Foods List PDF packet, you can request it here.

What Are Noom Green Foods? What Does That Mean?

Noom green foods are ones that will make you feel full on fewer calories. These are the least calorie-dense foods… in other words fewer calories per unit of weight. These foods are full of healthy nutrients, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and non-fat dairy.

If you want to do the math yourself to determine if a food is a green food, yellow food or red food, the Noom Density Formula is as follows:

Calorie Density= Calories per serving/Grams per serving (ie. Calories divided by grams)

The Noom system breaks it down into easy to use color categories, like a stop light, as follows.

Types	Green	Yellow	Red
Solid Foods	Low CD (<1)	Medium CD (1 < x < 2.4)	Higher CD (2.4 < x)
Liquids	Low CD (<0.4)	Medium CD (0.4 < x < 0.5)	Higher CD (0.5 < x)
Soups	Low CD (<0.5)	Medium CD (0.5 < x < 1.0)	Higher CD (1.0 < x)

However, unlike with a stop light where red means STOP, red foods are not actually off limits.

REPEAT! Red Foods Are NOT Off Limits. There is a daily ratio of red : yellow : green calories, but red foods are part of every single day.

I have a whole Noom Red Foods article about how Noom helped me to ENJOY my favorite treats as a part of a healthy lifestyle.

It has been so freeing!

Not a Noom Member yet? My Readers can take advantage of this very rare Deal: Get Free 14 Day Trial of Noom. (Note: the Promo code is applied automatically at the end of the quiz. If you have visited the noom website before, I recommend clearing your cookies to make sure a previous offer doesn't pop up.)

Examples Noom Green Foods

The Noom Food database in the app has nearly 200,000 food items you can look up by simply typing it in, scanning the barcode or look up the meals at over 850 restaurants and chains.

This isn't an exhaustive list of green foods, there are SO many more than this, and in fact many more listed on my Free Printable Noom Food Lists.

Below is a sample of Noom Green Foods, or low-calorie density foods. When planning your daily foods, Green foods should make up around 30% of your daily calorie budget on the Noom Diet (the Noom app makes this really easy to see).

Fruits: Apples, Blueberries, Bananas, Cherries, Peaches, Pears, Strawberries, Watermelon
Vegetables: Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Corn, Cucumber, Green Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Peas, Salad Greens, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes,
Non-fat Dairy: Non-fat Greek Yogurt, Egg Whites
Whole Grains: Brown Rice, Quinoa, Whole Grain Bread, Whole Grain Pasta
Some Seafood: Grilled white fish, grilled shrimp

How Can I Eat More Noom Green Foods?

When I first started using Noom and logging my food, I was mortified to see that every single food was red. (Back then it was red, now they are called orange.)

Over time, on Noom I learned not only to add way more Green and Yellow foods to my menu, but also how to embrace and learn from my favorite Orange (Formerly Red) Foods.

Here are ten tips for eating more green foods on the Noom diet:

Start your day with a green breakfast smoothie. For smoothies I love to use a large plastic cup and my immersion blender (AKA Stick Blender) which I find super fast to clean compared to a normal blender. I usually start with a base like a ripe banana for sweetness. Add a handful of green leafy vegetables, such as spinach or kale to your smoothie. Next add in some frozen fruit. You can buzz it up like that or personalize it as much as you like. You could add other green foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and even herbs like mint.
Make a big batch of roasted green vegetables on the weekend. This sounds like so much work but this is how I do it SO easily. I call this “Cook once, eat all week!” Set the oven to preheat to 350. While it heats up, get out your veggies, give them a rinse and cut them roughly into one inch pieces. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray that with cooking spray. Pop all the veggies onto the foil lined tray. Drizzle a little olive oil, salt and pepper over it and stir around being careful not to rip the foil. If the oven isn't heated yet you have time to clean up. When the oven is ready, pop it in, set a time for 15 minutes, and go do whatever you wanna do. When the timer goes off come check it. If it is starting to brown great, if not, stir and put them back in for another 15 minutes. Every veggie is going to cook differently. After two 15 minute sessions, I'd check mroe frequently like 5-10 minutes. Once they are done let them cool then put them in a storage container in the fridge. Now, you'll have a healthy and delicious side dish to have on hand throughout the week. Some good options include cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and zucchini. You could even do garbanzo beans, one of my favorite, although I don't roast those until brown. They just need to be warmed through for my tastes.
Add greens to your salads and soups. This is a simple way to boost the nutrient content and volume of your meals without adding many calories. Some days I even like to make a mug of bouillion and drop in a handful of torn up kale leaves. The hot water wilts it, and you have a nice warming lunch.
Snack on green vegetables throughout the day. You'd be surprised how the crunch of baby carrots, celery sticks, and cucumber slices can be kinda satisfying. You can also dip them in hummus or guacamole for added flavor and protein.
Try new green recipes. There are many delicious and creative recipes in the Noom app itself, that feature green foods. For example, you could try making a kale pesto pasta sauce, a zucchini lasagna, or a green bean and almond salad.
Make green foods the star of your meals. Instead of centering your meals around meat or pasta, try building your meals around green vegetables. For example, you could have a grilled salmon salad with roasted Brussels sprouts or a lentil soup with spinach and kale.
Don't be afraid to get creative with your green foods. There are many different ways to prepare green vegetables. You can roast them, steam them, grill them, or even eat them raw. Experiment with different cooking methods and flavors to find the ones you enjoy the most.
Keep green foods on hand at all times. This will make it easier to make healthy choices when you're hungry. Wash and cut your vegetables ahead of time so that they're ready to eat when you need them. Make them easier to see, easier to eat than foods you want to eat less of.
Don't be afraid to eat green foods in between meals. If you're feeling hungry, reach for a snack of green vegetables instead of processed foods.
Go vegetarian or vegan before 6. If it is will power or decision fatigue that is keeping you from eating more fruits and veggies, try out one week where you only eat meat at dinner.