These Menu Coding Goals are intended to define—for dining facilities and galleys—what will qualify as menus compliant with Go for Green® 2.0. The overall goal is to shift menu design away from an overabundance of Red-coded items towards more Green-coded items. In general, there should always be a Green-coded option for each meal part (entrée, starchy side, non-starchy side, etc.) at each station (Main line, Short Order, specialty bar, etc.) for each meal served daily.
The goals are designed around an average-size facility. The size of your foodservice operation—particularly small or exceptionally large—might impact how these goals are applied. For example, in very small facilities where only one entrée is offered on the Main line and one on the Short Order at lunch, the goal might be that only one of those can be a Red-coded entrée and the other should be a Green-coded entrée. For an exceptionally large facility where there might be four or more entrées on the Main line, at least one must be a Green-coded entrée and no more than one Red-coded entrée on each line. This leaves options for additional Green- and/or Yellow-coded entrées. The goals are presented both by meal and by overall menu for two different ways to assess your menus.
Separate Menu Coding Goals are included for Breakfast vs. Lunch and Dinner. At present, an insufficient number of Green-coded recipes are available for Breakfast. As more Green- and Yellow-coded breakfast recipes become available, more Green- and Yellow-coded items should be offered. Over time, Menu Coding Goals (percentage of Green-coded items) will be the same for Breakfast as for Lunch and Dinner.
Guideline Cards are available for various types of specialty bars and other areas within the dining facility, including Breakfast, Dessert Bar, and Beverage Bar. Refer to these Guideline Cards for specific guidance on how to give your dining facility a performance-boosting makeover!
Go for Green® Menu Coding Goals: Breakfast
Menu Coding Goals for Breakfast are presented separately from those for Lunch and Dinner. As more Green- and Yellow-coded breakfast recipes become available, more Green- and Yellow-coded items should be offered. Over time, Menu Coding Goals (percentage of Green-coded items) will be the same for Breakfast as for Lunch and Dinner.
|
Dining Facility/Galley Serving Line Component |
Green-coded Items in Overall Menu |
Green-coded Items per Meal |
Red-coded Items per Meal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Main/Hotline Entrées |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
— |
|
Main/Hotline Starchy Sides |
At least 30% |
At least 1 (every other day) |
— |
|
Main/Hotline Non-Starchy Sides |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
— |
|
Grill/Short-Order Entrées: Omelet Station Breakfast Entrees (where applicable) |
At least 30% |
At least 1 (omelet or entrée) At least 4 omelet toppings/fillings |
— |
|
Grill/Short-Order Sides |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
— |
|
Breakfast/Fitness Bar |
At least 30% |
At least 6 |
No more than 3 |
|
Cereals, Cold |
At least 30% |
At least 2 |
No more than 2 |
|
Cereals, Hot |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
— |
|
Beverages |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
— |
|
Smoothies (if offered) |
At least 30% |
— |
— |
Go for Green® Menu Coding Goals: Lunch and Dinner
|
Dining Facility/Galley Serving Line Component |
Green-coded Items in Overall Menu |
Green-coded Items per Meal |
Red-coded Items per Meal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Main/Hotline Entrées |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
No more than 1 |
|
Main/Hotline Starchy Sides |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
No more than 1 |
|
Main/Hotline Non-Starchy Sides |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
No more than 1 |
|
Grill/Short-Order Entrées |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
No more than 50% |
|
Grill/Short-Order Sides |
At least 30% |
At least 1 |
No more than 2 |
|
Sandwich Line (Cold) (featured) |
At least 30% |
At least 2 |
— |
|
Salad Bar (excluding dressings) |
At least 50% |
Unlimited |
No more than 3–5 toppings on the bar |
|
Legumes |
At least 30% |
Unlimited |
— |
|
Desserts |
At least 30% |
Unlimited |
— |
|
Beverages |
At least 30% |
— |
— |
|
Dressings |
At least 30% |
At least 3 |
No more than 3 |
|
Chips/Portable Snacks/ Sides |
At least 30% |
Unlimited |
— |
|
Specialty Bars (Pizza, Potato, Taco, Chicken, etc.) |
At least 30% |
At least one entrée and one side |
— |