Food cards, coding signs, and menu boards are all different ways to label menu items with G4G color and sodium codes. Post these materials daily at your dining facility as part of the overall effort to educate Service Members on nutrient-rich options for peak readiness.
Aim to use individual food cards and drink cards for every menu item to identify the food or drink and label the G4G color and sodium code at the point of selection. Neatly display food cards in front of (or nearby) each menu item, so diners can quickly and easily identify high-performance foods.
Looking to save time and reduce your reliance on printing individual food cards? Menu boards and coding signs have multiple benefits.
- Reduce your dining facility’s reliance on food cards.
- Optimize space in compact areas requiring multiple labels (such as the salad bar or condiment station).
- Save money by printing menu boards and coding signs on an office printer and using fewer printed materials.
- Save time for staff when putting out materials for each meal period.
"Menu board" template: Fill in the template with the serving station's menu, print it, and then post it on serving lines or stations. You can also use these templates for digital menu displays and screens. Refer to the G4G program requirements for guidance on using the G4G logo.
Coding signs: Use coding signs where individual food cards aren’t possible, especially if your facility has limited space. You can also use coding signs instead of (or along with) food cards.
Tip from the field
Get creative with ways to showcase G4G across your installation. Some ideas include using a screen at the dining facility entrance to highlight new menu items, G4G specialty bar and “build your own” station graphics, and “Featured Meal” signs to highlight available Green-coded meals.