The City of Melbourne and Nutrition Australia have been working with participating food outlets in the QV Urban Market to help improve the nutritional quality of their menus and enable consumers to make better food choices, including those in Healthy Vending Machines.

This initiative has included the introduction of a traffic light colour coded system to help consumers quickly and easily recognise what menu items have maximum, average, or poor nutritional value.

Green Light, Eat Right  is the first pilot program of its kind in Australia, and introduces the traffic light colour coding system into the public food domain. The City of Melbourne’s long-term goal is that program be introduced into every food outlet in the Melbourne CBD, and then into the wider Melbourne community, including those in Healthy Vending Machines.

Helping you to make better food choices

To help you make healthier choices, Green Light, Eat Right classifies foods according to their nutritional value:

Red – A less healthy choice

Red foods are generally the least suitable option as they: :

• Are very low in nutritional value
• Are high in saturated fat and/or sugar and/or salt
• Provide excess kilojoules

Essentially, consumption of these foods should be restricted.

Amber – An ok choice

Amber foods should be selected carefully because they:

• Contain moderate amounts of added fat and/or sugar and/or salt
• Contribute to excess kilojoules if consumed in large serving sizes
• Provide limited nutritional value

The foods in this category are mainly processed foods and should be consumed in moderation.

Green – The healthiest choice

Green foods are the healthiest choice for everyday consumption because they:

• Are often high in nutrients and fibre
• Are low in saturated fat and/or sugar and/or salt
• Help to avoid an excess kilojoule intake

The majority of your daily food intake should comprise these foods.