Go for Green Guidelines: Breakfast Overview The typical American breakfast menu has long been characterized by high-fat, high-calorie meats, fried eggs, and starchy side items. The Go for Green guidelines for breakfast increase the availability of Green-coded menu items for each meal part (entrée, starchy side, non-starchy side, and short order) while still offering some traditional and familiar menu items. When creating a breakfast menu, take into consideration these performance-minded guidelines. They will help you achieve the Go for Green Menu Coding Goals. The Armed Forces Recipe Service (AFRS) team is currently reviewing and developing new breakfast recipes. Your dining-facility staff influences what service members choose to eat through what your facility serves as well as where your staff places menu items. Featuring Green-coded menu items in prominent places and educating diners on how to select healthy meals encourages them to choose Green- and Yellow-coded options over Red-coded options. Your staff also can encourage diners to be creative and design their own entrées using different Green-coded items throughout the dining facility. For example, starting with a Green-coded protein from the specialty bar (such as egg whites) and adding Green-coded items from the cold breakfast bar (for example, vegetables or fruit salsa) makes a balanced and delicious entrée. G4G Menu Coding Goals for Dining Facilities (See http://hprc-online.org/nutrition/files/g4g-coding-goals-table-070516-pdf for basic guidelines.) Main/Hotline entrées: At least one Green-coded item daily Main/Hotline starchy sides: At least one Green-coded item every other day Main/Hotline non-starchy sides: At least one Green-coded item daily Grill/Short-Order Omelet station, Breakfast entrées (where applicable): At least one Greencoded omelet or entrée, and at least 4 Green-coded omelet toppings/fillings daily Grill/Short-Order sides: At least one Green-coded item daily Breakfast/Fitness Bar: At least 6 Green-coded items and no more than 3 Red-coded items daily Cold cereals: At least 2 Green-coded items and no more than 2 Red-coded items daily Hot cereals: At least one Green-coded item daily Beverages: At least one Green-coded item daily 070816 1
1 FOOD PLACEMENT/SETUP The diagrams below show examples of how to present the Breakfast Bar to be within Go for Green guidelines. Use the equipment you have on hand to mimic these ideas. Consider low-cost changes and movement of equipment within the dining facility/galley when feasible. Main/Hotline Example 1 Creamed ground turkey Turkey lentil chili Whole Grain Pancakes Baked potato Oatmeal Ratatouille Roasted vegetable salsa Scrambled eggs Hard-boiled eggs Whole Grain Baking Powder Biscuits Cornbread Oven Fried Bacon Ginger Glazed Carrots Diner flow of traffic Main/Hotline Example 2 Oatmeal Hot wholegrain cereal Whole Grain Pancakes or French Toast Creamed ground turkey or beef Vegetable Hard-boiled eggs Roasted potato or white rice Scrambled eggs Hash browns Whole Grain Baking Powder Biscuits Bacon Turkey sausage Diner flow of traffic Cold Breakfast Bar/Fitness Bar Low-fat cottage cheese Vanilla yogurt Fruit salsa Nuts Low-fat cheese Shredded cheese Plain yogurt Assorted fresh, whole fruit Assorted fresh, cut fruit Roasted vegetable salsa Fresh vegetables Avocado Fresh vegetables Craisins Granola Raisins Granola Diner flow of traffic 070816 2
Omelet Bar Eggs Roasted vegetable salsa Fruit salsa Sliced sausage (Y, R) Chopped ham Shredded cheese Feta cheese Egg whites Diner flow of traffic Place Green-coded options in each category first on the line before Yellow- and Red-coded options to encourage the diner to choose the healthier options. Also place Green-coded items closest to the diner, requiring him or her to reach further for the Yellowand Red-coded options. Place high-volume Green-coded options in the largest pans your bar accommodates. Place Red-coded options in the smallest pans your bar accommodates, and pair them with the smallest serving utensils. Serve Green-coded fats/oils, such as olive oil and avocado, in the smallest pans with small serving utensils to encourage diners to use the designated portions. Use areas of the dining facility that are generally not in service during the breakfast hours. For example: Create a Cold Breakfast Bar/Fitness Bar in the space used at lunch and dinner for the Salad Bar, and offer items such as cottage cheese and yogurt with toppings that can be mixed into or paired with these offerings. 2 FOOD ITEMS Breakfast can be one of the hardest stations/bars to change. Aim to make changes over a period of 6 months. Offer Green-coded recipes in place of traditional Red-coded menu items. For example: Canadian bacon in place of regular oven-fried bacon Creamed ground turkey in place of creamed ground beef Whole-grain pancakes/waffles in place of white-flour pancakes/waffles Increase variety by rotating the entrées and sides offered each day. For example: Offer bacon one day and sausage the next day. On another day, offer both bacon and sausage in smaller pans. Introduce a variety of starchy and non-starchy sides, and post ideas of how to incorporate these items. For example: Top oatmeal or grits with roasted vegetables and a fried egg. Pair Canadian bacon with quinoa or brown rice and fresh fruit. 070816 3
Use avocado as a spread for whole-wheat toast and top with a fresh tomato slice, various cooked veggies, or a sliced hard-boiled egg. Serve vegetables as nutritious sides or add-ins to any traditional breakfast item. For example: Offer sautéed spinach, onions, mushrooms, or stewed tomatoes as a side to egg dishes. Mix roasted vegetables, sautéed onions, or mushrooms with starches such as oatmeal, grits, or brown rice. Offer a variety of fresh vegetables such as spinach, kale, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, or vegetable salsa as add-ins for omelets. Serve soups Green- or Yellow-coded, preferably at breakfast. Although Americans don t usually think of soup as a breakfast item, it can be nutritious at any time of day. Offer soups as toppings for hot cereals, scrambled eggs, biscuits, home-fried potatoes, etc. For example: > > Beef Rice Soup over oatmeal or grits > > Navy Bean Soup paired with whole-grain toast > > Turkey Lentil Chili or Chili Con Carne with Beans topped with a fried egg > > Chicken Gumbo Soup over Whole Grain Baking Powder Biscuits Offer smoothies at the Grill/Short-Order as a way to incorporate fruits and vegetables into a meal. Use fresh or frozen fruit rather than canned fruit or frozen with syrup; this helps reduce added sugars. Place a sign on the Hotline to direct diners to the Cold Breakfast Bar/Fitness Bar (Salad Bar location) for additional toppings for oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, and French toast. For example: Top eggs with salsa, avocado, and/or scallions. Top pancakes/french toast with fresh fruit, vegetables, and/or nuts. Add nuts, fruits, or veggies into hot cereal. During breakfast hours, consider swapping out the Breakfast Breads/Pastries Bar with a Fruit and Yogurt Bar. Featured Meal or Plate Create a Green-coded Featured Breakfast at least once a week. Offer one daily if your facility staff can accommodate it. Diners will take your advice! The display for your Featured Breakfast should include a sign with: Meal name Ingredient list Directions on how to construct the Featured Breakfast, much like a recipe Within 6 months of launching G4G, work towards displaying a photograph of the Featured Breakfast or an actual plated meal. Featured Breakfast ideas: Mediterranean omelet: ½ cup egg whites + ½ cup spinach + ¼ cup mushrooms + 2 Tbsp feta cheese Sweet fruit omelet: ½ cup egg whites + ¼ cup fruit salsa (optional: add 2 Tbsp ham) Mexican omelet: 2 whole eggs + ¼ cup bell peppers + 1 tsp jalapeños + ¼ cup tomatoes + 2 Tbsp corn Huevos Rancheros: 1 corn tortilla + 3 Tbsp refried beans + 1 fried egg + 2 Tbsp salsa + 1 tsp cilantro + 070816 4
1 Tbsp cheese (feta, cheddar, jack), and serve with a side of sliced/diced avocado or fruit salad Visit the G4G website for other ideas as they are developed: http://hprc-online.org/nutrition/go-forgreen/g4g-operations and click on Menu Revisions. Suggested Breakfast items to help meet Go for Green Menu Coding Goals Use the following menu items and recipes to modify your breakfast bars to increase the number of Green-coded options. Many items are available ready-to-serve or can be prepared from scratch and/or speed scratch using AFRS recipes. In-house preparation is preferred when possible because you have more control over ingredients and preparation techniques. A certain item might code differently based on whether it is an AFRS homemade recipe vs. commercial, which might vary among brands. Sodium codes are assigned based on standard portion sizes; if a larger-than-standard portion is served, the code might be incorrect. Listed by type: Main/Hotline: Entrées meat/bean; entrées egg; entrées starches; starchy sides, vegetables (non-starchy), vegetables (starchy), soups, and smoothies. Cold Breakfast Bar/Fitness Bar: Dairy, vegetables, fruit, starches, and fats. Omelet Bar: Meats, vegetables, fruit, fats, and seasonings. Bar Item G4G Color Code G4G Sodium Code AFRS Recipe Number* Entrées Meat/Bean Main/Hotline El Rancho Stew Green Low L-022-02 Roast Beef Hash Green Low L-033-00 Turkey Lentil Chili Green Low L-234-00 Baked Salmon Fillets Green Low L-075-00 Turkey Fingers Green Low L-188-00 Braised Beef Cubes Green Low L-017-01 Baked Chicken Breast (Boneless) Texas Hash (Turkey, Brown Rice) Green Low L-143-03 Green Moderate L-061-04 Canadian Bacon Green Moderate L-002-01, 03 Chili Con Carne with Beans Green Moderate L-028-00 Creole Fish Green Moderate L-135-02, 03, 04 Teriyaki Steak Strips Green Moderate L-114-06 Teriyaki Steak Green High L-114-04 Roast Turkey (Boneless) Yellow Low L-162-00 Quinoa and Black Bean Burrito Yellow Moderate T-007-00 070816 5
Bar Item G4G Color Code G4G Sodium Code AFRS Recipe Number* Stuffed Green Peppers (90/10 Beef, White Rice) Yellow Moderate L-040-01 Baked Ham Yellow High L-069-00 Oven Fried Chicken and Whole-Grain Waffles In development Breakfast Enchilada In development Shrimp and Grits In development Entrées Egg Veggie Egg Pocket Yellow Moderate F-013-00 Broccoli Quiche Red Low F-011-00 Breakfast Burrito Red Moderate F-012-00 Muffin Tin Frittata In development Muffin Tin Canadian Bacon Egg Cup In development Entrées Starches Oatmeal Green Low E-001-00 Whole Grain Pancakes Green Moderate D-025-00 Pumpkin Pancakes Green Moderate D-025-13 Whole Grain French Toast Green Moderate D-022-00 Banana Oat Pancakes Green Moderate D-025-12 Italian Breakfast Pizza Yellow Low F-015-02 Breakfast Pizza Yellow Low F-015-00 Mexican Breakfast Pizza Yellow Low F-015-01 Vegetable Hashes In development Savory Oatmeal In development Carrot Cake Pancake In development Starchy sides Quinoa and Brown Rice Sauté Green Low E-027-00 Black-Eye Peas with Rice (Hoppin John) Green Moderate E-010-02, 03 Brown Rice with Tomatoes Green Moderate E-019-00 070816 6
Bar Item G4G Color Code G4G Sodium Code AFRS Recipe Number* Mediterranean Brown Rice Green Moderate E-017-00 Steamed White Rice, Long Grain Whole Grain Baking Powder Biscuits Yellow Low E-005-03 Yellow Low D-001-02 Baking Powder Biscuits Yellow Low D-001-00 Home Fried Potatoes Yellow Moderate Q-047-00 Oven Browned Potatoes Red Moderate Q-050-00 Brown Rice Pudding with Fruit In development Sweet Potato variations In development Whole Grain Corn Bread In development Vegetables (non-starchy) Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Carrots and Parsnips Green Low Q-001-00 Tangy Spinach Green Moderate Q-063-00 Stewed Tomatoes Green Moderate Q-058-00 Okra Mélange Green Moderate Q-503-00 Creole Summer Squash Yellow Moderate Q-062-00 Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions Red Moderate Q-030-01 Sautéed Spinach In development Collard Greens variations In development Vegetables (starchy) Boston Baked Beans Green Low Q-003-00 Refried Beans Green Moderate Q-038-01 Three-Bean Salad Green Moderate M-045-01 Spanish-Style Pinto Beans Green Moderate Q-006-00 Savory Baked Beans Green Moderate Q-003-01 Hacienda Corn and Black Beans Green Moderate Q-079-01 070816 7
Bar Item G4G Color Code G4G Sodium Code AFRS Recipe Number* Refried Beans w/cheese Yellow Moderate Q-038-00 Soups Creole Soup with Brown Rice Green Low P-003-00 Tomato Rice Soup Green Low P-006-01 Split Pea Soup with Ham Soup Green Low P-023-00 Navy Bean Soup Green Moderate P-008-00 Beef Rice Soup Green High P-001-00 Chicken Rice Soup Green High P-002-00 Chicken Noodle Soup Green High P-002-01 Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup Yellow High P-022-00 Chicken Gumbo Soup Red High P-010-00 Smoothies Tropi-Kale Smoothie Yellow C-010-00 Strawberry Banana Smoothie Yellow C-009-00 Kiwi Avocado Smoothie Red C-008-00 Cherry Berry Smoothie Red C-006-00 Cold Breakfast Bar/Fitness Bar Dairy Plain yogurt Green Low Cottage cheese, fat-free (0%) and low-fat (2%) Green Moderate Vanilla yogurt Yellow Low Cottage cheese, full-fat (4%) Red Moderate Vegetables Roasted Vegetable Salsa Green Low O-007-03 Medium Salsa (Fresh Tomatoes) Green Low O-007-01 Fruit Fresh whole fruit, assorted Green Fresh cut fruit, assorted Green 070816 8
Bar Item G4G Color Code G4G Sodium Code AFRS Recipe Number* Tropical Fruit Salsa Green Low O-030-00 Pineapple Salsa Green Low O-030-01 Craisins/Raisins Yellow Dried fruit, unsweetened Yellow Starches Granola Yellow Low Dry cereal Yellow Variable Fats Avocado Green Nuts, assorted, unsalted Green Low Reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded Yellow Moderate Cheddar cheese, shredded Red Moderate Meats Omelet Bar Baked ham, diced Yellow High L-069-00 Oven Fried Canadian Bacon Yellow Moderate L-002-01 Cooked, ground, or sliced chicken sausage Cooked, ground, or sliced pork sausage Vegetables Yellow or Red, depending on type Yellow or Red, depending on type Moderate or High, depending on type Moderate or High, depending on type Spinach/kale/collards Green Low Tomatoes, diced or sliced Green Low Jalapeños, minced or sliced Green Low Mushrooms, sliced Green Low Onions, diced or sliced Green Low Bell peppers, diced or sliced Green Low Broccoli, lightly steamed Green Low Corn Green Low 070816 9
Bar Item G4G Color Code G4G Sodium Code AFRS Recipe Number* Roasted Vegetable Salsa Green Low O-007-03 Fruit Tropical Fruit Salsa Green Low O-030-00 Fats Avocado, diced ½-inch Green Low Olives, black, sliced Green Moderate Feta cheese Yellow Low Swiss cheese, shredded Yellow Low Parmesan cheese Yellow Low Reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded Yellow Moderate Cheddar cheese, shredded Red Moderate Seasonings Cilantro, fresh, chopped Green Low Paprika Green Low Basil, fresh Green Low Crushed red pepper Green Low Other herbs/spices Green Low Hot sauce, assorted Green Low * AFRS recipes can be found on the G4G website: http://hprc-online.org/nutrition/go-for-green/g4goperations, click on Menu Revisions. 070816 10