“Go for Green is easily identifiable as it uses a stop light color coding system,” said, Tech. Sgt. Shantavis Hightower, Air Force Services Agency representative. “The program uses the color codes green, yellow and red to identify nutritional quality. Additionally, as part of the initiative, low, medium and high saltshaker symbols now identify sodium content. Overall, the goal is to optimize performance by incorporating whole foods, cleaner foods and healthier options.”
To help dining facility employees learn how to implement the new culinary changes, Pitsenbarger Dining Facility hosted training Sept. 24-27, and representatives from four bases attended.
Hightower, along with one other Air Force Services Agency representative, four master chefs and a consulting dietitian from the Culinary Institute of America provided the training.
One of the objectives of Go for Green 2.0 is to give diners more options.
“The best thing about 2.0 is that if you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it, said Lisa Brefere, a certified executive chef with the Culinary Institute of America. “However, for people who want healthier choices, options have been added.”
Brefere added that incorporating good cooking procedures into the dining experience model is also a goal, and the new foods are not only healthy but taste delicious as well.
Hightower provided the following healthy food tips:
• Aim to fill half your plate with green-coded foods.
• Eat consistently to keep your energy up.
• Make nutrient-rich foods the easy choice at home and work.
The Pitsenbarger Dining Facility serves military personnel more than 250,000 meals per year. The hours of operation are breakfast from 6 to 8 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and dinner 5 to 7 p.m.
For more information on the Go for Green 2.0 initiative, call 937-257-7151 or visit the Human Performance Resource Center website at https://www.hprc-online.org/page/go-for-green.
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