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After using the Noom app for a month and discovering that they use a color categorization system to teach users about food quality and what to eat, I wanted to learn more about their green foods to see what foods Noom considers the “healthiest”.
Noom doesn’t provide an extensive list of their green foods, so I’ve done the research and put together this complete list of green foods for you to reference.
Want to learn more about Noom? Check out my complete Noom Review where I give you the pros, cons, and who I think would most benefit from using it.
What Are Noom Green Foods?
Green foods in the Noom app are foods that are considered to have lots of nutrients with minimal calories.
Noom explains that:
“Foods that fall into the green category should be consumed in larger quantities than foods that are less nutritious and higher in calories”.
The less nutritious and higher calorie foods are considered yellow foods and orange in the Noom app
Note: some people call the orange food category “red foods”, but this isn’t correct ‒ if you hear people say “red foods”, they mean “orange foods”.
As a nutrition coach, I was curious to know more about how Noom decides whether a food is green or not.
So I reached out to Noom for clarification on what the actual thresholds are for a particular food to be considered “green”, whether that’s being below a certain calorie limit, or requiring the food to include a certain number of nutrients.
Noom answered referring me to an article that already exists within the app.
Unfortunately, that article does not discuss concrete thresholds for calories or nutrients, so I reached out one more time asking for specifics
This time, Noom provided me with information that isn’t currently available to the public.
It turns out that Noom uses a food’s calorie density (the number of calories in a serving of food divided by the weight or volume of the food) to determine its classification.
Noom explained that Green foods are foods that have a calorie density less than or equal to:
- 1 calorie/gram for solid food
- 0.5 calories/mL for soups/sauces/spreads
- 0.4 calories/mL for beverages
For example, a 30-gram serving of banana has 27 calories, giving it a calorie density of 0.9 and a green classification. A 30-gram serving of rolled oats has 112 calories, giving it a calorie density of 3.7 and a yellow classification.
Noom Green Foods Video
Noom Food Classifications: A Word Of Caution
In my pursuit of the Noom formula, I stumbled upon this Reddit thread, which has a hypothesized formula for Noom’s color classifications.
- However, now that I know Noom’s actual formula I can conclude that the Reddit formula is NOT accurate. So if you’ve also come across that Reddit thread, IGNORE IT!
Key Takeaway: Green foods can be consumed in larger quantities because they have a lower caloric density than yellow or orange foods. You can calculate whether a particular food is green by using Noom’s formula outlined above.
Tips On Eating More Green Foods In Noom
Some easy ways to include more green foods while using Noom are to:
- Opt For Leaner Proteins: Leaner proteins are green foods because they are lower in calories, so including lean proteins at most meals will increase your consumption of green foods (i.e. choosing chicken over beef).
- Trade-In Your Carb Sources For Ones With More Fiber: Higher-fiber carbs have more nutrients to offer than refined carb sources, so they’re considered green foods (i.e. choosing whole wheat bread over white bread).
- Switch To Fat-Free Dairy Products: Fat-free dairy products are green foods because they are lower in calories, so switching up your dairy products can help you eat more green foods (i.e. 2% milk to skim milk).
- Choose Recipes With A Higher Percentage of Green Foods: Noom’s recipe database shows you which recipes have higher amounts of green foods. Including more of these recipes can increase your total number of green foods (i.e. Scallops with White Bean Puree rather than Bacon Cheddar Pinwheels)
- Add Green Foods As A Side To Your Main Dish: Upgrading your meal by adding a fruit or veggie on the side can add a “green food” to meals that wouldn’t normally have one. (i.e. adding grapes or broccoli)
Can You Eat Unlimited Green Foods On Noom?
You can consume a larger quantity of green foods on Noom compared with yellow and orange foods because they are lower in calories; however, these foods aren’t unlimited because you should still aim to adhere to your daily calorie target based on your goal.
In other words, you can consume as many green foods as you want, up to the daily calorie target that the Noom app recommends.
That said, you shouldn’t necessarily aim to only eat green foods.
Green foods are very low in fat, which is why their calorie content is very low (fat has the most calories) but consuming an adequate amount of fat each day is essential for your overall health.
The World Health Organization recommends that 20-35% of your calories come from fat.
For this reason, you should aim to consume lots of green foods with a mix of yellow (i.e. avocado) and orange foods (i.e. peanut butter) that are higher in fat.
- Related Article: 1-Week Noom Meal Plan For Beginners
Noom Green Foods List
In order to come up with this list of green foods, I had to log each one of these foods in the Noom app and see whether noom categoriezed it as green or not.
Fruits That Are Green on Noom
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Kiwi
- Oranges
- Figs
- Mango
- Pomegranate
- Cantaloupe
- Cranberries
- Grapefruit
- Peach
- Watermelon
- Grapes
- Cherries
Grains That Are Green on Noom
- Brown Rice
- Oatmeal
- Quaker Quick Oats (not rolled oats)
- Whole Grain Pasta
- Soba Noodles
- Whole Grain Bread
- Corn Tortillas
- Whole Grain Tortillas
- Whole Wheat English Muffins
- Dark Rye Bread
- Bulgur
- Barley
- Quinoa
Vegetables That Are Green on Noom
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Arugula
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Cucumber
- Broccoli
- Celery
- Onion
- Carrot
- Scallions
- Tomato
- Bell Peppers
- Green Beans
- Peas
- Asparagus
- Eggplant
- Cauliflower
- Bok Choy
- Brussel Sprouts
- Pickles
- Bagged Salad
Starches That Are Green on Noom
- Parsnips
- Beets
- Sweet Potatoes
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Corn
Dairy Products That Are Green on Noom
- Plain Fat-Free Yogurt
- Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
- Non-fat Milk
- Non-fat Cottage Cheese
- Non-fat Feta
- Non-fat Mozzarella
Proteins That Are Green on Noom
- Egg Whites
- Skinless Chicken Breast
- Ham Steak
- Low-Sodium Turkey Deli Meat
- Low-Sodium Chicken Deli Meat
Seafood That Is Green on Noom
- Tuna (in water)
- Shrimp
- Clams
- Scallops
- Tilapia
- Cod Fish
- Crab
- Red Snapper
- Mahi Mahi
- Flounder
Beans & Legumes That Are Green on Noom
- White Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Lentils
- Fava Beans
- Broad Beans
Plant-Based Alternatives That Are Green on Noom
- Tofu
- Unsweetened Almond Milk
- Unsweetened Coconut Yogurt
- Non-Dairy Cheese
- Unsweetened Soy Milk
- Unsweetened Cashew Milk
- Unsweetened Oat milk
Soups & Broths That Are Green on Noom
- Vegetable Soup
- Gazpacho
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Beef Broth
- Chicken Broth
- Vegetable Broth
- Fish Stock
Condiments That Are Green on Noom
- Marinara
- Salsa
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Hot Chili
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Light Mayo
- Red Wine Vinegar
Alcohol That Is Green on Noom
- Non-Alcoholic Beer
- Non-Alcoholic Wine
Frequently Asked Questions
What Cereal Is Green On Noom?
There are limited cereal options on Noom that are green foods, but Total Raisin Bran Crunch Whole Grain Wheat Flakes, Fiber One 80 Calorie Cereal, and Quaker Multigrain Life cereals are all green foods.
What Bread Is Green On Noom?
The bread varieties that are green on Noom are whole grain, whole wheat, dark rye, sprouted, and brown bread.
What Protein Is Green On Noom?
Proteins that are green on Noom include naturally low-fat proteins like chicken breast, seafood, non-fat dairy products, tofu, and egg whites.
Noom Green Recipes
About The Author
Amanda Parker is an author, nutrition coach, and Certified Naturopath. She works with bodybuilders, Olympic weightlifters, and powerlifters to increase performance through nutrition and lifestyle coaching.
