Color Guides

The dining hall food labeling system is designed to help you make intelligent choices regarding what and how much you eat. Color guidelines are provided as a service by BASC Dining Services in cooperation with the Health Sciences Department at The College at Brockport. The tool is intended to empower individuals to select an appropriately balanced diet. It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or health professional. If you think you need help, see one of the professionals in the Health Center (585-395-2414) or the Counseling Center (585-395-2207).

We believe that the tool can provide valuable information on the relative composition of food and we hope this tool will aid you in your quest to achieve or maintain good health via nutritious eating.

Items labeled with a black bar in the red area should be eaten sparingly - they are high in either calories and/or saturated fat content. Foods with a yellow label should be eaten in moderation. Green labeled foods may be eaten freely - they are low in saturated fat and calories.

Nutrition is the science of nourishing the body and the art of giving serious thought to what you're consuming. While your body has an innate ability to sense when you need to eat, it hasn't the slightest idea what you should eat. Good nutrition is first and foremost a lifestyle. Just as lifting weights for the first time won't instantly give you a huge muscular frame, eating a nutritious meal won't suddenly make you feel happier and healthier.

The first step is to be conscious that everything you eat and drink is affecting your life. Once you've made a conscious connection (such as "gee, those 10 cookies a day sure are making me gain weight") you can start taking your diet seriously.

The government put aside the 13-year-old food pyramid and issued a new 12-model pyramid dubbed "MyPyramid," aimed at helping Americans trim their waistlines. To learn more about "MyPyramid," go to http://www.mypyramid.gov . Using the USDA's recommendations in conjunction with our color guides can help you create nutritionally sound meals.