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Easy Guide to Best Food Choices

Green apple surrounded by doughnuts

Mar. 1 2023

In South Carolina, nearly two in three adults and one in three children is obese, which can lead to health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

One of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the whole family's eating and exercise habits. Follow these Go - Slow - Whoa guidelines adapted from the National Institute of Health to help your family make healthy food choices. 

Eat Often!
GO

Limit Portion Size
SLOW

Avoid!
WHOA

 BREADS AND CEREALS
  • Whole-grain breads, including pita bread
  • Tortillas
  • Whole-grain pasta
  • Brown rice
  • Hot and cold unsweetened whole-grain breakfast cereals



  • White refined flour bread, rice and pasta
  • French toast
  • Taco shells
  • Cornbread
  • Biscuits
  • Granola
  • Waffles
  • Pancakes
  • Croissants
  • Muffins
  • Doughnuts
  • Sweet rolls
  • Crackers made with trans fats
  • Sweetened breakfast cereals

GO

SLOW

WHOA

PROTEINS
  • Trimmed beef and pork
  • Extra lean ground beef
  • Chicken and turkey without skin
  • Tuna canned in water
  • Baked, broiled, steamed or grilled fish and shellfish
  • Beans
  • Split peas
  • Lentils
  • Tofu
  • Egg whites
  • Egg substitutes 
  • Lean ground beef 
  • Broiled hamburgers 
  • Ham 
  • Canadian bacon 
  • Chicken and turkey with skin 
  • Low-fat hot dogs 
  • Tuna canned in oil 
  • Peanut butter 
  • Nuts
  • Whole eggs cooked without added fat 
  • Untrimmed beef and pork 
  • Regular ground beef 
  • Fried hamburgers 
  • Ribs 
  • Bacon 
  • Fried chicken 
  • Chicken nuggets 
  • Hot dogs 
  • Lunch meats 
  • Pepperoni 
  • Sausage
  • Fried fish and shellfish 
  • Whole eggs 


GO

SLOW 

 WHOA

 VEGETABLES
  • Almost all fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables without added fat and sauces 
  • All vegetables with added fat and sauces 
  • Oven-baked French fries 
  • Avocado
  • Fried potatoes 
  • French fries 
  • Hash browns 
  • Deep-fried vegetables  

GO

SLOW

WHOA

FRUITS
  • All fresh, frozen, canned in juice 
  • 100 percent fruit juice 
  • Fruits canned in light syrup 
  • Dried fruits 
  • Fruits canned in heavy syrup 

GO

SLOW

WHOA

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
  • Fat-free or 1 percent low-fat milk 
  • Fat-free or low-fat yogurt 
  • Part-skim, reduced fat, and fat-free cheese 
  • Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese 
  • 2 percent low-fat milk 
  • Processed cheese spread 
  • Whole milk 
  • Full-fat American, cheddar, Colby, Swiss and cream cheese 
  • Whole-milk yogurt 

 

GO

 SLOW

 WHOA

 SWEETS AND SNACKS
 
  • Ice milk bars 
  • Frozen fruit juice bars 
  • Low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt and ice cream 
  • Fig bars 
  • Ginger snaps 
  • Baked chips 
  • Low-fat microwave popcorn 
  • Pretzels
  • Cookies 
  • Cakes 
  • Pies 
  • Cheesecake 
  • Ice cream 
  • Chocolate 
  • Candy 
  • Chips 
  • Buttered microwave popcorn  

GO

SLOW

WHOA

FATS AND CONDIMENTS
  • Vinegar 
  • Ketchup 
  • Mustard 
  • Fat-free creamy salad dressing 
  • Fat-free mayonnaise 
  • Fat-free sour cream 
  • Vegetable oil 
  • Olive oil 
  • Oil-based salad dressing 
  • Soft margarine 
  • Low-fat creamy salad dressing 
  • Low-fat mayonnaise 
  • Low-fat sour cream 
  • Butter 
  • Stick margarine 
  • Lard 
  • Salt pork 
  • Gravy 
  • Regular creamy salad dressing 
  • Mayonnaise 
  • Tartar sauce 
  • Sour cream 
  • Cheese sauce 
  • Cream sauce 
  • Cream cheese dips 

GO

SLOW

WHOA

BEVERAGES
  • Water 
  • Fat-free milk 
  • 1 percent low-fat milk 
  • Diet soda 
  • Unsweetened ice tea 
  • Diet iced tea and lemonade 
  • 2% low-fat milk 
  • 100 percent fruit juice 
  • Sports drinks 
  • Whole milk 
  • Regular soda 
  • Calorically sweetened iced teas and lemonade 
  • Fruit drinks with less than 100% fruit juice 

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Featured

Easy Guide to Best Food Choices

Green apple surrounded by doughnuts

Mar. 1 2023

In South Carolina, nearly two in three adults and one in three children is obese, which can lead to health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

One of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the whole family's eating and exercise habits. Follow these Go - Slow - Whoa guidelines adapted from the National Institute of Health to help your family make healthy food choices. 

Eat Often!
GO

Limit Portion Size
SLOW

Avoid!
WHOA

 BREADS AND CEREALS
  • Whole-grain breads, including pita bread
  • Tortillas
  • Whole-grain pasta
  • Brown rice
  • Hot and cold unsweetened whole-grain breakfast cereals



  • White refined flour bread, rice and pasta
  • French toast
  • Taco shells
  • Cornbread
  • Biscuits
  • Granola
  • Waffles
  • Pancakes
  • Croissants
  • Muffins
  • Doughnuts
  • Sweet rolls
  • Crackers made with trans fats
  • Sweetened breakfast cereals

GO

SLOW

WHOA

PROTEINS
  • Trimmed beef and pork
  • Extra lean ground beef
  • Chicken and turkey without skin
  • Tuna canned in water
  • Baked, broiled, steamed or grilled fish and shellfish
  • Beans
  • Split peas
  • Lentils
  • Tofu
  • Egg whites
  • Egg substitutes 
  • Lean ground beef 
  • Broiled hamburgers 
  • Ham 
  • Canadian bacon 
  • Chicken and turkey with skin 
  • Low-fat hot dogs 
  • Tuna canned in oil 
  • Peanut butter 
  • Nuts
  • Whole eggs cooked without added fat 
  • Untrimmed beef and pork 
  • Regular ground beef 
  • Fried hamburgers 
  • Ribs 
  • Bacon 
  • Fried chicken 
  • Chicken nuggets 
  • Hot dogs 
  • Lunch meats 
  • Pepperoni 
  • Sausage
  • Fried fish and shellfish 
  • Whole eggs 


GO

SLOW 

 WHOA

 VEGETABLES
  • Almost all fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables without added fat and sauces 
  • All vegetables with added fat and sauces 
  • Oven-baked French fries 
  • Avocado
  • Fried potatoes 
  • French fries 
  • Hash browns 
  • Deep-fried vegetables  

GO

SLOW

WHOA

FRUITS
  • All fresh, frozen, canned in juice 
  • 100 percent fruit juice 
  • Fruits canned in light syrup 
  • Dried fruits 
  • Fruits canned in heavy syrup 

GO

SLOW

WHOA

MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
  • Fat-free or 1 percent low-fat milk 
  • Fat-free or low-fat yogurt 
  • Part-skim, reduced fat, and fat-free cheese 
  • Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese 
  • 2 percent low-fat milk 
  • Processed cheese spread 
  • Whole milk 
  • Full-fat American, cheddar, Colby, Swiss and cream cheese 
  • Whole-milk yogurt 

 

GO

 SLOW

 WHOA

 SWEETS AND SNACKS
 
  • Ice milk bars 
  • Frozen fruit juice bars 
  • Low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt and ice cream 
  • Fig bars 
  • Ginger snaps 
  • Baked chips 
  • Low-fat microwave popcorn 
  • Pretzels
  • Cookies 
  • Cakes 
  • Pies 
  • Cheesecake 
  • Ice cream 
  • Chocolate 
  • Candy 
  • Chips 
  • Buttered microwave popcorn  

GO

SLOW

WHOA

FATS AND CONDIMENTS
  • Vinegar 
  • Ketchup 
  • Mustard 
  • Fat-free creamy salad dressing 
  • Fat-free mayonnaise 
  • Fat-free sour cream 
  • Vegetable oil 
  • Olive oil 
  • Oil-based salad dressing 
  • Soft margarine 
  • Low-fat creamy salad dressing 
  • Low-fat mayonnaise 
  • Low-fat sour cream 
  • Butter 
  • Stick margarine 
  • Lard 
  • Salt pork 
  • Gravy 
  • Regular creamy salad dressing 
  • Mayonnaise 
  • Tartar sauce 
  • Sour cream 
  • Cheese sauce 
  • Cream sauce 
  • Cream cheese dips 

GO

SLOW

WHOA

BEVERAGES
  • Water 
  • Fat-free milk 
  • 1 percent low-fat milk 
  • Diet soda 
  • Unsweetened ice tea 
  • Diet iced tea and lemonade 
  • 2% low-fat milk 
  • 100 percent fruit juice 
  • Sports drinks 
  • Whole milk 
  • Regular soda 
  • Calorically sweetened iced teas and lemonade 
  • Fruit drinks with less than 100% fruit juice 

Load more comments
Thank you for the comment! Your comment must be approved first

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Disclaimer: This blog is intended for general understanding and education about Lexington Medical Center. Nothing on the blog should be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Blog visitors with personal health or medical questions should consult their health care provider.