What Kind of Food Is on the Noom Diet?

January 9, 2026 •

4 min read

Noom's psychology-based approach has helped nearly 80% of users who engaged with the app achieve weight loss. Instead of prohibiting foods, the program categorizes them based on caloric density, empowering users to understand their eating habits and build a more balanced diet.

Quick Summary

Noom uses a color-coded system to classify foods based on caloric density, not a list of 'good' or 'bad' foods. The program encourages balanced eating by guiding users to fill up on low-calorie-density green foods while enjoying moderate portions of yellow foods and smaller portions of calorie-dense orange foods.

Key Points

Color-Coded System: Noom classifies all foods as green, yellow, or orange based on caloric density, not morality.
Green Foods: These are the least calorie-dense and most nutrient-rich, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and should form the bulk of your intake.
Yellow Foods: These have moderate caloric density and are meant for moderate consumption, comprising lean proteins and some starches.
Orange Foods: The most calorie-dense foods, meant to be consumed in smaller portions and less frequently.
No Restrictions: No foods are completely forbidden on Noom, promoting a balanced approach to eating.
Behavioral Psychology: The program uses principles from cognitive behavioral therapy to help users change their mindset and habits around food for lasting results.
Mindful Eating: Users are encouraged to be more mindful of what and why they eat, understanding portion sizes and triggers.
Long-Term Habits: The core goal is to build sustainable, lifelong healthy habits rather than offering a temporary 'quick fix'.

Understanding the Noom Food Color System

The Noom diet is not a restrictive meal plan but a behavioral science-based program that educates users on making healthier food choices. Central to this is a color-coded system that classifies foods into three categories: green, yellow, and orange, based on their caloric density. Caloric density is the number of calories in a food relative to its weight, which helps users understand how different foods affect feelings of fullness. The goal is to eat mostly green foods, moderate amounts of yellow foods, and smaller portions of orange foods, all while staying within a personalized daily calorie budget. This approach aims to promote mindful eating and sustainable, long-term habit changes rather than short-term deprivation.

Green Foods

Green foods are the foundation of the Noom diet. They have the lowest caloric density and the highest concentration of healthy nutrients, meaning you can eat larger portions to feel full without consuming a large number of calories. The emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains ensures a high intake of fiber and essential vitamins.

Examples of Green Foods:

Fruits: Apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes.
Vegetables: Spinach, broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, mushrooms.
Whole Grains: Oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain bread, quinoa.
Dairy (Non-fat): Skim milk, non-fat yogurt, non-fat cheese.
Proteins: Tofu, shrimp, egg whites.

Yellow Foods

Yellow foods have a higher caloric density and/or fewer healthy nutrients per serving than green foods. They should be consumed in moderation as part of your daily caloric intake. This category includes many lean proteins and starches that are important for energy and muscle building.

Examples of Yellow Foods:

Lean Proteins: Salmon, turkey breast, chicken breast, lean ground beef.
Dairy (Low-fat): Low-fat cheese, low-fat yogurt.
Legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils.
Grains: Whole wheat pasta, couscous.
Eggs: Whole eggs.

Orange Foods

Orange foods are the most calorie-dense and have the fewest nutrients per serving. This means that while no food is off-limits, orange foods should be enjoyed in smaller, less frequent portions. Noom emphasizes that orange does not mean 'bad,' but rather serves as a guide for portion control.

Examples of Orange Foods:

Fats and Oils: Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, nut butter.
Red Meats: Pork, beef.
Sweets and Desserts: Chocolate, cake, cookies.
Processed Foods: Fried foods, bacon.
Full-fat Dairy: Full-fat milk, full-fat yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese.

Comparing the Noom Food Categories


Feature	Green Foods	Yellow Foods	Orange Foods
Calorie Density	Lowest caloric density	Moderate caloric density	Highest caloric density
Nutrient Content	Highest concentration of healthy nutrients	Fewer healthy nutrients per serving than green	Least healthy nutrients per serving
Portion Size	Encouraged for larger portions	Recommended in moderate proportions	Meant for smaller portions
Example	Spinach, apples, whole grains	Lean chicken, eggs, low-fat dairy	Nuts, red meat, desserts
Purpose	Fill up on fiber and nutrients	Incorporate lean protein and starches	Enjoy in moderation

How Noom Promotes Behavioral Change with Food

Beyond the color system, Noom's effectiveness lies in its focus on the psychological aspects of eating. The program uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help users understand the triggers behind their food choices and develop healthier coping strategies. Daily lessons, interactive quizzes, and guidance from virtual coaches help reframe a user's relationship with food, shifting from reactive habits to mindful decisions. This educational component is designed to build sustainable habits that last a lifetime, long after a user has met their weight loss goals. Users learn to navigate social environments and overcome barriers to healthy eating, rather than relying on restrictive rules that can lead to a cycle of dieting. The ability to log meals, track progress, and connect with a supportive community further reinforces these positive behavioral changes.

Practical Eating Tips on the Noom Diet

To apply the Noom principles, here are some practical tips for daily eating:

Fill your plate with green first: When preparing a meal, prioritize filling at least half your plate with green-category foods like vegetables and fruits. This ensures you're getting fiber and nutrients to feel satisfied.
Don't eliminate, moderate: The key is balance, not elimination. If you want a slice of cake (orange), adjust your other meal choices for the day to accommodate it within your calorie budget by focusing on more green and yellow foods.
Cook at home more: Noom provides a vast library of recipes that are easy to follow and break down nutritional information. Cooking at home gives you more control over ingredients and portion sizes.
Use the app to learn: Use the food-logging feature not just for tracking, but as a learning tool. The app shows you the color categorization and explains why a food falls into a certain group, helping you build intuition.

Conclusion

The Noom diet is defined by its educational, psychology-based approach to eating rather than a prescribed list of allowed or forbidden foods. By using a color-coded system to classify foods based on caloric density—green for lowest, yellow for moderate, and orange for highest—it empowers users to make mindful, balanced choices that support long-term weight management. No food is strictly off-limits, which helps to foster a healthier, more sustainable relationship with eating. The program's blend of daily lessons, tracking tools, and community support provides the resources for users to understand their habits and build a healthier lifestyle that lasts. Noom is not just a diet but a comprehensive wellness program that helps users gain confidence and knowledge for lasting change.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Noom food color system categorizes all foods into green, yellow, or orange based on their caloric density, or how many calories a food has relative to its weight. The aim is to help users eat a higher volume of low-calorie-dense foods to feel full.

No, the Noom diet does not prohibit any foods. It instead guides users to consume different colors in specific proportions—more green, moderate yellow, and less orange—so that no food is entirely off-limits.

Common green foods on Noom include many fruits (like apples and strawberries), vegetables (like spinach and broccoli), whole grains (like brown rice and oatmeal), and non-fat dairy products.

The yellow category contains foods with a moderate caloric density. Examples include lean proteins like salmon and chicken breast, whole eggs, low-fat dairy, and legumes such as black beans.

Orange foods are the most calorie-dense and include items like nuts, seeds, red meat, processed foods, oils, and desserts. They are not 'bad' foods, but should be consumed in smaller quantities.

Noom promotes itself as a long-term behavioral change program, not a crash diet. By focusing on education and psychology, it teaches users sustainable habits that can be maintained over time, helping to prevent yo-yo dieting.

The Noom app allows users to log their food intake and automatically assigns a color category to each item. This feature helps users visualize their dietary balance and learn to make better choices, supported by insights from the app's educational content.