Great for You
The Great For You icon was developed to help our customers instantly identify food options that are better for them. It made its debut on Great Value and Marketside items in February 2012 and also appears on fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables at Walmart stores nationwide.
Today, more than 30 percent of qualifying items, including fresh produce, Great Value and Marketside private brands now carry the Great For You icon.
Nutrition Icon Criteria
Items with the Great For You icon must meet rigorous nutrition criteria informed by the latest nutrition science and authoritative guidance from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Institute of Medicine (IOM). Developed in consultation with food and nutrition experts from the public and private sectors, as well as leading health organizations, the icon represents a collaborative and transparent effort to develop a trusted and reliable system for consumers.
How Foods Qualify as Great For You
The icon serves as a guide to help people make incremental changes to their diet by encouraging more nutritious food choices. The science-based criteria use a two-step process:
Step one focuses on encouraging people to eat more fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds and lean meats. Examples include brown rice, 1% milk, raw almonds and 93% lean ground beef.
Step two limits the amount of total trans and saturated fats, sodium and added sugars that can be found in items such as sweetened oatmeal, granola bars, flavored yogurt and frozen meals.
Step 1: Food to Encourage – To pass, a product must meet “A” or “B”
A: Single ingredient food1 that is one of the following qualifies for the icon without further criteria application:
- A fruit or vegetable (fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juices)
- A 100% whole grain product (e.g., rolled oats, barley, popcorn)
- An unflavored, low-fat or non-fat fluid milk and yogurt2
- A protein food, including eggs, seafood, poultry and meat products that meet or exceed the USDA definition of lean3
- Fats/oils and nuts/seeds (including spreads)12 with ≤ 15% of total calories from saturated fat
B: Products that contain one of the following and meets Step 2 requirements:
- A fruit or vegetable (fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juices)
- A grain product that is ≥ 50% whole grain content2 or provides 8g whole grain and 3g of fiber2
- A low-fat or non-fat dairy product2
- A protein food including eggs, seafood, plant-based protein and poultry and meat products that meet or exceed the USDA definition of lean2,3
- Fats/oils and nuts/seeds (and spreads)12 with ≤ 15% of total calories from saturated fat
- Mixed dishes4 containing ≥ 1 or main/dish meals5,6 containing ≥ 2 selected from the following: ½ cup equivalent of a fruit or vegetable, ½ ounce equivalent of whole grain, ½ cup of low- or non-fat dairy or 1 ounce equivalent of lean meat7
Step 2: Foods to Limit – Foods that pass Step 1 "B" criteria and must meet the following requirements per labeled serving:
- Total Fat2,8: Less than 35% of total calories
- Saturated Fat2,8: Less than 10% of total calories13
- Trans Fat: 0 grams labeled and no partially hydrogenated fats or oils present
- Sodium: Single food item: ≤ 380mg9; Meals/mixed dishes: ≤ 600mg
- Added Sugars10: No more than 10% of total calories
Exemptions: Food products excluded from program per FDA labeling exemption regulations: Exempt from nutritional labeling if it contains insignificant amounts of all of the nutrients required to be on label, 21 CFR101.9 (j)(4). Food labeled for infants and children under 2 years of age, 21 CFR 101.9(j)(5).
Step 1: Food to Encourage
A: Less than 2 years of age:
- A fruit or vegetable (fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juices)
- A 100% whole grain product (e.g., rolled oats, barley, popcorn)
- An unflavored, low-fat or non-fat fluid milk and yogurt2
- A protein food, including eggs, seafood, poultry and meat products that meet or exceed the USDA definition of lean3
B: 2 to 4 years of age:
- A fruit or vegetable (fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juices)
- A grain product that is ≥ 50% whole grain content2 or provides 8g whole grain and 3g of fiber2
- A low-fat or non-fat dairy product2
- A protein food including eggs, seafood, plant-based protein and poultry and meat products that meet or exceed the USDA definition of lean2,3
- Fats/oils and nuts/seeds (and spreads)12 with ≤ 10% of total calories from saturated fat
Step 2: Nutrients to Limit – Foods that pass Step 1 "B" criteria and must meet the following requirements per labeled serving:
A: Less than 2 years of age:
- Total Fat2,8: N/A
- Saturated Fat2,8: N/A
- Trans Fat: 0 g labeled and no partially hydrogenated fats or oils present
- Sodium: 0 mg, no salt added
- Added Sugars10: 0 g, no added sugars
B: 2 to 4 years of age:
- Total Fat2,8: < 35% of total calories
- Saturated Fat2,8: < 10% of total calories (N/A to Meat, Seafood, Eggs, Nuts/Seeds)
- Trans Fat: 0 g labeled and no partially hydrogenated fats or oils present
- Sodium: Single food item ≤ 100 mg; Meals/mixed dishes ≤ 300 mg
- Added Sugars10: ≤ 10% of total calories
References: 1. United States Food and Drug Administration 2. United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 8th Edition 3. United Sates Food And Drug Administration. 21 CFR 101.62(e) 4. United States Department of Agriculture. 9 CFR 317.362. 5. United States Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 101.12(b) 6. United States Department of Agriculture. 9 CFR 317.313(l) & (m) 7. United States Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 101.13(l) & (m) 8. United States Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 101.62(e)(1)-(3) 9. Excludes dairy, eggs, nuts/seeds (spreads), oils and protein foods if covered in Steps 1 or 2. 10. United States Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 101.13(h)(1). Per 50g if RACC is small. Small RACC = Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed of 30 g or less or 2 tablespoons or less 11. Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, andamino acids. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2002 12. United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 8th Edition. Fats/oils extracted from plants containing a high % of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are liquid at roomtemperature (e.g. canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soy bean and sunflower oils) and naturally present oils in nuts and seeds. The fat in some tropical plants, such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil, are not included because they do not resemble other oils in their composition and contain a higher % of saturated fats than other oils. 13. Excludes fats/oils, nuts/seeds (spreads) if covered in Step 1 or 2 where the saturated fat level is less than 15%
