Cleveland Clinic Wellness

Cleveland Clinic recognizes the power of nutritious food in supporting optimal health. The food choices we make each day have the ability to turn on or off genes that directly impacts how our mind and body age, and how we feel on a daily basis.

We want to help you adopt and sustain lifestyle behaviors that can improve your health and quality of life.

Cleveland Clinic experts developed our Go! Well Foods criteria based on current literature corresponding with overall population health guidelines. Criteria is based on an average 2,000 calorie per day diet, but we understand each individual may have different needs to consider when making food choices. Our goal is to empower you to choose foods that will help you live healthier, feel better and prevent or even reverse disease.

Our Standards

Go! Well Foods provide key nutrients by focusing on diets consisting of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats. This includes keeping saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars and sodium within limits that align with the national standards.

Our nutrition experts certify that all food and beverages carrying the Cleveland Clinic Go! Well label will meet these nutritional guidelines:

Meals (servings containing over 350 calories)

  • Less than 5g of saturated fat per serving
  • Less than 12g of added sugars & syrups per serving
  • Less than 600mg of sodium per serving
  • 0g of trans fat
  • 50% whole grains (if item contains grains)

Non-meals (servings containing less than 350 calories)

  • Less than 2.5g of saturated fat per serving
  • Less than 7g of added sugars & syrups per serving
  • Less than 250mg of sodium per serving
  • 0g of trans fat
  • 50% whole grains (if item contains grains)

Items that meet Cleveland Clinic Go!Well criteria must also meet these additional guidelines:

  • Must be nutrient dense and naturally contain one or more of the following: Vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, plant-based fats, omega-3 fatty acids
  • Whole food based product or recipe with research to support its role in promoting long term optimal health
  • Must not be a product or contain ingredients linked to poor health outcomes
  • Product or recipe that has been approved by Cleveland Clinic’s nutrition experts

Ready for a nutritious meal or snack? Look for items marked as Go! Well Foods at Crile Food Emporium and International Café on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus.

Make sure to grab a Go! Well Foods flyer while at Cleveland Clinic – or download it by clicking here – to help you make healthy food decisions while at home, doing your grocery shopping or dining out at your favorite restaurant.

Behind the Criteria

Scientific evidence links poor eating habits with increased risk of certain diseases and conditions. The more nutritious you eat, the lower your chance of developing a disease or disability, and the less you age your mind and body. That’s why Cleveland Clinic medical experts want you to use the Go! Well criteria to make the healthiest food selections.

Minimal Saturated Fat

Saturated fats turn on genes that cause inflammation and hardening of arteries, and are associated with higher bad Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. This increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and some cancers.

No Trans Fats

Trans fats increase bad LDL cholesterol, decrease good High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. Although trans fats are found in small amounts in some meats and dairy products, most is consumed in the form of hydrogenated oils. Products claiming to be free of trans fats have less than 0.5 grams per serving. We believe no amount of trans fat is acceptable and have eliminated it from Go! Well-approved foods.

Minimal Added Sugars and Syrups

Additional sugar translates to empty calories and also causes blood sugar to fluctuate. High blood sugar increases your risks of kidney disease and all arterial aging diseases, including skin wrinkling, impotence, stroke and heart attack.

100% Whole Grain

Whole grains are a vital, high-fiber source of calories, nutrients and nourishing fats. High-fiber foods reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and selected cancers. They protect normal blood sugar and insulin function, and keep you feeling full longer. Women need about 25 grams and men generally need 35 grams of fiber per day. This is hard to achieve by eating refined breads, pastas and rice from which the fiber has been removed.

Minimal Sodium

High sodium intake is associated with high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke and worsening of kidney disease, heart failure and other conditions. The general recommendation is that no more than 2,300 mg of sodium should be consumed per day – about the amount in one teaspoon of salt.

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