Trevisio Restaurant uses "stoplights" to direct diners to healthy choices

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We expect to see stoplights at intersections, now, one Houston restaurant is using traffic-light labeling to help diners make healthy menu choices.

Trevisio restaurant in the medical center offers color-coded dishes -- red, yellow, green, just like a stop light. Dishes with low calorie count are labeled green, higher calories are red.

It's part of a joint effort by Trevisio Chef John Buchanan and Texas Medical Center's Health Policy Institute to create easy, healthy dining options.

"When I'm looking at the menu, instead of having to go through and pick out things by dietary restriction, I just look at the color, makes it really easy," Katelyn Orenchuck said.

Buchanan says it can be hard to figure out how healthy dishes are just by reading the menu descriptions, but everyone understands a stoplight! Trevisio is located on the sixth floor of the John P. McGovern Texas Medical Center Commons. Appetizers like butternut squash soup, entrees like spaghetti nero and even some desserts are all labeled green, with less than 350 calories.