After two major fast food chains McDonald’s and Wendy’s removed soda from kid’s menus, Burger King has decided to follow suit. A press release from the Center For Science In The Public Interest (CSPI) states the intentions of Burger King to remove soda from kids’ meals.
According to a letter to USA Today from Alex Macedo, the president of Burger King, they removed soda “as part of our ongoing effort to offer our guests options that match lifestyle needs.”
To replace soda, Burger King will now offer milk, apple juice, and chocolate milk.
MomsRising.org and the CSPI have been pressuring major fast food chains to improve the nutritional quality of their foods. “Parents and families across the country are applauding as one by one, restaurants are listening to parents and public health experts and starting to do their part to help keep America’s kids healthy,” said Monifa Bandale, Senior Campaign Director of MomsRising.org’s Food Power project.
Margo Wootan, director of the CSPI says that she has been urging Burger King to remove soda from kids’ meals for two years. Wootan issued the following statement:
“Soda and other sugary drinks promote diabetes, tooth decay, obesity, and even heart disease—and have no place on menus meant for little kids. We applaud Burger King for taking this responsible step forward, and call upon their franchisees—who operate independently of the company—to immediately follow suit.
Restaurant chains that market soda as part of their children’s meals are making life harder for parents, most of whom want to reserve soda as a special, occasional treat if they allow it at all. It will help children eat better now, as soda is the leading source of calories in children’s diets. It also helps to set kids on a path toward healthier eating in the future, with fewer kids becoming conditioned to think that soda should be a part of every eating out occasion.
Now all of the big three burger chains have stopped this discredited practice and we hope other fast-food and table-service chains follow suit.”
While fast food is still not a healthy option, removing soda from kid’s meals is a step in the right direction.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Burger King Pulls Soda from Kids’ Menu.” Center for Science in the Public Interest. Center for Science in the Public Interest, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
2. “Burger King Drops Soft Drinks from Kids’ Meals.” USA Today. Gannett, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
3. “Why Burger King Dropped Soda from the Kids Menu.” Time. Time, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
4. “Burger King Follows McDonald’s Lead, Drops Soda From Kids’ Meals.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.
