TORONTO ― Miami-based Burger King is offering healthier beverages on its kids menu, following similar moves by other quick-food outlets, including McDonald’s and Wendy’s.
The chain has replaced high-calorie fountain drinks with 100-per-cent apple juice, fat-free milk or low-fat chocolate milk. Soft drinks are still available for sale.
The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has lobbied restaurants to remove soft drinks as the default choice on kids’ menus for years. CSPI Nutrition Policy director Margo Wootan issued the following statement: “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 set kids on a path toward healthier eating in the future…. 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.”
