It’s time to Make Healthy Choices Easier Choices on Prince George’s County Kids’ Menus!

When Prince George’s County families eat out, they rarely find the healthy options they would by eating at home. The sugary drinks and foods offered in kids’ meals are often chock full of calories, fat and sugar. Ordering these foods too often can create poor eating habits and lead to chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. Preexisting conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes can put people at higher risk of becoming severely ill after contracting COVID-19. It’s time to make it easier to choose healthier options on Prince George’s County kids’ menus!

This week, the Prince George’s County Healthy Kids’ Meal Bill (CB-071) was introduced to the county council. The goal is simple – to make it easier for children and their families to choose healthy options on kids’ menus in county restaurants. Sugar Free Kids Maryland, the American Heart Association, Prince George’s Food Equity Council and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) are spearheading a large and diverse coalition of advocacy groups, parents, health leaders and others, all of whom the Prince George’s County Council to vote favorably on this bill. Healthier choices lead to healthier diets and lower susceptibility to chronic diseases such as COVID-19. Let’s work together to improve health in our county. Creating this healthy standard could set an example for the rest of the nation and make Prince George’s County a leader in establishing health policy.

Our kids deserve better! If you live in Prince George’s County, click here to tell your County Councilmember that you want to make healthy choices easy choices on county kids’ menus now!