MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — A bill requiring healthy meal options for children in Montgomery County takes effect on Friday. It's the second phase of the bill, which also requires healthy beverage options.
Bill 1-22 passed in March 2022 and requires children's meals be offered by food service facilities to include certain healthy food and beverage options.
The first phase of the bill, that took effect in March 2023, required restaurants in Montgomery County to provide a healthy beverage option to their youngest customers. Now, a healthy children's meal option is also required.
Legislators define a "children's meal" in the bill as a means of a combination of food items or a combination of food items and a drink that a restaurant sells as a unit or on a children's menu or otherwise offers eaten primarily by children.
According to the bill, a healthy meal option must adhere to several requirements. The meal must contain no more than:
- 600 Calories
- 700 Milligrams of sodium
- 35% Of calories from total sugars
- 35% Of calories from fat
- 10% Of calories from saturated fat
- 0.5 Grams of trans fat
“Childhood obesity remains a longstanding problem in our nation and the rate continues to climb impacting our children’s health and quality of life. Especially in a time when our busy lifestyles have more families eating out, it is imperative that as a County we encourage healthy options in our children’s meals,” said Councilmember Rice, who serves as chair of the Council’s Education Committee and as a member of the Health and Human Services Committee after the bill passed last year. “I applaud the many restaurants, large and small, in our community that are already providing healthier selections. This bill lays out a minimum threshold over an extended period to ensure that our children have a healthier beverage and meal option available to them, all in order to promote more healthful eating habits throughout their lives.”