PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment wants to help children get healthier. They said chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes are on the rise in the county. The health department wants to bring healthy options to the table when dining out.
Soda, water, or milk; they’re all drinks children like to enjoy, but besides taste, what's the difference? How much healthier is one from the other?
“So sugar and sugary drinks are a common issue,” said Gabby Singleton, who works with Pueblo County Public Health.
According to the USDA, a 12-ounce can of soda typically contains about 39 grams of sugar and has almost no nutritional value. Milk has 18 grams of sugar and is a source of protein, calcium and vitamins. If you choose to drink water, it's sugar and calorie free and helps keep you hydrated.
“Making a small change like this could have a large impact,” said Singleton.
She said the department is encouraging children and families to pick the healthier drink option.
“At the very least, we're hoping to see water included as that automatic beverage that comes in a kid's meal,” said Singleton.
They are proposing the “Healthy Drinks and Kids Meals Policy.”
“To have restaurants include water or unsweetened milk as the healthy choice in the bundled meal, rather than the sugary options that are on most menus right now like soda, chocolate milk, lemonade and tea,” said Singleton.
Under the Healthy Drinks and Kids Meals Policy, someone ordering a kids meal, the drink that comes along with it would be a healthy alternative like water or milk rather than a soda or juice.
"For this, overall we are just trying to make the healthy choice, the easy choice, so that we can hopefully create that healthy behavior change early on in life,” said Singleton.
If a child would like a soda, lemonade or sugary drink, they would need to order it separately.
“They don't even ask for soda,” said Bruce Deveraux, owner of B&C Tacos in downtown Pueblo. “They want milk or they want orange juice.”
He said his employees don't suggest soda to children unless they ask for it.
“My girls, when they work up front and stuff, they always suggest, you know, we have orange juice and milk for the kids and stuff, which one would you like,” said Deveraux.
He said if the policy is approved, not much will change at B&C Tacos because they are already doing it.
“Exactly and we are going to keep doing it,” said Deveraux.
He encourages other restaurants in Pueblo to do the same, offer water and milk to kids.
“It's just a good option for them. I grew up knowing milk does your body good, so that's always been my belief,” said Deveraux.
The health department hopes this policy will decrease obesity rates by having a healthier choice for drinks on kids menus. Pueblo City Council still has to vote on the policy.
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