If your child likes to wash down a four-piece Wendy's chicken nugget with a cup of Coca Cola, they're now going to be out of luck.
Amid pressure from public health awareness groups, the nation's fourth-most popular fast food chain is dropping soda from the drink choices with its kids' meals. According to Wendy's officials, the move is one they've been working toward for several months and has already gone into effect.
"Last fall, we took the additional step of removing carbonated soft drinks from the Kids' Meal listing on our menuboards, both inside our restaurants and at our pick-up windows," said Wendy's spokesperson Bob Bertini. "The beverage options now listed for Kids' Meals are: 1 percent white or chocolate milk, bottled water and 100 percent juice."
An announcement came from the Center for Science in Public Interest on Thursday, saying "Wendy's has agreed to remove sugary soda from its children's menus."
With the move, the restaurant chain follows McDonald's' lead. In 2013, McDonald's agreed to drop sodas from its Happy Meal drink choices.
"While parents bear most of the responsibility for feeding their children well, restaurant chains also need to do their part," said Jessica Almy, senior nutrition policy counsel for the CSPI. "We hope Burger King, Applebee's, IHOP and other chains follow suit."
Other restaurants that don't offer soda in kids' meals include Subway, Chipotle, Arby's and Panera Bread.
Clint Davis is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis.
