Wendy's removes soda option from kids' meal

Wendy's is the latest fast-food chain to remove the soda option from kids' meal menus.

That means when parents drive through a pick-up window, they won't see soda as an option on the menu board, but if they decide to order one, they won't be turned down.

The fast-food chain is the most recent to cave to pressure from children's health advocacy groups. McDonald's made a similar commitment to drop soda from Happy Meals in 2013, after partnering with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a group aimed at fighting childhood obesity.

The Center for Science in Public Interest released a statement Thursday saying that Wendy's was removing the soda option from menu boards and kids' meals.

The statement said they hoped Wendy's would also offer healthier choices including, "whole grain rolls, offering more fruit and vegetable options, reducing sodium across the menu, and dropping Frostys from the children's menu."

Unlike some fast-food chains, Wendy's default drink choice was never soda, Bob Bertini, a spokesman for Wendy's said in an e-mail to USA TODAY Network.

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