The Public Benefit Company co-founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama is on a mission to raise a healthier generation of kids
PLEZi Nutrition, the Public Benefit Company co-founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama on a mission to create higher standards for how the U.S. makes and markets food and beverages for kids, announced the launch of PLEZi FiZZ. A carbonated fruit drink that will be available this spring in three new flavours, PLEZi FiZZ builds upon the company’s inaugural product, PLEZi, and aims to reach an older demographic of tweens and teens.
PLEZi Nutrition was created to give parents a helping hand by offering healthier, great-tasting products that parents can feel good about giving their kids and – most importantly – that kids actually want. Kids are consuming far too much added sugar—on average, 53 pounds of added sugar per year. Sugar-sweetened beverages, also referred to as sugary drinks, are the leading source of added sugars for kids, which is why PLEZi Nutrition chose to start with a focus on beverages. The company offers products that ace the taste test but with lower sugar content and sweetness to help adjust kids’ palates to crave less sweetness overall. In addition to reducing sugar and sweetness, they are adding in nutrients kids need, all with the aim to replace sugary drinks and snacks.
PLEZi FiZZ has 70 % less sugar (8 g per 8.4 oz) than average leading soft drinks (28 g per 8.4 oz), no added sugar, plus 2 g fiber and nutrients like potassium and vitamin C. PLEZi FiZZ will launch in three flavours: Cherry Limeade, Lemon Lime Squeeze, and Strawberry Lemonade, and will be available for purchase across Amazon and select convenience stores and club stores starting this Spring.
“I’ve dedicated so much of my life to helping kids and families lead healthier lives. As First Lady, I worked to rally every sector of society toward this goal,” said former First Lady Michelle Obama, Co-Founder and Strategic Partner of PLEZi Nutrition. “While I’m proud of all we accomplished during those years at the White House, I’ve also learned that to truly push the food and beverage industry to do better by our kids, you have to work from the inside. I’m thrilled to build on those efforts through PLEZi Nutrition as we work to drive change throughout the entire food and beverage industry.”
Guided by a Kitchen Cabinet advisory group of experts in nutrition, public health, and parenting, PLEZi Nutrition is committed to serving as an educational platform, including through the company’s Nothing to Sugarcoat site. The goal is to engage with parents, caregivers, and families about their questions when it comes to kids’ health and to be transparent about what’s best for kids, like drinking water and eating whole fruits and vegetables, because PLEZi Nutrition’s products are not intended to replace water and whole foods.
“Nearly two thirds of U.S. youth consume sugary drinks like soda on a given day,” said Dr. Shale Wong, MD, MSPH, Pediatrician and Professor of Pediatrics and Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Member of the PLEZi Nutrition Kitchen Cabinet, and Mom of two teenagers. “We know that water or milk is always the best option for kids, and we’ll continue to recommend that first, but kids who are used to drinking soda daily often have a hard time making the switch. We in the public health community have been pleading for decades to drink water and frankly that alone isn’t working. It is clear to me that families need better options if we are going to shift the health of the country, especially for our kids.”
Furthermore, PLEZi Nutrition is dedicated to giving back. Building upon a $1 million commitment to FoodCorps’ Nourishing Futures initiative, PLEZi Nutrition will be investing 10 % of profits right back into the broader movement to promote kids’ health.