The proposed "Healthy Kids Act" aims to establish nutritional standards for children's meals served in restaurants in Rhode Island. Under this act, restaurants will be required to offer at least two children's meals, or twenty-five percent (25%) of the children's meals on the children's menu, whichever is greater, that meet specific criteria. These criteria include a maximum of 550 calories, 700 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of added sugars, 10% of calories from saturated fat, and zero grams of trans fat. Additionally, these meals must include servings from at least two of the following five food groups: fruit, vegetable, low-fat dairy, protein, and whole grains, with at least one of the food groups being a fruit or non-fried vegetable.

The act also mandates that the default beverage included with children's meals must be one of the following: water with no added sweeteners, unflavored nonfat or low-fat milk with no added sweeteners, or a non-dairy milk alternative that is nutritionally similar to cow's milk, also without added sweeteners. Restaurants will be required to display compliant children's meals and default beverages on their menus, including online menus and those used by delivery-based entities.

Furthermore, the Department of Health will implement, administer, and enforce the provisions of this act, including developing written informational resources and signage in English and Spanish to support restaurants and employees in compliance. Restaurants must provide these resources to employees upon commencement of employment and train them on compliance within thirty days of receiving the materials. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.