California SB 977 Sets Nutrition Caps for a Kids' Meal

On September 28, 2026, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 977 into law, establishing nutrition benchmarks for children's combination meals at chain restaurants across the state. Under Chapter 724 of the 2026 statutes, covered dining chains must provide at least one children's meal option that meets defined limits for calories, sodium, added sugar, and saturated fat, while also incorporating whole food groups. Here is what the law requires, who it covers, and which dates it does and does not set.

Key takeaways:

• Governor Newsom signed SB 977 on September 28, 2026, requiring chain restaurants that sell kids' meals to offer at least one that meets set nutrition standards.
• The qualifying meal cannot exceed 550 calories, 700 mg sodium, 15 g added sugar, 10% of calories from saturated fat or 0 g trans fat, and must include servings from at least two listed food groups, such as fruit, vegetables, dairy or whole grains.
• The requirement applies only to chain restaurants with 20 or more locations that sell children's meals; it does not ban other menu items like fries or soda.
• Covered chain establishments must integrate compliance guidelines into their employee training programs on or before July 1, 2027.

What happened

On September 28, 2026, California enacted Senate Bill 977 (authored by Senator Weber Pierson), titled "Chain restaurants: children's meals" and chaptered as Chapter 724. The legislation was filed with the California Secretary of State on the same day following the Governor's signature.

Governor Newsom's press release on September 28, 2026, highlighted SB 977 alongside several other significant health and consumer protection measures. In that announcement, the administration noted that SB 977 mandates at least one children's meal option meeting minimum nutrition standards at chain restaurants. The measure was signed alongside broader food environment reforms, including new rules where California Will Flag Sugary Restaurant Drinks With an Icon and policies where California Bans Diet and Muscle Supplements for Under-18s.

The passage of SB 977 adds new sections to the California Health and Safety Code, specifically targeting dining establishments that market bundled meals to youth.

What changed

Under new Health and Safety Code Section 114379.35(b), any covered chain restaurant that sells a children's meal is required to offer at least one children's meal that satisfies strict nutritional ceilings and positive component criteria.

To meet the legal benchmark, the qualifying meal cannot exceed:

• 550 calories;
• 700 milligrams of sodium;
• 10 percent of total calories from saturated fat;
• 15 grams of added sugar; and
• Zero grams of trans fat.

In addition to staying under these numeric caps, the qualifying children's meal must include at least two of the following five food group components:

• At least 1/2 cup of fruit (the statute explicitly specifies that 100 percent fruit juice shall be considered a serving of fruit);
• At least 1/2 cup of vegetables;
• At least 1/2 cup of nonfat or low-fat dairy;
• A meat or meat alternative serving (defined as 1 ounce of meat, poultry, or seafood; 1 egg; 1/4 cup of soy or pulses; 2 tablespoons of nut butter; or 1 ounce of nuts or seeds); or
• At least 8 grams of whole grains, where the serving is at least 50 percent whole-grain ingredients or whole grain is listed as the first ingredient.

The statutory text notes that these nutrition benchmarks were informed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the National Restaurant Association's 2021 Kids LiveWell 2.0 nutrition standards.

Who is affected

The law specifically defines its reach under Health and Safety Code Section 114379.10. A "chain restaurant" is defined as an establishment that is part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name and offering for sale substantially the same menu items, regardless of the type of ownership (such as independently owned franchise locations).

This 20-location threshold mirrors the FDA's federal menu-labeling requirements, which apply to restaurants that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name and offering substantially the same menu items (21 CFR 101.11).

A "children's meal" is defined as a combination of food items and a beverage, or a single food item and a beverage, sold together at a single price, primarily intended for consumption by a child.

The mandate applies strictly to covered chain establishments that sell these bundled children's meals. It does not reach restaurants that are not part of a chain of 20 or more locations, and it does not cover school meals.

What it means for shoppers

For families dining out in California, SB 977 requires every covered chain restaurant that sells a kids' meal to offer at least one choice that meets the state's nutrition standards. However, the law does not restrict parental choice or eliminate legacy offerings.

The statute does not ban french fries, cheeseburgers, sodas, or toy giveaways. Chains are not required to reformulate their entire children's menu; rather, they must ensure that at least one combination package meets the calorie, fat, sodium, and sugar criteria while including servings from at least two of the listed food groups.

Existing California law already specifies default beverage rules for kids' meals, requiring a restaurant that sells a children's meal with a beverage to make the default drink water, sparkling water or flavored water (as specified), or unflavored milk or a nondairy milk alternative. SB 977 builds on that framework by regulating the complete bundled meal composition.

While this ensures a baseline healthy option is available, the statute does not specify whether the compliant meal must be displayed with special prominent signage on printed menus or digital boards. Patrons seeking the qualifying option may need to review menu nutrition panels or ask restaurant staff directly.

The background

The bill's nutrition standards draw on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and on the National Restaurant Association's 2021 Kids LiveWell 2.0 standards, an industry program.

California lawmakers previously addressed children's dining by targeting beverages, with the default-beverage rule, under which the drink automatically included with a children's meal must be one of the listed options unless the purchaser asks for something else. SB 977 represents a legislative expansion from beverage defaults to whole-meal nutritional standards.

According to the Legislative Counsel's Digest, a violation of the Retail Food Code's children's-meal provisions is an infraction, and the code is enforced by local enforcement agencies.

What to watch next

The one firm date in Chapter 724 is a training deadline. Under newly enacted Health and Safety Code Section 114379.36, chains must include compliance information regarding these children's meal requirements in their employee training programs on or before July 1, 2027.

Certain operational details were not disclosed in the statutory text of SB 977. Specifically, the bill text does not state a specific operative date for the one-compliant-meal requirement; the only date it gives is the July 1, 2027 training deadline. Furthermore, specific monetary fine schedules or dollar penalties for infractions were not detailed in the chaptered text, and the text does not describe how compliance will be checked.

Which chains already offer a meal that meets the standards, and which will need to change their menus, has not been reported.