Former first lady Michelle Obama launched Plezi Nutrition, a mission-driven food and beverage brand focused on children's nutrition, at The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival, Wednesday. During her closing remarks, she urged industry leaders to usher this generation of kids into a healthier future.
"I've learned that on this issue, if you want to change the game, you can't just work from the outside. You've got to get inside—you've got to find ways to change the food and beverage industry itself," she said at the Future of Everything Festival. "I'm proud to announce the national launch of a company designed not just to provide better products, but to jumpstart a race to the top that will transform the entire food industry."
Children are not getting the recommended levels of nutrients they need and they are consuming too much added sugar; nearly two-thirds of youth consume sugary drinks on a given day, according to Plezi Nutrition. Michelle Obama is a co-founder and strategic partner with Plezi Nutrition, working to drive change and serve as a model for how food and beverage brands can support children’s health.
The company is focused on lowering sugar content and sweetness to adjust kids' palates to crave less sweetness. Plezi, the company’s first beverage, has 75 percent less sugar than the average 100 percent fruit juice. Additionally, the product features added nutrients, like fiber, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
The drink is available in the Tropical Punch, Orange Smash, Sour Apple, and Blueberry Blast flavors. It can be purchased in-store at Target and Sprouts and online at Walmart. The company plans for the product to be available anywhere one can buy a soda or sports drink. A portion of Plezi Nutrition’s marketing budget will be dedicated to promotional content around what's best for kids' health, including drinking water and eating vegetables, according to the company.
Obama announced an initial donation of $1 million to FoodCorps’ Nourishing Futures initiatives, which is working to ensure all 50 million students across the country have access to nutrition education and free school meals by 2030.
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