The National Restaurant Association has relaunched its Kids LiveWell® program with a dedicated website at kidslivewell.com that enables parents and caregivers to search for nearby restaurants offering dietitian-verified, better-for-you children's meals. The digital upgrade coincides with the program's largest single-year expansion: 19 new restaurant brands joined in the past year, bringing total participation to 37 brands operating nearly 75,000 locations across the country.
How the Program Works
Kids LiveWell is a voluntary, industry-led certification that holds participating operators to science-based nutrition standards reviewed by registered dietitians. To qualify, a restaurant must offer at least two meals and two sides that meet criteria covering calories, saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars, and sodium, while incorporating at least two food groups — fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat or meat alternatives, or dairy. Default kids' menu beverage options must be limited to water, milk, or 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Every item is independently verified using nutrition information submitted by the restaurant, and all participants — from independent operators to national chains — are held to the same standards regardless of segment.
The new mobile-ready site features a Good Food Finder tool that displays participating restaurants by location and lets users click through to view approved menu items. A white paper detailing the full nutrition criteria is also available on the site, giving operators and nutrition professionals a transparent look at how items are evaluated.
Who's Joining
The expanded roster covers the full spectrum of restaurant segments, from quick-service and fast casual to full-service and independent dining. New participants include GoTo Foods brands Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky's Deli, alongside Jimmy John's, QDOBA Mexican Eats, Ted's Montana Grill, Anna Maria Oyster Bar, and others. Established names such as Chick-fil-A, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Applebee's, IHOP, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, and Whataburger remain part of the program.
"Restaurants that offer Kids LiveWell-certified menu options are helping families find meals they can choose with confidence," said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. "This new website, with an expanded roster of participating brands, makes it easier for parents and caregivers to find restaurant options that meet their family's needs when dining out."
Operator Implications
For foodservice operators, Kids LiveWell participation is increasingly a value-proposition tool as much as a nutrition initiative. Korsmo noted that families are paying closer attention to what they order and the value they receive — a dynamic that aligns the program with broader menu strategy and consumer trust priorities. Sean Kennedy, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Restaurant Association, framed the program's growth as a proactive response to heightened policy scrutiny of children's food options, arguing that voluntary industry leadership produces measurable results: more brands joining, more qualifying items on menus, and now a consumer-facing discovery tool that makes those items findable. Operators interested in joining the program can learn more at kidslivewell.com, where the nutrition white paper and participation details are publicly available. Coverage of related food and beverage industry initiatives continues across our network, including analysis at Food & Beverage Magazine.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
