Ever since she planted a vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House, Michelle Obama has been a fierce champion of healthier food for children… So when Obama cofounded a startup earlier this year, it wasn’t surprising that her aim was to bring healthier alternatives to the food industry.

We’ve got to meet kids—and their parents—where they are. That’s why PLEZi has a familiar taste that kids love but contains less sugar, less sweetness, and more nutrients than many other drinks out there. It’s all part of an effort to help wean kids off their reliance on sugar and gradually adjust their palates to crave less sweetness overall.

You all know I love our forever First Lady—that’s Michelle Obama, also known as Mrs. Obama to us. So you might remember when she started the Let’s Move! campaign while in the White House. Now she’s a new cofounder of PLEZi Nutrition. It’s a new venture to help raise a healthier generation of kids.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has always been focused on helping kids have healthy lifestyles. While in the White House, she launched “Let’s Move!,” a national campaign to reduce childhood obesity and help children have healthier lifestyles… Now, our Forever FLOTUS is launching a business venture with the same goals in mind. PLEZi Nutrition — a food and beverage company for children.

Michelle Obama is on mission to help us get healthier. Our forever FLOTUS recently announced the launch of her nutrition company PLEZi Nutrition — a food and beverage company for children.

Now, as a co-founder and strategic partner with PLEZi Nutrition, Obama will work behind-the-scenes to guide the company's mission as "a driver of change and model for how food and beverage brands can support the health of our next generation," the company stated.

“We simply need a better option for kids and parents,” Obama continued. “That’s why PLEZi has less sugar, less sweetness, and more nutrients like fiber and potassium than you’ll find in many drinks out there. And the best part? It tastes delicious.”

The company will also work to provide beyond its product lines with an educational platform for parents and kids. It also plans to dedicate a chunk of its marketing budget to promotional content around what's best for kids' health, including the importance of water as a primary beverage for kids.

“Our goal: to make products with real nutrition, to be an ally that parents can trust,” Mrs. Obama said. She added that PLEZi drinks are intended to be less sweet than many other children’s beverages to help train kids to enjoy less-sweet drinks.

“So today, I’m proud to announce the national launch of a company designed not just to provide better products, but to jumpstart what I hope will be a race to the top that will transform the entire food industry,” she said.

“I want other companies to know that PLEZi is coming,” she said, adding that an important part of the idea behind the company was to make healthier options available outside of the just high-end stores.

The former first lady’s work with PLEZi Nutrition is an extension of her efforts to improve child nutrition when she was in the White House.

"Limiting or reducing foods and beverages higher in added sugars, including sugar-sweetened beverages, is important because added sugars are associated with increased risk of obesity, dental caries, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease," the CDC said in a February report.

PLEZi is already available at some major retailers, with the company planning to roll out other snacks and beverages in the coming years “focused on lowering sugar content and lowering sweetness to help adjust kids’ palates to crave less sweetness,” according to a news release.

"Innovation must happen from within the food system if we're going to ultimately make the kind of change that will create healthier environments for kids," says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "We certainly applaud Mrs. Obama and everyone who's trying to innovate in the food system for creating these healthier options for our kids and families," Brown said.

“We’ve learned that innovation without great taste is meaningless because we really want kids to stop choosing soda and sugary drinks,” Obama said, adding that the PLEZi drinks were made with the idea of changing how children consume drinks. “A small innovation in an industry that can significantly improve the health outcomes for our kids.”