Last week, a colleague of mine opted to dine on one of the delectable dishes offered by Boston’s wide-ranging food trucks for lunch in lieu of falling victim to the classic eat-at-your-desk-and-feel-productive-even-though-you’re-not routine. With a hankering for something sweet and carbonated, she asked for a soda to accompany her mid-afternoon meal. To her surprise and utter chagrin, she learned that food trucks are discouraged from selling soda.

One aspect of former Mayor of Boston Tom Menino’s legacy is the push in the twilight of his career to implement healthier food items in the Boston Public Schools system which subsequently extended into food contracts with vendors, and those who sell food on city-owned property – which can be interpreted as any public way (streets, parking spaces, sidewalks, alleys, etc.). Canned or bottled beverages that have greater than 1 gram of sugar per liquid ounce ought not to be sold.

Gabrielle Farrell, spokesperson for Mayor Marty Walsh, told BostInno in an email that this initiative stems from Menino’s Rethink Your Drink campaign, which drastically reduced the amount of sweetened beverages Bostonians collectively consume. She also mentioned that as a result of the regulation, many food trucks have begun producing their own specialty-made drinks, constituting a merger between health and wellness, and entrepreneurial innovation.

Food trucks that continuously violate this rule are subject to have their standing in the live lottery for placement negatively affected. There are no fines or other penalties levied for those who are noncompliant.

In 2011, Menino signed an executive order that dictates businesses and vendors follow the City of Boston’s healthy beverage standards, selling only beverages with a significantly reduced sugar content from vending machines, from city-managed food programs and from any concession on Boston property.

“In 2008, 23% of adult Boston residents were obese, with Black residents experiencing nearly double the rates of obesity compared to White residents,” wrote Menino in his executive order.

The Boston Public Health Commission conducted research in 2011 that determined that 56 percent of Bostonians were obese or overweight.

So there you have it, Boston. Try not to stay thirsty as advised by the most interesting man in the world, but I wouldn’t advise reaching for a soda either.

Stay quenched, my friends.