A Little Sesame Street Goes a Long Way Towards Wellness

6 years ago Sesame Street launched the Healthy Habits For Life Initiative to encourage childhood awareness of wellness. Research shows that food preferences are most often established in children between the ages of 2 and 4, so all experience with food in this age range can have a lasting impact on one's likes and dislikes. If a child has not learned healthy habits by the age of 5, he or she has a significantly greater chance of suffering from weight–related issues later in life. In order to help lower income families teach children healthy habits, Sesame Street increased educational messaging during their daily television programs.

Now, to further this wellness endeavor, Sesame Street is introducing 4 new muppets called “The Superfoods” on December 8th. These characters encourage healthy eating by showing children that nutritious choices can be fun! The upcoming episode features Elmo trying a new food more than once, as well as emphasizing the importance of healthy snacks, and the value of families dining together.

According to Healthy Habits leaders, The project succeeds because it offers children:

1. Sesame Street Muppets who model fun ways to move and play
2. Encouragement to explore and enjoy healthy foods
3. Opportunities to build self-confidence and feel good about themselves
4. Fun and age-appropriate ways to grow up healthy, strong, and happy

Way to go Sesame Street! Now maybe these new “Superfoods” can teach Cookie Monster a thing or two about healthy eating…