Affordable Nutrition, Brought to You by 'Sesame Street'

(Dec. 6) -- The beloved muppets on "Sesame Street" are adding a few new faces to their roster, and these latest characters are fun, informative and delicious.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind "Sesame Street" dedicated to the ongoing education of children and their families, is in the midst of rolling out a new outreach program designed to tackle the difficult issue of food insecurity in the United States.

On Tuesday -- with funding, support and partnerships from UnitedHealthcare and the Merck Company Foundation -- Elmo and Sesame Workshop reps will unveil the "Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget" initiative at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president for outreach and educational practices at Sesame Workshop, told AOL News that the bilingual, multimedia program is meant to support families with uncertain or limited access to nutritious food. Through videos and tips, "Food for Thought" will aim to educate kids and their parents on ways to practice healthy habits despite financial hardship.

Betancourt said this is a crucial time for the program to be introduced, given the fact that there are 17 million children in America suffering from food insecurity. Of that massive number of children not getting the nutrition they need, 9.6 million are under the age of 6 -- the main "Sesame Street" demographic.

To effectively get the word out about nutritious options, Betancourt said 400,000 educational outreach kits will be dispersed throughout the U.S. By UnitedHealthcare, The Merck Foundation and other organizations including the national Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), Feeding America, Head Start and Meals On Wheels. The plan is to get the materials into the hands of families who need it most, and offer additional support, education and tips online at www.sesamestreet.org/food.

Betancourt said the teaching tools include videos featuring "Sesame Street" favorites such as Elmo talking to kids about the importance of healthy meals, snacks and the difference between "sometime" and "anytime" foods. The muppets also urge kids to try new foods -- leading by example, of course.

"Kids will get to see Elmo trying kiwi and realizing he likes it. It is so important for kids to try new foods, not just once, but nine or 10 times to really like it," explained Betancourt. "Our videos also offer tips that are just for parents, including smart ways to shop for healthy food on a budget, cooking tips to make a meal stretch further and how to get support through resources like local food pantries, WIC, SNAP and food stamps. Families with food insecurity need to learn that they're not alone in this, that many others are in the same boat across the country."

Betancourt said other helpful "Food for Thought" for parents is the idea of shopping at affordable farmers' markets for fresh produce and planning ahead when it comes to making meals so when they visit the grocery store, they buy the items they really need.

While the grown-ups are busy with the logistics, children will be learning their own fun food facts through a set of new, friendly muppets called the Superfoods. Betancourt said these quirky characters include a broccoli muppet, a banana, a whole wheat bun and a hunk of low-fat cheese -- all healthy foods. They'll stress the value of eating well through catchy, classic-style "Sesame Street" songs and skits, dishing out advice to kids like to always eat breakfast before heading off to school.

Betancourt said the "Superfoods" are so upbeat and enjoyable, kids will be loving them as much as Elmo, Grover and Big Bird in no time. Like all of Sesame Workshop's outreach initiatives, Betancourt said "Food for Thought" will be a long-term program. The goal is to spread the information as widely as possible, to truly fight the food insecurity crisis.

Part of the kit will air Wednesday on "Sesame Street" on PBS.