Infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers: more than half of the 17 million American children who regularly face hunger are under the age 6.

We all know that very young children need proper nutrition to fuel this rapid period of growth and development, and that the lack of adequate food during this critical time can have lasting effects on a child’s health and academic achievement.

To help support the food security of low-income families of young children, Sesame Workshop launched Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget today at a community event at the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, DC, a member of the Feeding America network.

Leave it to the organization behind “Sesame Street” to create a remarkably entertaining and informative initiative to address childhood hunger. Food for Thought offers bi-lingual, multi-media materials for both youth and adult audiences, including resources for making for healthy food choices for parents and caregivers; a children’s DVD and story book that features Sesame Street friends talking about healthy eating and families who struggle with hunger; and an interactive website with games and resources that encourage families to make cooking and mealtime a family affair.

As a mother who always enjoyed seeing her own children get excited about Sesame Street, I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Sesame Workshop Advisory Board on Food Insecurity. In addition to being part of the conversation about addressing childhood hunger, my participation also presented me with the occasion to speak with everyone’s favorite 3 1/2 year old, Elmo:

Vicki: Hi Elmo.

Elmo: Hi Vicki! Elmo just ate breakfast!

Vicki: You did? Was it good?

Elmo: Yes. Elmo loves eating a healthy breakfast because it gives Elmo energy to start the day and Elmo’s mommy and daddy say it’s the most important meal of the day.

Vicki: That’s right! A good breakfast prepares your growing body and mind for a day of learning and play. It’s also important for children to eat healthy foods throughout the day.

Elmo: Elmo’s mom says healthy snacks are tasty and good for Elmo and provide energy to stay strong and healthy. Elmo loves healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, low-fat cheese, rice cakes and even hummus.

Vicki: Wow, you’re a very adventurous eater!

Elmo: Trying something new can be hard, you may not like it when you first see it but you won’t know until you take a bite- or try it more than once. Elmo never ate a kiwi before but Elmo tried it and now Elmo loves kiwi!

Vicki: I like kiwi too. Fruits and vegetables are my favorites.

Elmo: Fruits and vegetables are anytime foods. Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day.

Vicki: Elmo, do you help your mommy or daddy makes meals?

Elmo: Elmo’s mommy takes Elmo food shopping with her to help pick out all Elmo’s favorite healthy foods and Elmo even gets to help Elmo’s mommy in the kitchen!

Vicki: That’s a wonderful way to spend time with your mommy! Afterward, do you sit down and eat together as a family?

Elmo: Yes. Elmo enjoys eating a meal or snack with Elmo’s family – it’s is a special time of the day together. Any meal or snack time can be family time!

Vicki: That’s right! But, Elmo, did you know that there are many families who do not have enough healthy meals or snacks to eat?

Elmo: Elmo’s Mommy told him that sometimes grownups and kids do not have enough healthy foods to eat. But she also told Elmo that there are ways to help families to get healthy food.

Vicki: Your mommy’s right. There are lots of ways for us to help hungry families–we can donate or volunteer our time. Even someone as small as you can help!

Elmo: Elmo can help?

Vicki: You sure can. As a matter of fact, you’re helping right now. Just by talking about children who don’t get enough to eat, you’re helping to make people aware of the problem. Is there anything else you’d like to spread the word about?

Elmo: Eat healthy! Play Healthy! Elmo’s going to go play now–goodbye!

While the average 3 ½ year old may know that eating broccoli is good for her, children cannot fully comprehend the effects that their diet has on their overall health and well-being. As our nation faces the rising rates of childhood hunger, obesity and diet-related health problems, it is our responsibility to teach our children the value of a healthy diet.

I encourage readers to share this post and visit SesameStreet.org/food to get the little ones in your life thinking about healthy food choices. It’s never too early to get children on the path to healthy eating.

This interactive feature featured today shows how one school used behavioral strategies to the lunch line. Some simple shifts guided the children to pick healthier choices (these are the same principle that make you always buy scotch tape and mints even though you don’t need them). Simply moving the salad bar closer to the checkout point increased sales of salads.

They are many debates in the news today about nutritious food choice — not just with children but with people who receive food stamp benefits. Human behavior resists heavy-handed policies, especially policies dealing with something so personal as food.

Thanks to David Davenport who originally posted this link on Facebook.

An episode earlier in the season had the chefs create a meal for a school lunch program. They were given a budget and the meal had to be nutritious. With the number of children that needed to be fed, the budget broke down to roughly $2.60 per child for lunch.

The chefs were floored by this number. How could they make a meal with so little money AND make it nutritious? There was a great deal of stress on how they would be able to complete this task.

The average recipient of food stamps receives $133 per month in benefits – $4.45 for a whole day of meals. If trained professionals struggle with making nutritious and affordable food, think of someone just trying to feed their family and their struggles.

September is Hunger Action Month. Throughout the month, the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks is asking you to take action through the “30 Ways in 30 Days” campaign. Whether it’s by advocating and raising awareness, making a donation or giving your time, find the way that’s right for you to make a difference in your community. On the blog this month we will feature a story each day about Hunger Action Month, our own 30 Ways in 30 Days.Visit the Hunger Action Month website for more information.

The story profiles the Williamson family in Pennsylvania. The first part of the story talks about the daily struggle to find food on a limited budget. The second part of the story talks about the difficulty in getting nutritious food – particularly to children – and how easy it is to buy non-nutritious food which is cheap.

We hope to see Congress pass the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill in the coming days to help families like the Williamsons get the food they need.