Sachem Elementary School Utilizing HeartBeet Cafe

HeartBeet Café, a program that uses two comic characters called Heart & Beet to give lessons, has been implemented at Lynwood Elementary School to teach students how to make healthier and more nutritious food and drink choices.

How does the HeartBeet Café Program work? HeartBeet Café usually occurs during the school lunch period when food is the most relevant topic. They show & read a HeartBeet comic that has a basic nutritional message.  All comics begin with Heart & Beet doing something active such as kayaking or running and then lead into an interactive nutritional discussion. They emphasize the nutritional message that was just learned and then provide a snack that aligns with that message.  A flyer goes home with the students on the day of the program so they can share the comic, what they learned, and what they tasted with their families.  Their comics are sketched and colored by a 12-year-old LI student.

Who are our ‘Healthy’ Snack Partners? Their snacks and drinks are provided by some amazing partners including Whole Foods Market, Hint Water, Clif Kid, Hain Celestial, North Fork Potato Chips, and Funky Monkey Snacks – companies that continue to offer some of the healthiest snack options for adults and especially kids. 

What are some of the HeartBeet Café Comic names & nutritional messages for this school year? 

• Making a Sweet Splash – Focuses on the importance of water and minimizing sugary drinks.
• Break for Breakfast - Discusses the importance of breakfast, explores healthy breakfast options, and how to make your current breakfast healthier.
• Bag the Lunch  - Focuses on healthy lunch choices & the importance of portion control.
• Attack Your Snack – Discusses how to choose healthier snacks and offers simple tips for reading labels.
• What’s in that Chip? – So, what makes one potato chip healthier than another?
• Root for the Beet – Focuses on a unique veggie - the Beet; kids get to taste a beet chip from Terra Chips!
• Glu10 – So what’s gluten and what does gluten free really mean?
• Heart & Beet Go Organic – We hear the word often – so what does the word ‘organic’ really mean?

Quotable

Dr. DeLorenzo, Lynwood School Principal: “I believe that the HeartBeet Café program educates and inspires the students on how to make healthier choices when it comes to their eating habits.  The children were able to summarize what they learned through interactive discussions and were engaged in the activity.  The nutritious snacks and/or drinks, handed out to the children for taste testing, is a wonderful way to expose the children to new, nutritious tastes and snacks that they may not be exposed to otherwise. It was greatly appreciated that the needs of students with allergies were accommodated…to ensure they were able to participate in this program as well.”

Jennifer Ross, Creator HeartBeet Café: “HeartBeet Café was inspired by my continuous focus on leading a healthy lifestyle. After having kids, leading a healthy lifestyle was not as easy as when it was just about my husband and I.  With 3 kids, we found ourselves going for quick, easy food fixes – and we all know what they are!  One day, after seeing & feeling some of the impacts of eating unhealthy food, we just said “no” and regained our focus on creating a healthy lifestyle for the whole family. It’s not easy, but it is CRITICAL! It’s all about creating new routines.  Today, there are healthier, tasty, and inexpensive products for every type of food and drink – so there are no excuses for NOT making healthier choices. HeartBeet Café is focused on teaching kids how to make those healthier, nutritious food and drink choices in a fun and entertaining way.”

Patrick Salamone, Lynwood Elementary School, Fifth Grade: "HeartBeet Cafe has inspired me to do my best in staying fit and living a healthy lifestyle!"

Visit www.HeartBeetCafe.com for more information or to book a performance.