BIDDEFORD — Valentine’s Day is a holiday of the heart. Usually, that means one’s emotional heart and concerns romantic love. But at Biddeford High School on Tuesday, the meaning was extended to having a healthy heart. The school joined with Southern Maine Medical Center, Let’s Go York County and the Northern York County YMCA to educate students about making healthy choices on Valentine’s Day ”“ and all year long.

“We’re here to build awareness around good nutrition,” said Michael Sabo, director of hospitality services at SMMC.

To that end, SMMC set up several tables in the high school cafeteria inviting students to learn more about nutrition. One table was filled with plastic replicas of food like chicken, spaghetti, hamburgers and even cake, depicting what proper portion sizes of those foods should look like. Another held sodas and other beverages. Next to each was a plastic cup containing sugar cubes representing the amount of sugar contained in each drink. Still another table was loaded with different types of whole grains that are healthy options, a number of which were unfamiliar to many students.

In addition to educating by showing, students had a chance to try eating healthier foods to find out just how they taste. SMMC offered blueberry smoothies, whole-wheat banana bread and other snacks.

The smoothies, a blended fruit drink, were especially popular.

“I think every student in here has tried one,” said Sabo. He said smoothies are good drink options because they include whole fruit without the additives and preservatives that fill many types of drinks targeted to youth.

In addition to healthy snacks offered by SMMC, the school lunch program served a heart-healthy lunch Tuesday.

About one-third of the students opted for that choice, which consisted of mango chicken, rice, steamed vegetables, and strawberry short cake with angel food cake, said Patti Googins, the manager of the high school food program.

According to Googins, the school lunch program serves options every day for those interested in eating healthy. Some of those choices include a salad bar and veggie and chicken burgers. Sandwiches are served on whole-wheat bread, and for dessert there is always fruit and even cookies made with whole-wheat flour.

Because of the availability of good-for-you food, many choose to eat that type of food, said Googins.

With healthy food choices on the menu and less availability of unhealthy food, in makes it easier for students to make good choices, said the School Department’s Food Service Director Sandi Lewis. She said the schools are trying to incorporate whole grains and other nutritious foods more and more.

Also, holding events like Tuesday’s heart-healthy luncheon helps spread the message of eating healthy, she said.

“The more they hear the message (of healthy eating), the more likely they are to adhere to it,” said Heidi Kessler, the Let’s Go school nutrition manager.

Let’s Go is a Maine-based organization whose message of healthy behavior, which includes not only healthy eating but also physical activity, has spread nationwide.

One of those trying to spread the message of healthy eating was Kelly Falone, a dietitian at SMMC who was manning the table with examples of appropriate food portions. She said a lot of the students were surprised at how small the portion sizes were. She said they told her they usually ate two or three times the recommended portion size of spaghetti, ice cream and other foods at a meal.

Freshman friends Bethany Whitney and Brianna Petrin, who were looking at the table with a display of beverages and the amount of sugar contained in each drink, said they were surprised at how much sugar was in many beverages. They said they planned to be more aware of the beverage choices they make in the future.

Sabo said events like this at BHS are important opportunities to educate students about nutrition as a way to help reduce obesity.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.