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Feeding the future today: Canada’s National School Food Program

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

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Benefits

Graphic 1: Benefits of school food programs
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Graphic 1 - text description

School food programs help to:

  • reduce hunger
  • improve health and learning outcomes
  • save families money on groceries
  • support local economies
  • promote sustainability

School food programs improve access to the nutritious food all students need to grow and learn. These programs support the heath and learning of children and teens including those living in food insecure households.

Collaboration

Partnerships are essential to implementing school food programs. We are collaborating closely with partners including:

  • provinces and territories
  • First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments
  • stakeholders working in the school food space
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The policy

Canada's School Food Policy describes the long-term vision for school food programs in Canada, as well as the guiding principles and objectives that will help make this vision a reality. It lays the groundwork for a future where all children can have access to nutritious school meals that help them grow and reach their full potential and makes it easier for them to learn and follow Canada's food guide.

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Healthy eating at school

What children and teens eat at school can affect their health and wellbeing. Setting kids up for a lifetime of healthy eating goes beyond food choices and can include:

  • eating meals with others
  • reducing food waste
  • involving children in meal preparation

Canada's food guide kitchen is packed with kid-friendly and no-cook recipes, articles, videos and more. You can also help children learn about the food guide with activities from the toolkit for educators.

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Supporting children and families

The National School Food Program is part of an integrated system of programs, benefits and services supporting children and families, including:

  • $10-a-day child care
  • Canada Child Benefit
  • Canadian Dental Care Plan
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