Feeding the future today: Canada’s National School Food Program
On this page
- Benefits
- Collaboration
- The policy
- Healthy eating at school
- Supporting children and families
- Data and research
- Latest news
- More information
Benefits
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 youth including those living in food insecure households.
Collaboration
Partnerships are essential to implementing the National School Food Program. We are collaborating closely with partners, including:
- provinces and territories
- First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments
- stakeholders working in the school food space
Learn more about the National School Food Program agreements.
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 food that help them grow and reach their full potential and makes it easier for them to learn and follow Canada's food guide.
Healthy eating at school
What children and youth 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 with others
- reducing food waste
- involving children in food 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.
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
Data and research
It is important that school food programs are evidence-based and informed by strong research and real community needs. That is why the National School Food Program includes efforts to grow school food data and research in Canada.
Examples of current and recent work:
- Funding Research for Evidence in School Food and Health (FRESH) – Team Grant: $12.6 million three-year school food research funding opportunity (registration date: June 25, 2026) New
- 2025 to 2026 Partnering for Impact – Catalyst Grant (closed: October 23, 2025)
- Engagement on School Food Data and Research Priorities (2025): What We Heard
Latest news
- Government of Canada launches new research funding to strengthen school food programs across Canada
- New Research Funding Will Help to Strengthen Canada’s National School Food Program
- Healthy meals for kids, savings for families in Alberta
- Healthy meals for kids, savings for families in Saskatchewan
- More healthy meals for kids in the Yukon
- Healthy Meals for up to 400,000 more kids