Food and Nutrition in Schools
Good nutrition plays a key role in helping students grow, learn, and feel their best. When students eat well, they have more energy, can think more clearly, and are better able to manage stress. Schools can support healthy eating by creating a positive environment where students feel encouraged to make nutritious choices and build a healthy relationship with food.
Whole School Approaches
A healthy school includes strategies that support students’ nutritional health and well-being. Consider the following activities as part of your health and well-being action plan:
School Food & Beverage Policy
To support student health, schools must ensure that all food and beverages offered on school premises follow Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy (PPM 150) and any local school board policies. School staff should also be familiar with the food safety requirements in schools.
Create a Positive School Food and Nutrition Environment
Schools can help influence a positive eating environment by creating welcoming eating spaces, providing opportunities to learn about and try new foods, using positive language when talking about food and choosing what food is offered at schools. For ideas to help you get started, refer to:
Student Nutrition Programs (SNPs)
Some students arrive at school hungry, which can affect their ability to focus, learn, and participate fully. School food programs and community support can help by offering temporary access to nutritious food during the school day. This can include breakfast, morning meals, and/or snacks. SNPs are operated by local community partnerships:
We are available to help you enhance your student nutrition program:
Garden, Grow, and Learn
Gardening helps students try new foods and build a connection to how food is grown.
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Involve students in hands-on gardening and growing activities.
- Try planting seeds in the classroom, starting a grow tower, or visiting a local farm or greenhouse.
Food Preparation and Cooking
Involve students in food preparation and cooking to build food skills, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment. Consider programs like You’re the Chef Food Skills Program as well as explore more ideas for Food Literacy in Schools.
Fundraising
Work with school council to ensure fundraising activities support healthy habits and are consistent with positive health messages provided in classroom learning. Ideas for fundraising include:
Ask your local Student Nutrition Program operators for additional fundraising ideas that support your school.
Rewards and Celebrations
Schools are encouraged to reflect and celebrate success. Avoid using food as a reward as it can interfere with students’ natural hunger cues, instead, offer non-food rewards such as extra outdoor or activity time, classroom privileges or fun experiences. For example:
Teaching and Learning
Using credible resources and activities that align with Ontario curriculum can help students develop age-appropriate knowledge, learn new skills and make informed decisions to improve their health. Below are some examples that can help with teaching and learning related to food and nutrition:
Educators play a key role in creating a positive classroom environment where students are supported to learn about food. When supporting food and nutrition education in your classroom include foods promoted in Canada’s Food Guide when teaching lessons (e.g. apples in math), understanding children’s and adults’ roles around food and eating and evaluating your biases by reflecting on your own thoughts and attitudes about food and body image.
Health Unit Programs and Services
You’re the Chef (for ages 10+)
You're the Chef (YTC) is a cooking program designed to help students develop the skills and confidence necessary to prepare healthy and tasty recipes.
Student Engagement
Students can play a big role in making their school a healthier place! Here are some fun and meaningful ways to get involved in food and nutrition initiatives:
- Start or help with a school garden or greenhouse. Grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs for learning and sharing.
- Join school-wide events like The Great Big Crunch to promote healthy eating.
- Support youth-led projects about food justice, like learning about food marketing or raising awareness of household food insecurity.
- Encourage drinking water. Help promote hydration stations located around the school and remind others to bring reusable water bottles.
- Give feedback on your schools Student Nutrition Program. Suggest food options that follow nutrition guidelines, respect different cultures, and match what students enjoy eating.
- Help make eating areas welcoming by making lunch and snack spaces friendly and comfortable for everyone.
When students take part, they help build a positive food culture at school.
Parent and Family Engagement
Here are some ways that families can get involved in supporting your school with food and nutrition:
- Encourage families to pack litter-less lunches to support eco-school efforts and healthy food choices.
- Recruit volunteers to take the You’re the Chef training to help teach students basic cooking and food skills.
- Join school council discussions about fundraising or hot lunch programs to help make sure food choices work for families and reflect community needs.
Some helpful resources for sharing with parents and families include:
Additional Resources
Household Food Insecurity & Food Access
Not all families have enough money for food; this is called household food insecurity. While school and community food programs improve food access, they do not solve the root cause of household food insecurity. Long-term solutions are needed to address income-related problems.
Learn more about household food insecurity and what you can do to take action.
Visit 211ontario.ca for local food access programs to support students and families in need.
Dietitian Services in the Community
Contact Health811 or visit the website to speak with a registered dietitian at no cost and no need for referral.
Sustain Ontario
Sustain Ontario Edible Education Network - resources and information to make it easier for people across Ontario to get children and youth eating, growing, cooking, celebrating, and learning about healthy, local and sustainably produced food.
Contact Us
For more information or to access services, contact your local School Health public health nurse. You can also contact the health unit at 705 721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 or by completing our secure online
Request for Service Form.
Updated: August 22, 2025
