School Food
Nourishing students with healthy food at school so they can reach their full potential - in the classroom and in life.
Every day, many students in Nova Scotia go to school hungry, affecting their ability to learn, grow, and feel connected to their peers.
Across Nova Scotia, school food programs are expanding equitable access to healthy meals, helping ensure that schools are places where students feel energized, supported, and ready to learn.
From grab‑and‑go breakfasts to hot sit‑down meals, government, regions, and schools work together so that throughout the school day, students can choose from a variety of nutritious foods that help them thrive.
In 2024, school food programs saw significant expansion when the Government of Nova Scotia launched the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program.
Shortly after, Nova Scotia joined the National School Food program alongside other Canadian provinces and territories. These investments build on more than a decade of ongoing efforts to support and sustain school food programs in Nova Scotia and beyond. They have reshaped the school food landscape—and we’re proud to be part of this transformation.
While Nourish Nova Scotia is not involved in the operations or delivery of school meals, we support school food through promotion, engagement, and food literacy. We work with regional, provincial, and national partners to:
- Support Food Literacy through programs and resources that create opportunities for experiential learning and positive experiences with food.
- Create Opportunities for Student & School Engagement to encourage feedback and promote meaningful involvement in school food programs.
- Promote the Benefits of School Food Programs by sharing evidence and stories that highlight their impact on students, school communities, and the province.
- Coordinate Funding and Partnerships that enhance school food infrastructure and foster deeper connections to the broader local food system.
Now more than ever, school food programs can catalyze long-term change across Nova Scotia—where more students thrive at school because they are well-nourished, where food serves as a vehicle for learning about health, community, and the environment, and where school food helps drive a more resilient local food system.
Featured Resources
- Food Literacy, School Food
Guide to Starting a School Cooking Club
- School Food
Food Literacy Education Guide
- School Food
Nova Scotia School Food and Beverage Standards
The Benefits of School Food
Well-nourished students are ready to learn, have more energy, and don’t get distracted by hunger. And, when students have opportunities to learn about food at school, they become equipped to make healthy, informed choices about food that can benefit them as they grow into adults with families of their own.
Across the world, the most impactful school food programs are those that evolve to reflect the unique communities in which they operate – maximizing benefits for students, families, and school communities.
Research shows that the benefits of school food programs can be far reaching, especially when they are designed to:
- Provide flexible, locally adapted menus shaped by students, families, and local food suppliers. Wherever possible, offer opportunities for choice and exploration in food selection (e.g., salad carts).
- Create opportunities for students to engage in food literacy education and experiential learning around food.
- Support the local food system through thoughtful menu design and the inclusion of local foods.
Read More:
As part of our “Stories from the Ground” series on School Food, here’s what students and the school community are saying:
“I wanted to highlight a great example of collaboration and integration between our food service staff and students at Islands. Lawna Sullivan and Cheryl Boushey have been working closely with Grade 5 students on a project that connects classroom learning with the Provincial Lunch Program. The students gathered data on meal preferences and created charts and graphs to showcase their findings. This initiative not only helps students develop important skills like data collection and analysis, but it also strengthens the connection between food services and the school community. It’s fantastic to see our food service staff engaging with students in such a meaningful way, helping them understand the role of nutrition and meal planning in their daily lives.”
–
School Food Program Lead
“I’m a grade 5 teacher at a rural school, and the lunch program is going really well here! Students are trying new things and are excited when their favourite meals come around. The salad bar is a huge hit as well. I love that there is no longer a scramble to make sure everyone has a lunch. Every student is welcome to eat, no questions asked. It may seem like a small thing but it really means so much.”
–
Teacher
“Beyond access to food, this program has also encouraged students to try new foods and expand their palates. Kids who were once considered picky eaters are finishing their meals and even asking for extra vegetables! I’ve seen students excitedly encouraging their friends to try something new, which is amazing to witness.”
–
School Food Program Lead
“Love love love it! It’s made my life so much easier and my kids have loved it! I can not express for very moms how helpful this is! It’s truly worth every penny, there’s been like 2 things my oldest hasn’t liked, so far both my kids (6 and 9) have liked it!”
–
Parent
“Overall, this year has been about building the systems, partnerships, and production capacity needed to support large-scale school lunch delivery in HRM, while keeping as much of the program as possible rooted in the local community. This work continues as we learn more and more about each individual school we work with, tailoring to their needs so that this program has as much success as possible.”