Eating At School

Healthy Food Environments

All members of the school community have access to healthy, nutritious, and delicious food each day.

The school is free of unhealthy food marketing.
Healthy nutritious options are available at school every day. These options are accessible and desirable.
All students have enough healthy food to meaningfully participate in their school day and learn.
Safe drinking water is available to all members of the community.
Students and staff understand what constitutes a healthy meal.
Students and staff have the means (skills and equipment?) to prepare healthy, nutritious, and delicious food.
Nutritious food is grown at school.
Partnerships exist with local food businesses such as farms and restaurants that support local food.
Food waste is minimized.
Schools practice composting, recycling, and appropriate waste management.
Students and staff are supported to have healthy relationships with food and those with disordered eating have access to resources and support.
Cultural food is celebrated at school and all studetns and staff see themselves represented in the food they eat.
Food allergies and needs are considered with various options at cafeterias. Vegetarian, vegan, halal, allergin-free options are offered.
Meals at school are celebrated as opportunities to come together and build community.

Subject to change upon review.

Continuously improve Breakfast Programs

Provide breakfast which includes 3 food groups.
Follows the Provincial Breakfast Program.
Provide breakfast which varies the selection available over the week.
Serve only maximum nutrition items.
Provide free breakfast program.
Locate the breakfast program in a visible welcoming space where everyone can freely attend.
Strive to feed a minimum of 20% of the school population.
Provide opportunities for staff and families who wish to volunteer and/or donate supplies or money.
Include students in the running of the breakfast program.
Partner with community groups for financial and/or volunteer support.

School gardens are not only recognized for their value as educational tools for a variety of subjects, but also for their long-lasting effects on student health and well-being.
Gardens actively engage students, while accommodating a wide variety of learning styles in a hands-on, healthy, outdoor setting.
Grow Eat Learn (Nourish NS)

Current dietary guidelines, healthy eating recommendations, recipes, plus an area to order copies of food guide
Includes a guidelines for incorporating a spectrum of food traditions and cultures.
Canada’s Food Guide
Cultures, food traditions and healthy eating - Canada's Food Guide

Help students learn where food comes from, the importance of agriculture, and careers available in the industry.
Teachers can apply for free programs and resources that support curriculum outcomes.
Agriculture in the Classroom

A tool from Nourish NS that lists food literacy skills (e.g. mashing, kneading) appropriate for different age groups, along with some sample recipes.
Cooking with Kids

Food neutrality is about acceptance, appreciation, understanding, being curious and seeing the value in differences – all traits we encourage our children to embrace.
Children are not born thinking one food is better than the other or that they need to stop eating a certain food or that they need to change their body to “be better”.
This is all taught by society and is damaging to their development of a healthy relationship with food.
The focus on obesity and diabetes prevention in schools is causing harm (ex. eating disorders).
Food Neutrality in the classroom is:

A place where all food is morally equal.
Removing judgement of food from classroom lessons.
In your classroom, you can start making changes to how you talk about food right away. It’s not easy to change this language as most of us were raised and taught about food this way.
Changes you can make are:
- Presenting all foods as good foods;
- Avoiding sorting or splitting foods into two groups: healthy vs. unhealthy, every day vs. sometimes foods, good vs bad, treat vs. healthy etc.;
- Approaching food by exploring with the senses and being curious about food;
- Allowing students to eat their preferred foods first;
- Never attaching shame or judgement to foods, the kids, or their adults who make their food choices.

The Farm to School initiative is a monthly free, local fruit or vegetable snack program for all students.
Schools can access Farm to School using HSC or other sources of funding.
Local produce is procured independently or through O.H. Armstong from Valley farms.
Students are exposed to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and have the opportunity to learn about local farms, as well as facts about the produce item (conditions for growth, harvest, nutrition).
The school can choose which months they would like to participate in the program as they see fit.
Approximately $0.30 - $0.70/ student. Does this apply to south shore as well?

Provides information, messages and resources to end the use of diet-culture and food negative messaging in classrooms.
Help kids to explore foods and develop positive relationships with food.
Dietitians 4 Teachers

This guide from the Ecology Action Centre describes hands-on activities to get kids excited about eating and growing healthy foods.
Plants to Plates Activity Guide

Students can make a short film about food based on yearly themes. Submissions due each October.
Food and Film Challenge

Do you have a practice, program, or framework you are using successfully at your school to foster healthy food environments?