Nourish Kids Now in 2023: Lend your voice

The Coalition for Healthy School Food asking residents to engage MPs on universal school food program

Cost-shared healthy food programs are currently offered at 67 schools in Oxford County, Elgin County, and the City of St. Thomas

Southwestern Public Health supports The Coalition for Healthy School Food’s Nourish Kids Now campaign, which encourages local Members of Parliament to put healthy food on the 2023 federal budget agenda.

In 2022, 67 schools in Oxford County, Elgin County, and the City of St. Thomas offered school-based programs to provide healthy meals and snacks to children in kindergarten to grade 12. According to the Coalition, school food programs support student health and wellness, school and community connectedness, and contribute to student learning and success at school.

These low or no-cost programs are currently funded through provincial and municipal governments and are endorsed by over 80 school boards, municipalities, public health boards, and other government agencies across Canada.

“There is plenty of research that shows students who eat a healthy breakfast and nutritious foods learn and behave better in school,” says Dr. Ninh Tran, Medical Officer of Health. “Having a Canada-wide school nutrition program will help to ensure equitable access to nutritious options for growing minds, which benefits us all as a society.”

Nourish Kids Now encourages those in support of a universal school-based healthy food program to:

Visit healthyschoolfood.ca/nourishkidsnow2022 to submit a templated letter that asks your local MP to advance a national, cost-shared school nutrition program.
Share a positive story or picture with your MP to showcase a school food program in your riding.
Share the Coalition's 2023 pre-budget submission and ask your MP to support the Coalition's recommendations.

As the largest school food network in Canada, The Coalition for Healthy School Food advocates for a universal cost-shared healthy school food program across Canada. This builds on existing food programs to provide food education, and culturally-appropriate healthy food options at little or no cost to students.

Canada is currently one of the only industrialized countries without a federally supported school food program and is ranked 37^th out of 41 countries when it comes to providing healthy food for kids.