Healthy food programs are offered at 67 schools in the Southwestern Public Health coverage area.
The health unit supports the The Coalition for Healthy School Food’s Nourish Kids Now campaign which encourage local MPs to include these food programs in the 2023 federal budget agenda.
The low or no-cost programs are funded by municipal and provincial governments and support student health and wellness.
The health unit’s medical officer of health, Dr. Ninh Tran stresses there is plenty of research to demonstrate students who eat a healthy breakfast and nutritious foods “learn and behave better in school.”
Canada is currently one of the only industrialized countries without a federally supported school food program and is ranked 37th out of 41 countries when it comes to providing healthy food for kids.
Nourish Kids Now encourages those in support of a universal school-based healthy food program to:
• Visit http://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.
