Canada Lunches New National School Food Program 

SCARBOROUGH, ON: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a new National School Food Program. With an investment of $1 billion over five years, the Program, included in Budget 2024, will launch with a target of providing meals to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs.
For moms and dads, it will mean the peace of mind that your kids are taken care of and do not go hungry. For kids, it will mean healthy meals – helping them learn, grow, and reach their full potential. “The National School Food Program is a game changer. The Program will take pressure off of families, invest directly in the future of our kids, and make sure they’re able to reach their full potential – feeling healthy and happy. This is about fairness and doing what’s right for our kids to get the best start in life,” said Trudeau.
The new National School Food Program will also help provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners expand their existing school food programs to make sure more children across the country can enjoy the healthy meals they need. The Program is good for parents and kids, and it’s good for the economy as well. It will help take pressure off of families and invest directly in the future of our kids, while improving children’s health, education, and well-being.
The Heart & Stroke applauds the federal government’s announcement. “A National School Nutrition Program will support families across the country and help children get the best possible start in life,” says Doug Roth, CEO, Heart & Stroke. “These programs can improve children’s learning and mental health and reduce their risk of developing chronic disease, including heart disease and stroke.”
In Canada only one-third of young children (ages four to 13) eat five or more servings of vegetables and fruit each day, and older children fare even worse as only one in 10 students between Grades six to 12 meet the daily recommendations.
Families face challenges to provide healthy meals for a variety of reasons, including affordability and parents working long hours. Healthy public policies, especially those that support healthy eating, are more important than ever, as inflation has put pressure on many family household budgets, and food prices have increased dramatically.