N.S. working on universal school lunch program following critical report

Provincial officials told the Nova Scotia Legislature's public accounts committee Wednesday that they are working on upgrading and expanding the province's school meal programs.

The assurance comes after a report by the provincial Auditor General Kim Adair in September that pointed to inconsistencies in school food programs across Nova Scotia and gave most schools a failing grade.

Universal lunch program

Rosalind Penfound, the interim deputy minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, told the committee the province is improving its healthy food policy for schools and creating a universal lunch program.

Kari Barkhouse of the Nova Scotia Health Authority told the committee there is considerable evidence that children who are well nourished performed better at school and had fewer behavioural problems.

She said researchers in Nova Scotia had found direct links between the diet of students and their performance in English and mathematics.

Penfound said the province's school health eating program (SHEP) ensured a universal breakfast program in schools and also supported a lunch program in some schools.

"If a student needs food, they get food," Penfound said. "We know throughout many of the schools in our province they are finding unique and innovative ways to ensure every student has food."

She noted the example of a school in the South Shore Regional Centre for Education that has a free salad bar accessible to all students.

Committee member Brendan Maguire, Liberal MLA for Halifax Atlantic, said the auditor general's report noted there is inconsistent accessibility to food in schools across the province. 

"We heard the intern deputy minister speak about a salad bar. I can tell you that of the nine schools in my community, there's not a salad bar," Maguire said.

"I can tell you that when my three children go to school, it's a granola bar or cheese string — that's what breakfast is."

In response, Penfound said the COVID-19 pandemic had caused a reallocation of resources to help keep children safe and that may have affected food programs in school.

It was an argument that didn't sit well with Maguire, who said in his experience there is no difference between meals before and after the pandemic. He said the only difference he sees is that food like pizza is now individually wrapped.

Penfound said there is always room for improvement in the kind of food offered in school programs. 

She said the province is working on a universal lunch program that's free to all school children in Nova Scotia.

Penfound said the aim is to deliver lunches to some 130,000 children, which is challenging because of the wide geographic area, the varying sizes of schools and their facilities.

Will help kids feel included, says chef

Jenny Osburn, a chef and one of the creators of a program called the Nourish Local Food Lunch Toolkit, said she's "thrilled" by the development of a universal lunch program that's free to all students.

"It's really about including kids and making them feel welcome and making sure that they have what they need to have a great day," Osburn told CBC Radio's Maritime Noon.

She said this program is important as some parents don't have the time or the means to provide breakfast and lunch for their children.

"It just makes the greatest difference to know that you don't have to worry about that scramble in the morning, that you're going to be served a nice lunch at lunchtime, and then you can just move on with your day and continue to learn and do what you need to."

Responding to a question from Susan Leblanc, NDP MLA for Dartmouth North, about why schools still offered less healthy meal options to children, Penfound referred to her previous experience at Nova Scotia Community College.

"There were wonderful culinary programs and there was an effort made to serve all that food in the cafeterias. Nobody would buy it," she said.

"They wanted burgers and fries. I think we're up against the same thing in our public school system."

Penfound said one solution would be limiting choices to encourage healthier eating.

MORE TOP STORIES