So much has already happened this school year. The impact of Fiona has been tremendous for students, families and communities in much of Nova Scotia. It further compromised our food security, as transportation links were blocked, freezers thawed, and schools closed.
Just before Fiona blew everything else off the public agenda, the Auditor General of Nova Scotia sparked a renewed conversation about healthy eating in schools with a report that found only 40% of lunches served in schools met the standard set by the Food and Nutrition policy, which badly needs revision. In cafeterias run by third-party for-profit companies, compliance was only 9%.
There is some good news – including that 98% of schools serve breakfast, and generally healthy ones.
The attention of the Auditor General adds yet more momentum to the push for an expanded, universal school food program. The Local Food Lunch Toolkit, authored by two school food innovators from the South Shore and the Annapolis Valley, is a wonderful resource for cafeterias ready to serve healthy, kid-tested meals – and they are also available in family-sized portions, for you, on our website.
