Creating a supportive food environment at school not only improves access to nutritious foods, but it also helps students build positive relationships with food and their bodies.
A supportive food environment at school, where the food culture and activities reflect positive messages and practices, shows young people how food supports their physical, social, and mental well-being, and influences attitudes and behaviours that will last a lifetime.
New Resource for Educators and Administrators!
School Nutrition TOOLKIT:
How to Create a Supportive Food Environment at School
Find helpful tips, and resources to help increase access to nutritious food and help students form positive relationships with food and their bodies.
What is a Supportive Food Environment at School? Why is it Important?
A supportive food environment at school makes it easier for students to eat well, builds positive relationships with food, and can be achieved through actions within your control. For example:
- Choose foods from Canada’s Food Guide (French) when food is offered or sold.
- Use non-food incentives for school celebrations, fundraisers, or awards.
- Explore different foods through cross-curriculum activities or hands-on experiences (e.g. enjoy cultural foods on cultural holidays, grow a classroom garden (French), etc.).
- Use neutral language to talk about food. Instead of using words like “good,” “healthy,” “bad” or “junk food,” just call an apple an apple, and a cookie a cookie!
Why should we stop using labels like “good” or “bad” when we talk about food?
How we talk, teach, and think about food at school is important because it affects our body image and eating behaviours. Past strategies meant to lower obesity rates and get students to choose only “healthy” or “good” foods have made certain foods, body types, and people to be seen as “unhealthy” or “bad.” This way of thinking has hurt the ability for children and youth to have positive relationships with food and their own bodies, and disordered eating rates have risen.
We can help young people to have a positive relationship with food and their bodies by focusing on other things besides classifying food as healthy or unhealthy. If we can understand that nutrition is more than the food we eat, we can better embrace and experience food through the joy of eating, trying new foods, having meals with others, and cooking more often.
Does this mean that all foods are the same?
When we stop labelling foods as “good” or “bad,” it does not make foods equal in nutritional value (a cupcake does not have the same nutrition as an apple), but it is important for creating positive relationships with food, where children and youth are empowered to enjoy a variety of foods, without guilt or shame. Access to nutritious food is always important, but so is enjoying all kinds of foods that provide different experiences and fuel for our bodies.
When looking at what students choose to eat or drink at school compared to nutrition guidelines, it is important to remember that those choices are affected by different things (e.g., cost, availability, preference, allergies, environment, culture, etc.) and that our health is made up of many things other than our food.
What can schools, parents, and students do to create supportive food environments?
Below you will find additional information and community resources for educators, parents/caregivers, and students. Educator resources are organized using the Ministry of Education’s Foundations for a Healthy School framework. A healthy school is created when schools, parents and community partners work together to build school environments that promote and support student well-being.
Resources & Information for:
Background Resources
- School Nutrition Toolkit: How to Create a Supportive Food Environment at School (WECHU)
A practical guide to help educators and school administrators create a supportive food environment at school and in classrooms with knowledge, helpful tips, and resources. - What Influences What You Eat? (French) (video) – Healthy Schools BC
- Brief description of best practices for using a food exploration approach to nutrition education that has been linked with long-term, positive eating attitudes and behaviors.
- What is Food Neutrality? – Nuton
- Information to guide how to talk and teach about food without labels of “good” or “bad” to help students form positive relationships with food and a positive body image.
- Food Literacy - Ontario Dietitians in Public Health
Short video explaining food literacy. - Canada’s Food Guide: Marketing Can Influence Your Food Choices (French) – Government of Canada
Information related to food marketing. Raises awareness of its impact on food choices and offers tips on making informed choices.
Lessons and Activities
- Teach Food First: An Educator’s Toolkit – Healthy Schools BC
Grades K-8
A toolkit focused on a food exploration approach to nutrition education that has been linked to long-term, positive eating attitudes, and behaviours. Includes lesson plans, teaching tips and resources. Also contains First Nations Foods lesson plans. - Growing Chefs Teacher Resources – Growing Chefs Ontario
Grades 1-8
Curriculum-based lesson plans involving food, activities, resources and videos to support food literacy. - Teaching and Talking About Food and Nutrition
Grades K-8
Food and nutrition exploration approaches for educators.
- Nurturing Healthy Eaters in Elementary Schools (French) - Ontario Dietitians in Public Health
Grades K-8
Information and tips on creating a positive eating and learning environment. - Nurturing Healthy Eaters in Secondary Schools – (French) – Ontario Dietitians in Public Health
Grades 9-12
Information and tips on creating a positive eating and learning environment. - It’s an Honour: Rewards and Incentives– Bright Bites
- JK-Grade 12
- Information and suggestions on using non-food rewards for students in elementary and secondary schools.
- Fresh From the Farm (French) - Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
- Fundraise with fresh locally grown produce to support the health and wellbeing of your school community.
- Healthy Schools Certification (French) – OPHEA
- Provides tools to promote and enhance the health and well-being of students, school staff, and the broader school community. Contact the Healthy Schools Program at 519-258-2146, extension 1555 or send an email to csh@wechu.org to find out more about supporting your school in achieving a Healthy Schools Certification.
- You’re the Chef – WECHU
Grades 4-12
A fun and interactive program that teaches basic cooking skills. Contact csh@wechu.org for information. - School Food Gardens Start-up Guide – Region of Waterloo Public Health
A guide to creating a school garden to support health and learning. - Tower Garden – Juice Plus+
A vertical growing system that allows vegetables, herbs, and flowers in small spaces either indoors or outdoors. Included are lesson plans and learning materials.
School Campaigns and Social Media
- Great Big Crunch – Ontario Student Nutrition Program Southwest
Grades K-12
Celebrate our local Great Big Crunch event each October to celebrate student nutrition and the local apple harvest. Annual activity guide available. - BrightBites (French) – Ontario Dietitians in Public Health
Grades K-12
The school community can work together to complete school nutrition challenges that promote a positive school food environment. Students can design campaigns to promote water consumption, plan healthier fundraisers, change school food policies and more. - Youth action on food insecurity: A toolkit for secondary school students
Grades 9-12
This toolkit from Ontario Dietitians in Public Health (ODPH) offers user-friendly resources and ideas that students can use to develop awareness-raising campaigns about food insecurity.
- 10 Ways to Improve the School Food Environment (French) – Middlesex-London Health Unit & Southwestern Public Health
A resource with tips for schools to create an environment that helps students eat well and develop positive relationships with food. - Growing a School Garden or Indoor Classroom Garden (French)
Helpful planning tips and ideas for starting a school garden outdoors, or indoors. - Water Works Toolkit – BrightBites
This toolkit contains resources that include surveys, activities, announcements, tips and trivia to promote water as the drink of choice for hydration. - Cafeteria Revival Checklist – BrightBites
Tips contained in this checklist help to create a positive eating environment. - Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (PPM 150)– Ministry of Education, Ontario
School boards must ensure that all food and beverages sold on school premises meet certain nutrition standards. The nutrition standards apply to all food and beverages sold on school property (e.g., cafeterias, vending machines, tuck shops), and through all programs and events such as catered lunch programs, bake sales, and sporting events.
Resources in the community
- Elementary School Fresh Milk Program – Dairy Farmers of Ontario
A resource to support an elementary school milk program. - Ontario Student Nutrition Program
The Student Nutrition Program offers school-age children and youth nutritious food through breakfast, lunch, and snack programs. Contact the Windsor-Essex coordinators for more information on how to apply, donate or volunteer. - Fresh From the Farm (French) – Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
Fundraise with fresh locally grown produce to support the health and wellbeing of your school community.
School Grants and Funding Opportunities
- Ontario Student Nutrition Program, Southwest Region
Administers funding and provides program support for Student Nutrition Programs - TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Grant (French)
Supports environmental initiatives with a focus on environmental education and green space programs. Eligible programs include school yard greening and community gardens (go to the website to view the full list). - President’s Choice- PC’s Power Full Kids™ (French)
Funds the costs of purchasing food to support educators to teach students to grow and cook. Those enrolled in the Power Full Kids program can also access the Equipment Fund. The Grow and Cook fund covers the cost of growing or cooking tools to support educators with food-based curriculum education. Apply on their website. - Whole Kids Foundation
Dedicated to helping kids eat better and offers a variety of grants including the Garden Grant Program, the Bee Grant Program and the Canadian Farm to School Grant. - Walmart - Community Grant
Grant programs to build and support communities focused on Hunger Relief, Food Access, and Healthy Eating.
Support in the Community
- Find a Registered Dietitian - WECHU
A maintained list of local supports. - 211 Ontario
Call the 2-1-1 helpline for help finding helpful social services, programs and community supports, or search their online directory for topics such as accessing food. - Food Banks in Windsor-Essex County (French)
Emergency food services available by searching your location. - Kids First Programs – Windsor Family Homes & Community Partnerships
Variety of programs offered to support health and wellness including nutrition lessons and activities for children and youth. - Summer Eats for Kids Program – United Way/ Centraide Windsor-Essex County
Annual summer program that provides children and families living in low-income with nutritious food during the summer. Visit the website for more information.
Additional Resources and Support
- Mealtime Conversation Starters - An Activity for Educators and Families
A series of mealtime conversation starters to enhance the experience of eating together. - Eating well at school and Packing a lunch for a balanced school day – WECHU
Resources to foster healthy eating at school. These feature points around our nationwide guidelines. Both are available in multiple languages. - Unlock Food (French) – Dietitians of Canada
Includes information on nutrition, food, and recipes with videos and interactive tools to support important food skills. - Celebrate Birthdays Without Food
Gives ideas for 11 different ways to celebrate school birthdays without using food items.
- Mindful Eating - Headspace
An online platform that supports access to information, related to mindfulness and coaching around various topics to improve health. The Headspace mindful eating section offers various activities and information. - Nourishing Young Minds – Windsor Family Homes & Community Partnerships
A free program for youth to support health and wellness by teaching the importance of nutrition, mindfulness and physical activity. - Canada’s Food Guide: Teens (French) – Government of Canada
Learn about good nutrition for teens and make nutritious snacks using Canada’s Food Guide. - Unlock Food: Recipes (French) – Dietitians of Canada
Fresh and tasty recipes for everyday.
- Teen Health – Windsor Essex Community Health Centre (weCHC)
Healthcare services for youth 12-24 years of age that include counselling and eating disorder support. - Youth Wellness Hubs - Windsor, Amherstburg and Leamington
Offers group activities for youth to learn new skills around cooking, gardening, and other areas. - 211 Ontario
Call the 2-1-1 for help finding helpful social services, programs and community supports, or search their online directory for topics such as accessing food. - Kids Help Phone (French)
Call 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868. Information and support 24/7 across Canada for kids, teens, and young adults. Professional counsellors/volunteer crisis responder and resources that include topics on nutrition, self-esteem, body image and more.