School food programs can provide students with access to nutritious, local food in a way that reduces stigma. When students are well-fed and ready to learn, they can thrive in and out of school.
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Benefits for students, caregivers and communities
Students
For students, the benefits of school food programs may include:
Academic
- Improved learning outcomes
- Coming to school more often and on time
- Being more engaged and ready to learn
- Building a stronger connection to food and local food systems
Physical
- Feeling less hungry
- Improved physical and mental health
- Eating more nutritious foods
- Trying new foods
Social
- Connecting with classmates, teachers and school staff
- Feeling part of a community
- Experiencing diverse or traditional foods
Caregivers
For families and caregivers, the benefits of school food programs may include:
- Reducing financial pressures
- Spending less time preparing and packing food for school
- Reducing the burden on caregivers to have fresh, nutritious and packable food for lunches
- Having an opportunity for kids to try new foods with their peers
Communities
For communities, the benefits of school food programs may include:
- Building strong connections between schools, local non-profits and community organizations
- Supporting local farmers and food businesses
Why students use school food programs
There are many reasons why a student might be hungry and need to access food at school, such as:
- Rushing in the morning with not enough time for breakfast
- Forgetting lunch at home
- Getting dropped off early or having long travel times to school
- Not having enough food to eat at home
- Going through a growth spurt
- Participating in extra-curricular activities before or after school
Learn about school food programs in your district
In B.C., school districts can use Feeding Futures funding to run school food programs that meets the unique needs of their students and community.
To find out more about programs in your school district, contact your district or school’s administration directly.