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Part of Health and safety in schools

School Nutrition Program

Students in participating schools will receive a daily nutritious meal that follows the Alberta nutrition guidelines for children and youth.

Overview

The school nutrition program currently helps approximately 58,000 students in participating schools get a daily nutritious meal that follows the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth.

The program provides funding to school jurisdictions to create, continue, or enhance existing nutrition programs in identified schools.

We encourage school jurisdictions to work with community partners to use supports and resources in their area. These could include the many successful breakfast and lunch programs already in Alberta schools.

Participating school jurisdictions should design a program that consists of one nutritious meal per school day. School authorities can determine what time to offer the meal.

Funding

Alberta’s government is allocating $20 million for the 2023/24 school year to provide students with quality meals.

Alberta Education is providing a one-time $5 million grant to expand the province’s school nutrition program to reach more students with more well-rounded meals and snacks for the remainder of the 2023/24 school year.

Alberta Education ran a School Nutrition Pilot during the 2022/23 school year, which saw non-profit organizations deliver nutrition programs in partnership with school authorities. After carefully reviewing pilot data and stakeholder feedback, government decided to conclude the pilot and return to providing all funding for the School Nutrition Program directly to school authorities.

Nutrition education

There are several opportunities to address health, wellness and nutrition in Alberta’s K to 12 curriculum.

New physical education and wellness (K to 6)

Physical education and wellness enables students to learn:

  • A lifetime of optimal well-being and physical wellness is supported by prioritizing nutrition and healthy eating.
  • Various aspects of well-being to make informed decisions that benefit themselves and their communities.

Current health and life skills (7 to 9)

Health and life skills enables students to:

  • make well-informed, healthy choices
  • develop behaviours that contribute to the well-being of self and others

In addition, through a Comprehensive School Health approach, Healthy schools encourage students to:

  • practice healthy eating
  • practice active living
  • contribute to positive social environments in their school

Career and Life Management (High school)

Career and Life Management program of studies helps students:

  • make good choices in all aspects of their lives, including health and nutrition
  • develop behaviours and attitudes that contribute to the well-being and respect of self and others

Career and Technology Studies (High school)

The Health, Recreation and Human Services cluster offers food and nutrition courses.

Nutrition resources and guidelines

Contact

Connect with Alberta Education for more information about the school nutrition program:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Phone: 780-427-5394
Toll free: 310-0000 before the phone number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]