School Nutrition

All Manitoba students who are enrolled in public schools can now access free and nutritious food in their school when they need it, free from barriers and stigma.

Manitoba's school nutrition program:

• Provides food for all students that follows Canada's nutritional guidelines for school nutrition programs;
• Meets the needs of individual schools and communities and dedicates funding for schools with the highest socioeconomic need;
• Removes barriers and stigma for students accessing nutrition programs;
• Considers and accommodates food allergies and cultural and dietary needs;
• Explores local food options and develops partnerships with nearby suppliers; and
• Respects public health guidelines, including requirements for food handling.

How to access school nutrition programs

Each school division and school delivers its own nutrition programming to best meet the needs of their students. Caregivers and students can speak to their school to find out how they can access meal programs.

Contact information for Manitoba schools and school divisions can be found at: https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/schools/index.html.

Investing in students

A record $30 million investment in the 2024-25 school year is funding meal and snack programs to ensure all children have access to healthy food, including:

• $15 million to school divisions for local meal and snack programs based on enrolment and socio-economic factors;
• $6 million for public schools in communities with higher socio-economic needs; and
• $9 million to support community partners and school divisions to provide nutrition programming during after school, summer and school break periods.