Student Nutrition Programs are community-based programs that provide children and youth with access to safe, nutritious food during the school day. They support health, well-being, and learning, and are most effective when available to all students within a school community. Though student nutrition programs receive City funding and support, they are developed and operated locally within individual school communities, where program delivery reflects local needs, resources, infrastructure, and demographics.
The City’s vision for the Student Nutrition Program is for all students attending public schools in Toronto to have universal access to a morning meal program by the 2026-2027 school year.
Toronto has made significant progress towards achieving this vision. Since January 2025, the City has funded over 225 new programs through a four-phase expansion plan. Once complete during the 2026-2027 school year, more than 325,000 students across 844 school communities will have access to nutritious food during the school day to support their health, well-being, and learning. Universal access helps remove barriers to participation, reduce stigma, and ensure every child has the opportunity to benefit from nutritious food at school. These programs strengthen Toronto’s communities and economy by encouraging volunteerism and supporting local food businesses and agriculture to contribute to a more sustainable food system. Student nutrition programs may help reduce household food cost pressured by rising grocery prices and food insecurity.
The City of Toronto is the largest government funder of local student nutrition programs by contributing $32 million for the 2026-2027 school year. This investment has enabled expansion across Toronto, providing school communities with funding to purchase nutritious food and the supplies required to open and operate their programs. Toronto’s student nutrition programs also receive funding from federal and provincial governments. In addition to public funding, programs are supported by corporate and parent donations, fundraising, and in-kind contributions.
The City also received approximately $1.4 million through the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2025-2026 Mayor’s Challenge to pilot a centralized school food hub model with community partners that aims to strengthen the impact of programs through centralized food purchasing to reduce costs, expand access to nutritious food for students, and support local food systems and the economy.