Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program (SNP) helps schools and community locations provide nutritious breakfasts, morning meals, lunches and/or snacks to children and youth to support their learning and healthy development. These nutrition guidelines will help you:

  • Create a food environment where all children and youth can take part in the SNP;
  • Shop for and select the best available foods with the most nutritional value;
  • Handle, store and prepare foods safely; and
  • Create simple menus for nutritious breakfasts, morning meals, lunches, and snacks for children and youth.

These guidelines represent the healthiest food options. Schools and community locations that run SNPs are a natural place to promote healthy eating. Children and youth can use what they learn about healthy eating in the SNP to make healthier choices at other meal and snack times in their day.

The information and recommendations in these guidelines is based on the best available research and best practices in healthy eating for children and youth.