Food Equity | School District 8 Kootenay Lake

Background

In 2023, the B.C. Government committed $214 million over three years for Feeding Futures, the largest investment in school food programs in the province’s history. The Ministry of Education and Child Care distributes Feeding Futures funding to all school districts in B.C. The Ministry works with school districts to provide spending criteria and offer guidance on how to run programs.

In addition to Feeding Futures funding, the Ministry of Education and Child Care is working with the Government of Canada to implement the National School Food Program in B.C., which will provide additional funding to districts and schools to expand school food programs. In April 2024, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $1 billion over five years for a National School Food Program to expand school food programs across the country.

In March 2025, an agreement between the B.C. Government and the Government of Canada was announced, enabling B.C. to access National School Food Program funds. This funding will complement Feeding Futures and will provide an additional $39.4 million over three years for B.C. schools and districts to expand and enhance school food programs.

School District #8 Goals

Providing balanced meals that meet and exceed dietary guidelines to support students’ growth, development, and overall health
Ensuring that all students have stigma free access to nutritious food during the school day
Recognizing the link between proper nutrition and academic achievement, and aiming to enhance student focus, concentration, and cognitive function through nourishing meals
Spending 30% of our Feeding Futures food budget on B.C produced or processed food as a means of supporting the hard working farmers in our community

School District #8 Provides

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks accessible at every elementary and secondary school for all students who need it.
Nutritious choices at meals.
Incorporating local, traditional and cultural foods.
Stigma free access for all students.

If you and your child(ren) are in need of support, please reach out to the principal at your child's school to learn about a variety of food programs and resources that are available, such as no-fee meal programs during the school day. All inquiries are completely confidential.

Nutrition Guidelines for Schools

The Canada Food Guide
The Canada Food Guide is the primary document used in the District to define nutrition standards in school. The Canada Food Guide provides a snapshot of healthy eating recommendations, recipes, tips and resources.

Canada's Dietary Guidelines
Canada's Dietary Guidelines are based on the best available scientific evidence to promote healthy eating and overall nutritional well-being, and support improvements to the Canadian food environment. Applying the guidelines provides additional information to support health professionals and policy makers when advising on how to move closer to recommendations in the guidelines, developing policies or programs that help support nutrition adequacy, and applying the guidelines to different life stages. These guidelines and additional information can be used for developing nutrition policies, programs and educational resources.

BC School Food Toolkit
The BC School Food Toolkit is a website that was developed to support schools in creating and maintaining healthy school food environments.

Food Fundraising for Schools
Schools are permitted to facilitate food fundraisers. Food fundraisers during the school day, such as breakfast or lunch programs, must follow the Canada Food Guide and the BC School Food Toolkit. For more fundraising ideas, please visit the BC School Food Toolkit Fundraising and Events tab

Food Safe Certification

Those involved in the preparation of food for students in schools need to be food safe Level-1 certified. Please find below a link to an online food safe course.

Link: Food Safety Training | Online Food Handler Courses Available | CIFS

Indigenous Food Programming and Supports

School District 8 is committed to providing and fostering inclusive food programming that is representative of the cultures, values, and priorities surrounding food in the district, including those of the Indigenous communities whose traditional territories the Kootenay Lake School District operates and all of the Aboriginal people residing within the boundaries of School District #8. Below are some resources that are sent to schools which contain staple items and recipes, traditional food procurement methods, education surrounding de-colonizing food systems, and more.

Cooking In Two Worlds

Food Is Medicine Recipe Book

The Nuu-Chah-Nulth Healthy Eating on a Budget Cookbook For Diabetes & Diabetes Prevention

Healthy Eating on a Budget Cookbook For Diabetes & Diabetes Prevention

Please visit the Aboriginal Education Resources page for further information

Family Fun with Food!

Sample Activities for Families to engage with food and nutrition

Veggie Building
- What a better way to get kids excited about healthy snacking then with a fun fruit and vegetable building activity?
- Cut up some fruit, vegetables, and cheeses into smaller bite sized pieces (e.g., apples, grapes, cherry tomatoes, cubed cheese, etc.)
- Try incorporating new items, like broccoli or cauliflower in order to pique curiosity
- Buy round toothpicks and build structures together with the various items available, and talk about the shape, texture, taste, color, and so forth.
Garden Vegetable Printing
- Using fruits and vegetables for art can have great influence on eating them as you will see. Don't shy away from playing with food, especially if you have a picky eater. Tip: buy imperfect items from the store, harvest fresh from the garden, or use veggies that are almost on their way out and not being used.

Gather your materials: a few veggies and/or fruits, paper, paint, paper towel, scissors, and a dish or two.
Start by pouring paint into the dish
Add the cut veggies and fruit and start stamping them onto the paper!
Save some un-touched items for a snack after and talk about the colors, taste, texture, and smell

Colouring pages!

Family Food Adventures!

Food is a fun way to connect as a family.

Activities outside the home:
- Go fishing and catch your own food
- Take a trip to the farmers market and discuss the different kinds of fruits and vegetables you see, identify their colour, shape, and smell. Tip: Find a recipe online or from a cookbook beforehand and purchase a fresh item from the market to include.
- Take a trip to a local farm or apple orchard and talk about all of the varieties available in your region
- Take a trip to a new grocery store, such as KTK Masala shop, and talk about all of the diverse and delicious spices or items that are available from other countries.
- Nelson Public Library
  - Food preservation, stretching the food budget, and sustainability
    - Pressure canner, dehydrator, cookbooks, and more!
  - Nelson Public Library cookbooks can help you save money and reduce food waste
  - Canning and Preserving
Activities within the home:
- Watch a cooking show together
- Growing your own fresh herbs or vegetables
- Taking a cooking class together in the community

Canada Food Guide Toolkit for Educators and Families ages 9-11

These activities are intended for Children aged 9 to 11 years old. They will help them learn:
- To identify different cooking methods
- About foods that are part of different cultures and traditions
- To practice eating thoughtfully and making eating enjoyable
These activities support children in experiencing and exploring foods which are part of the Canada's Food Guide

Food Skills for Families

Connecting people in the kitchen, teaching hands-on cooking skills, and making healthy eating, grocery shopping, and cooking easy, quick, and fun.
Food Skills Sample Recipes

For answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the BC School Food Toolkit FAQ page.