Abstract
In this paper, we present findings from a community-based research project on school food environments in 50 elementary and high schools in a mid-sized city in Ontario, Canada. Our findings highlight that schools' privilege five intersecting domains in the school food environment: 1) health and nutrition; 2) food access; 3) education and food literacy; 4) environment and sustainability; and 5) the socio-cultural aspects of food. These results illustrate that the dominant discourses about school food mainly revolve around health, nutrition and food access, yet many of the K-12 principals also identified food literacy and learning about sustainable food systems and the environment, in addition to the relational or socio-cultural aspects of foods as important elements of their school food environments. This integrative approach to food extends our understanding of food beyond charity, and opens up conversations about food as a human right. Ouranalysis shows the need to go beyond a health or nutrition school food program and consider integrative food pedagogies which will promote social and environmental food justice in the school food environment.
Highlights
Canada is currently the only G8 country without a national school food program (Colley et al, 2019; Hernandez et al 2018)
Principals' priorities capture the potential for an integrated approach, most administrators describe food in their school food environment using health promotion discourses constructing food narrowly as either healthy or unhealthy, echoing provincial school food and nutrition policies and guidelines, which medicalize and moralize food through nutritionism
This instrumental approach to food does not encompass the complexity of food practices and misses key pedagogical opportunities within the school food environment
Summary
Canada is currently the only G8 country without a national school food program (Colley et al, 2019; Hernandez et al 2018). In Ontario, the School Food and Beverage Policy, or PPM150,2 states, "the nutrition standards embody the principles of healthy eating outlined in Canada's Food Guide, and are intended to ensure that the food and beverages sold in schools contribute to student's healthy growth and development" (Ontario Ministry of Education 2010, section 5).3 This aligns with the three guiding principles found in the Ontario Student Nutrition Program Nutrition Guidelines (SNP Nutrition Guidelines) as follows, "1) that good nutrition is important for healthy growth and development in childhood and can reduce the risk of health problems in later years, 2) healthy children are better learners; and 3) schools can directly influence children's health" These school food policies and guidelines direct how food programs (breakfast, lunch, or snack) are administered in schools
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