Nova Scotia's new 'pay-what-you-can' school lunch program will include diverse menu options

Nova Scotia’s new pay-what-you-can school lunch program, which launches this October, will include menu items that “celebrate the diversity” of Nova Scotia students, according to the province.

The new program will start on Oct. 1, 15 or 28, with ordering opening two weeks before the first lunches are served.

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The province says families will be able to choose between two lunch options every school day, with at least one vegetarian lunch offered each day.

In total, there will be 40 menu options that rotate weekly when the program starts, according to the province’s news release.

Each meal will provide balanced nutrition and meet the standards outlined in Canada’s Food Guide and the Nova Scotia School Food and Nutrition Policy.

Some of the options expected on the menu include:

• Acadian chicken fricot
• murgh makhani (butter chicken)
• corn chowder with l’uskinikn (a traditional Mi’kmaw biscuit)
• moujadara (a baked rice dish with lentils and caramelized onions)

The province says classic menu items like macaroni and cheese and pizza will also be offered.

Pay-what-you-can program

Phase 1 of the program includes every school with elementary school grades. This includes more than 75,000 students and could see more than 13 million lunches served in the upcoming school year.

It is a pay-what-you-can program, meaning families can choose to pay the full $6.50 cost of the lunch, part of the cost, or nothing.

"Families will decide what is affordable every time they order a school lunch," she said. "What you choose to pay will be known only by you. This is a confidential stigma-free program."

Druhan called the funding model a "responsible" way to proceed, adding that many families have told the government they were "happy" to contribute to the cost of their students' food. She said more than 10,000 people participated in online consultations.

Government officials said they expected a significant number of people will pay something for the meals. This based on data from provinces with their own programs, including Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.

“We know children learn better when they are well fed and that’s why we are committed to supporting Nova Scotia’s families with a lunch program that is easy, accessible and affordable,” said Nova Scotia Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Becky Druhan in the release.

Becky Druhan, Nova Scotia's education minister, is seen during a news conference on Aug 23, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/Jonathan MacInnis)

The provincial government says, during the months of August and September, the Department of Education will continue working with schools, regions and vendors to put the final touches on the program.

These preparations include training staff and vendors, installing equipment, testing ordering technology and finalizing menu items.

Other school food programs, including the free breakfast program and snack programs, will continue as usual.

The provincial government committed $18.8 million for the first year of the lunch program in its 2024-25 budget.

More information on the new school lunch program can be found online.

With files from The Canadian Press

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.