Student Nutrition Programs
It’s simple: when children are hungry, they can’t focus, and if they can’t focus, they can’t learn. That’s why 961 school and community-based Student Nutrition Programs (SNPs) provide over 284,000 nutritious meals every school day. Here, students eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, or a snack so that they can focus on learning rather than hunger. One in every four children in Toronto lives in poverty and, in our most at-risk communities, up to 68% of children come to school hungry each day.
Research shows that when children have enough to eat, they feel energized, concentrate better in class and perform better in school. Also, school attendance increases, not surprising as many students told us that they made it to school because they knew that they could get a nutritious breakfast. Funding comes from parent contributions, individual and corporate donations, the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario. It is our goal to ensure that no child begins the school day hungry. If you’d like to help, please consider a donation to Student Nutrition Programs.
Central Nutrition Pantry Program
The Central Nutrition Pantry Program is made up of two initiatives: the Nutrition Pantry Program, which stocks and delivers shelf-stable foods, and Bridging the Nutrition Gap, which brings fresh, nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables to SNPs that need them most. The Central Nutrition Pantry Program provides nourishing food to over 119,000 students in 331 schools across Toronto.
Nutrition Pantry Program
Through our Nutrition Pantry (NP) Program and with help from our grocery partners, we stock shelf-stable foods which are delivered to schools at no cost. For elementary schools that need it, food is provided to give children the nutrition they need to get through the school day. For secondary students, schools set up nutrition pantries stocked with food provided by TFSS. Here, students are able to choose a week’s worth of food to take home – things like tuna, soup, canned fruit, and cereal, to ensure they have access to food when they need it.
Bridging the Nutrition Gap
In 2023, soaring food costs and increasing need left many SNPs struggling to provide enough food for their students. So, we launched Bridging the Nutrition Gap to help make sure students in struggling SNPs get the minimum nutritional requirements of three full portions of healthy food to start each day at school.
Through Bridging the Nutrition Gap, we stretch every dollar by buying healthy foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, in bulk from the Ontario Food Terminal and other deep discount sources and have them delivered directly to programs in the greatest need at no cost to the programs. By leveraging bulk purchasing, TFSS is able to provide 45% more food than if purchased at retail price.
To keep delivery costs low, we’ve partnered with organizations like Second Harvest to bring healthy food directly from the food terminal to schools. Thanks to funding provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we also have two cargo vans on the road, making it easier to navigate tight streets and urban areas. These refrigerated vans keep foods like apples, carrots, bananas, and yogurt fresh, even in extreme weather.
We also worked with donors to provide additional fridges, freezers, and equipment to help schools store the extra food and keep it fresh.
Bridging the Nutrition Gap supports over 108,000 students in 292 schools across the city. Our goal is to reach even more children next year.
The Impact
“The additional food from BTNG has helped us provide both better quality and better portions of healthy, nutritious foods to our students. Because of this program, we’re now able to serve the three full food groups needed to help our kids learn and stay focused in class. Before BTNG, we could only serve two food groups.” – SNP Coordinator
“The food provided through Bridging the Nutrition Gap has had a big impact on our students and school community. We rely on it to make sure our students have daily access to healthy and nutritious foods. Without it, we would struggle to provide this food. The program has been a lifesaver for us, and we are incredibly grateful for it.” – School Administrator
A middle school student’s family could not afford to feed him breakfast. He was arriving at school tired and frustrated which resulted in anger management issues and he often cut classes. Once this student started to eat breakfast and have snacks at his school’s Student Nutrition Program, his attitude changed dramatically, he paid attention in class, and soon was no longer spending time in detention.
An elementary school student’s single mother fell ill and was unable to provide her children with food each morning. The student and her siblings were arriving at school hungry and without snacks to keep their energy up during the day. With the help of their school’s Student Nutrition Program, the student and her siblings not only received the nutrition they needed to get through the school day but also learned how to prepare healthy food.
In The News
New Cargo Vans Hit the Road Thanks to $182K Ontario Government Grant—Bringing Healthy Food to Toronto Kids in Need
June 9, 2025
On May 30, TFSS staff gathered at Amesbury Middle School to celebrate the impact of a $182,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Thanks to this support, two new refrigerated vans are now on the road delivering fresh, healthy food to children in underserved Toronto communities.
Click here to read more!
From cook-off to dance-off: Two Toronto events raise money for student food program and HIV hospital | The Globe and Mail
April 12, 2025
Michelin-starred and top chefs, culinary greats and sprinkling of some of Toronto’s biggest philanthropic givers banded together on the eve of April 1 at Evergreen Brickworks to raise $1 million for the Toronto Foundation For Student Success.
Click here to read more!
Chefs for Change: A Tasty Recipe for Feeding Hungry Kids Across Toronto!
April 4, 2025
Chefs for Change was a game-changing night, where exceptional food met an even more extraordinary cause! This incredible culinary gathering, in support of hungry kids across Toronto, brought together a dream team of Michelin-starred chefs, top Toronto food stars, amazing sponsors, and a whole community who care deeply about filling hungry bellies and fueling the minds of kids in our city!
How did Chefs For Change pack an evening with such flavour and heart? Click here for the recipe!
A look at what 21 of Toronto’s top chefs served at this year’s Chefs for Change event | Toronto Life
April 4, 2025
In support of the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, 21 of the city’s top chefs came together under one roof to reimagine their favourite childhood dishes. The evening, which was emceed by the city’s cheese king, Afrim Pristine, saw Olivia Chow and Doug Ford get their hands dirty during a competitive pasta cook-off, an auction for prizes including dinner at Nobu with Toronto’s chief of police, a fire-breathing saxophonist, and $1 million in funds raised for a very good cause.
Click here to read more about this special event!
Ontario student nutrition programs grapple with nearly ‘limitless need’ | CityNews
March 11, 2024
Now, more than ever, funding from the province is needed to help sustain student nutrition programs across Ontario. Programs simply don’t have enough money to keep their doors open as food costs continue to soar and student need continues to rise. A doubled investment from the province from $32.3 million to $64.4 million would help ensure that no child goes hungry this school year.
To read the full article, click here.
A national school food program would do more than feed students | Policy Options
January 3, 2024
Mothers in particular would also benefit. Families would save money. Jobs would be created. The return on investment would be significant.
To read more, click here.
Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program. Advocates say it’s time | CBC News
October 2, 2023
Canada is the only country in the G7 that doesn’t have a national school food program. Researchers say that as high inflation affects food prices, more children need access to these programs — but community groups say they need stable funding from the federal government to keep everyone fed.
To read more, click here.
Food insecurity among Canadian school-age children jumps by nearly 30% | Toronto Star
August 29, 2023
A new report by Children First Canada highlights a 29% increase in food insecurity, with one in four children lacking sufficient access to food. As need rises, Student Nutrition Programs play a crucial role in keeping children nourished.
To read more, click here.
Canada’s inflation rate is falling, so why are grocery prices still so expensive? | CTV News
August 6, 2023
Economists say there are a number of factors driving up food prices, but they expect food inflation to slow over time. Here’s a look at some of the factors behind Canada’s high grocery prices and what to expect in the coming months.
To read more, click here.
Here’s how much food prices jumped in June in Canada | Yahoo Finance
July 18, 2023
Despite a slowdown in Canada’s annual inflation rate, Canadians continue to pay significantly more at the grocery store as food prices remain stubbornly high.
To read more, click here.
Vast majority of Canadians want a national school nutrition program implemented as soon as possible
June 13, 2023
As we enter the final stretch of the school year, a newly released study commissioned by Breakfast Club of Canada finds that the vast majority (84%) of Canadians say the federal Liberal government should make good on its election campaign promise as soon as possible to provide a $1 billion investment over five years to work towards a national school nutritious meal program.
To read more, click here.
How rising prices are taking a bite out of school food programs | CBC News
June 11, 2023
Rising costs are making it more difficult for school food programs to meet the needs of students, as families struggle to deal with the high cost of living.
To read more, click here: https://apple.news/AgzmVNHgGRTKDj-rXINGA9A
Toronto student nutrition programs face ‘critical year’ due to rising food prices | CBC News
April 20, 2023
CBC’s ‘About That’ team recently spoke to students, staff and experts across the country about the impact of inflation on school meal programs, and what will happen if meal program budgets run dry.
To watch the full video, click here: https://youtu.be/T07azHzFqm4
Toronto student nutrition programs face ‘critical year’ due to rising food prices | CBC News
September 9, 2022
With demand for nutrition increasing exponentially among students, and the cost of food out of control, this may well be a critical year for Student Nutrition Programs.
Click here to learn more:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/student-nutrition-breakfast-lunch-programs-ontario-1.6569524