HALIFAX: The government of Nova Scotia has announced significant updates to its province-wide school lunch program, introducing a revamped menu alongside a sustainable packaging pilot project. Education Minister Becky Druhan (and Brendan Maguire) stated that these changes were developed in response to direct feedback from students and parents, aiming to make school meals more appealing and environmentally responsible.
Starting this Friday, students across the province will see new additions to their lunch options, including pork and vegetarian egg roll bowls, chicken fingers, and gluten-friendly cornbread. The program currently operates under two distinct models: meals prepared on-site in school kitchens and those delivered by external vendors. To maintain high quality and consistency, the government has customized the menus to suit each specific delivery method.
In a major move toward waste reduction, the province is partnering with the Canadian company ‘Friendlier’ to launch a reusable container pilot project. Scheduled to begin in late February, the initiative will initially involve 34 schools that distribute approximately 26,000 lunches weekly. Under this system, the company provides sanitized containers that are collected after use, professionally cleaned, and returned to the schools. Remarkably, each container is designed to be reused up to 100 times, significantly cutting down on single-use plastic waste.
According to Jackie Hanton, co-founder of Friendlier, the project aims to instill lifelong sustainable habits in students. With over 4.7 million school lunches distributed in Nova Scotia during the 2024–25 academic year, the impact of moving away from disposable packaging is expected to be substantial. The provincial government remains committed to ensuring that more children have access to nutritious, high-quality meals while leading the way in environmental stewardship within the education system.
