MY PREDICTION - The National School Food Program Will Transform Kids' Health

When students have access to nutritious food, they do better in school and life

- Rachel Engler-Stringer

For decades, Canada has been one of the few wealthy countries without a national school food program.

Instead, we have a patchwork of offerings all over the country. Many of these programs, which might offer free breakfast, snacks or lunch, are forced to rely on piecemeal funding, volunteers and NGO staff.

That's set to change. This past April, the government of Canada dedicated $1 billion over five years to create the National School Food Program, which will offer meals to hundreds of thousands of kids annually starting this year.

Poor diet is not just a problem for low-income families. Canadian kids across the socioeconomic spectrum are eating badly-not enough fruits and vegetables, and too many processed foods like granola bars and candy. Those items are easy to put in a lunch, don't need to be heated up and can be consumed on the go. I have a Ph.D. in nutrition, but even my kids don't eat well during the school day.