For children to have good physical and mental health, several needs have to be met.
One of the most foundational of these needs is having enough healthy food to eat. A nutrient-rich, balanced diet is crucial for optimal development. Good food boosts kids’ mood and concentration, helping them maintain energy throughout the day and allowing them to perform better in school. When they have enough to eat, they can be at their best and feeling confident about themselves, their bodies and their abilities.
Students who consistently ate a nutritious breakfast experienced greater academic success. They achieved higher grades in reading, science and math compared to peers who rarely or never ate a nutritious breakfast.¹
Food insecurity is defined as the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints, according to an interdisciplinary research program called "PROOF" at the University of Toronto that is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health and Research.
“Someone who is food insecure worries about running out of money for food. Food Insecurity is considered a sensitive marker of ongoing financial hardship,” says Bridget King, Registered Dietitian and Public Health Nutritionist with Public Health Sudbury & Districts (PHSD).
Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey in 2024 revealed that 10 million Canadians, including 2.5 million children under the age of 18, live in food-insecure households.2
Within PHSD’s service area there is an increasing prevalence of household food insecurity. Between 2022 and 2024, nearly one in five households (19.5 per cent) experienced some level of food insecurity, an increase from the nearly one in six households (16.3 per cent) observed between 2019 and 2021.³
The households most likely to experience food insecurity include those who:
- Rely on social assistance, such as Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program
- Rent rather than own their home. As of the 2021 census for Greater Sudbury, 25,400 households were renters, or 35.5 per cent of households
- Are female one-parent led. As of the 2021 census for Greater Sudbury, there was a total of 6,490 female one-parent led families.4
Food Insecurity is a serious public health issue and is tightly linked to income, according to PROOF. They also acknowledge that Canadians have experienced unprecedented inflation in food prices and other necessities since 2022. When households struggle with the ability to afford food, they often have difficulty meeting other basic expenses too, like housing and prescription medications.5, 6, 7
“In Ontario, younger people have a higher prevalence of household food insecurity compared to older people,” says King. The highest prevalence of all age groups is in those under 18 years of age (30.7 per cent in 2023). Households with children are at a higher risk of food insecurity than those without children.8 “As a result of systemic and structural inequities, racism, and colonization, children from racialized and Indigenous communities in Ontario experience food insecurity at a higher rate compared to others,” she says.
Kids living with food insecurity have an increased risk of poor health outcomes. Experiencing food insecurity at an early age is associated with childhood mental health concerns, such as hyperactivity and inattention. An increased risk of developing depression and suicidal ideation in adolescence and early adulthood has been seen among children who experience the most severe form of food insecurity.9
Food Insecurity and Climate Change
Climate change intensifies food insecurity in several ways. Agricultural production can be disrupted by heatwaves, droughts, and floods. These events can impact crop yields or make crops more susceptible to pests and disease.
This loss of production can increase food costs. Extreme weather events can also affect food supply, transportation routes, and storage facilities making it more difficult and expensive to deliver food to different areas. Families already impacted by food insecurity may be disproportionately affected by climate change as these challenges compound existing barriers to accessing safe, nutritious, and affordable food.
The Student Nutrition Program
The Student Nutrition Program here in Greater Sudbury makes it possible for children to have access to nutritious foods. The meals these students receive at school are a lifeline.
Sudbury Better Beginnings Better Futures manages the program, helping to fund nutritious breakfast, morning meal and snack programs at most of the schools. BBBF became the lead agency to offer the program in the Greater Sudbury & Manitoulin Districts in 2005.
“We support 88 schools with 20,300 students per day,” says Angèle Young, Regional Manager of the Student Nutrition Program, who has noticed an increase in demand. “The most noticeable increase was in 2021 as students returned to school. The increase in participation has remained constant since then.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools’ programs were operated solely by volunteers but that model has since shifted as there are fewer volunteers in schools these days. In most cases, programs are now run by assigned staff at the school and assisted by some volunteers or students. Many staff volunteer their time to ensure quality programs are being offered but more volunteers are welcome and encouraged.
The program follows specific guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Each meal contains at least one serving from at least three out of four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide, and each snack contains at least one serving from a minimum of two food groups.
The program has a lot to offer, says Angèle, which align with the findings surrounding food insecurity outlined above, such as:
- Improved overall health
- Increased fruit and vegetable consumption
- Fewer sick days
- Higher concentration
- Higher graduation rates
- Better food literacy skills
- Long-term healthy habits
- Positive economic impact on families
Long-term solutions are needed. In 2024, the Government of Canada committed $1 billion over five years to launch a National School Food Program aimed at tackling a range of food-related challenges. The initiative supports sustainable menus, food literacy, food waste reduction, and school garden projects—contributing positively to climate action. Even with this program’s broad scope, we have more work to do to continue addressing food insecurity in a meaningful way.
An adequate and secure income for the most vulnerable families would be a strong step forward. Income-based solutions, like strengthening the Canada Child Benefit, are essential to address the root cause of food insecurity—inadequate income. Further supports could include more support for affordable child care and efforts to mitigate climate impacts on food sources and supply chains.
How to support the Student Nutrition Program in Greater Sudbury
- Make a financial contribution
- Connect with your local school to volunteer
- Reach out to Angèle’s team to learn about volunteer opportunities (loading orders, delivering food, cleaning food storage areas).
To learn more about the Student Nutrition Program, go online here.
If you have a project you’d like to highlight, contact Jennifer Babin-Fenske at [email protected].
SOURCES
- https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2024/04/01/national-school-food-program-set-kids-success
- Statistics Canada (2024). Food security. Retrieved from: https://www160.statcan.gc.ca/prosperity-prosperite/food-security-securite-alimentaire-eng.htm
- Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Snapshots: household food insecurity snapshot [Internet]. Toronto, ON: King’s Printer for Ontario; c2025 [modified 2025 Aug 14; cited 2025 Aug 19]. Available from: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/Data-and-Analysis/Health-Equity/Household-Food-Insecurity
- https://www.phsd.ca/resources/research-statistics/research-evaluation/reports-knowledge-products/food-affordability-in-sudbury-districts/
- Fafard St-Germain AA, Tarasuk V. Prioritization of the essentials in the spending patterns of Canadian households experiencing food insecurity. Public Health Nutrition. 2018;21(11):2065-78. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018000472
- Fafard St-Germain AA, Tarasuk V. Homeownership status and risk of food insecurity: examining the role of housing debt, housing expenditure and housing asset using a cross-sectional population-based survey of Canadian households. International Journal for Equity in Health. 2020;19(5):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-1114-z
- Men F, Gundersen C, Urquia ML, et al. Prescription medication nonadherence associated with food insecurity: a population-based cross-sectional study. CMAJ Open. 2019;7(3):E590-E7. https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20190075
- Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario). Food insecurity & food affordability in Ontario. Toronto, ON: King’s Printer for Ontario; 2025a. Available from: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/Documents/F/25/food-insecurity-food-affordability.pdf?rev=b6a02915d36b4821a37866915335ee9f&sc_lang=en&hash=7E6626475B1D099DAE6BD64E97F92E55
- PROOF, no date. Accessed from: What are the implications of food insecurity for health and health care? - PROOF
RESOURCES