Manitoba Healthy Food in Schools

In 2006, prior to the province-wide implementation of the school nutrition policy recommendations, a base-line survey was sent to all publicly funded schools in Manitoba to learn about their food and nutrition environments.

The purpose of the 2009 follow-up survey was to determine what has changed in schools since the recommendation for school nutrition policy. Specifically, the survey examined changes to foods sold and served in schools, and changes to the nutrition and food environments in schools.

View the 2009 Manitoba School Nutrition Survey Report 

Research shows that communication of school nutrition policies to teachers, students, parents, other staff and the wider community is an important part of successful policy.

• Studies indicate that a lack of communication can hinder implementation of school nutrition policies.
• Researchers who have examined school websites have found that many websites did not contain up-to-date information about nutrition policy.

Therefore, our goal was to determine how and to what extent schools and school divisions in Manitoba are providing information about school nutrition policies to their community.

View the Communication of School Nutrition Policy 

To assist School Divisions with the creation of nutrition policies the provincial government created the Manitoba School Nutrition Handbook containing guidelines for developing nutrition policies.

This content analysis study was undertaken to learn how and to what extent the handbook was used in the creation of nutrition policies. Specifically, we wanted to answer:

1. How have school divisions used the handbook?
2. Which policy components have been widely supported?
3. What components were not widely used?
4. How can we help divisionsimprove nutrition policies?

View the Content Analysis of School Division Nutrition Policies

Why Look at Stakeholder Perceptions?

• To determine what the school community thinks about school nutrition policy.
• To identify challenges experienced by the school community in implementing school nutrition policy.
• To determine how the school community sees the impact of school nutrition policy.

View the Stakeholder Perceptions of School Nutrition Policy