Explainer: What's Ontario's new school food policy?

Ottawa students will be seeing big changes to what's on sale in school cafeterias this fall, as the province's new school food and beverage guidelines go into effect Sept. 1. But how, exactly, will things change? Trevor Pritchard gives a brief overview of the new rules and what they mean for parents and students.

What's going to change for students this fall?

Essentially, Ottawa's elementary and high school students are going to have a wider range of healthy options to choose from when they're buying food on school property.

The new policy mandates that 80 per cent of all food and beverages for sale in cafeterias and vending machines have low levels of fat, sugar and sodium. These healthy options are called "Sell Most" foods and beverages. The remaining 20 per cent of choices for sale—the "Sell Less" foods—are slightly less nutritional. There's also a third category of foods and beverages that have been banned outright.

In the policy document, the Ministry of Education says the changes are being implemented in order to better meet the dietary recommendations laid out in Canada's Food Guide.

Okay, but what exactly is my child's cafeteria menu going to look like?

In this chart, the ministry gives examples of foods and beverages that would fall into each category, as well as specific restrictions on how much fat or sodium any one item can contain.

Students should generally see more whole-grain products, lean meats, and vegetarian options like tofu and tempeh. Energy drinks, ice cream, chocolate, and many deep-fried or battered foods will be absent from most school menus.

Can I still include treats in my son or daughter's lunch?

Yes. The policy only applies to foods and beverages sold in schools - in cafeterias, vending machines, during catered lunch programs (the ever-popular "pizza day," for instance), at fundraisers like bake sales, and at school-related events held on school property after hours. It has NO authority over what parents put in their child's lunch or over what students buy off school property.

What about at special events like a school dance? Does the policy still apply there?

It does. However, principals can—in consultation with the school council—deem a maximum of 10 days per year to be exempt from the policy. So that aforementioned pizza day, for example, could still go ahead if there was consensus.

Are Ottawa-area schools on board with the new policy?

It seems so, at least at the board level. The directors of education for each of the nine boards that make up the Champlain Local Health Integration Network have signed a declaration committing to ensuring their students "can make healthy food choices at school on a daily basis."

Also, for many Ottawa-area schools, the forthcoming changes are simply the latest step in encouraging students to be more healthy. Here's a list of all the Ontario schools participating in the government's Healthy Schools Recognition Program. The list includes 11 schools from the Ottawa Catholic District School Board and eight from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.

Do you know what your kids are eating at school? OpenFile and Huffington Post Canada team up for an insightful and comprehensive examination of the issue of school lunches. Over the next week, we look at what school cafeterias are serving and what parents are (and should be) packing. We examine the idea of "lunchroom racism," report on the impact of corporate sponsorships on school lunches, and reveal how school boards are tackling these and other issues. Join the discussion here or on Twitter by using the #FoodFight hashtag.