Nutrition Guideline Highlights
OSNP nutrition guidelines assist programs to choose foods that align with Canada’s Food Guide recommendations. These food choices will:
- Supply the energy and nutrients that children and youth need to learn and grow with minimal added fats, sugars, or salt
- Help students develop a positive relationship with food
- Reduce the use of packaged and highly processed foods
Food choices are broken down into “serve” or “do not serve” categories in the full Nutrition Guideline document. If you are unsure about a specific food, it is the best place to look!
The Basics
Serve
- Have lower amounts of added sugar, salt and saturated fat
- Less than 8g of sugar per 30g serving of whole grains and less than 11g of sugar per 100g serving of yogurt
- Less than 10% DV of sodium per serving
- Are good sources of nutrients such as fiber, calcium and iron
- Are minimally processed
- Align with recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide
Do Not Serve
- Have higher amounts of added sugar and/or salt
- Contain unhealthy fats and/or low amounts of nutrients such as fiber, calcium and iron
- Are highly processed
- Do not meet MCCSS Nutrition Requirements
- May not be safe to consume (e.g. raw fish, sprouts or unpasteurized dairy)
Vegetables
Serve
- Fresh and frozen vegetables
- Canned products with sodium less than or equal to 10% DV (daily value) per serving
Do Not Serve
- Vegetable juice, including 100% juice
- Packaged potato products (e.g. potato wedges)
- Vegetable chips
Fruits
Serve
- Fresh, frozen, and canned fruits with no sugar added
- Unsweetened applesauce or fruit purees
- Dried fruit with no added sugar
Do Not Serve
- Fruit juice including 100% juice, fruit beverages, punches, cocktails
- Processed fruit products such as fruit leathers, fruit chips, or fruit flavoured rolls
Whole Grain Foods
Serve
- Whole grain, whole wheat, or bran is first on the ingredient list, sodium is less than or equal to 10% DV (daily value) per serving, and sugar is less than or equal to 8g per 30g serving
Do Not Serve
- Enriched wheat flour or multigrain items
- Flavoured or sugar-coated breads and bagels (ex. cinnamon raisin, blueberry)
- Cereals with chocolate, candies, marshmallow, or sugar-coated pieces
- Sweetened instant oatmeal
- Chocolate or yogurt dipped granola or cereal-type bars, or those containing marshmallows, candy, or chocolate pieces
- Pretzels, tortilla chips, potato chips, or pita chips, microwavable popcorn or popcorn with added flavours
- Flavoured, pre-packaged grains, rice, and pasta (ex. garlic, herb chicken, vegetable, macaroni and cheese)
Protein Foods: Dairy Products
Serve
Milk
- Skim, 1%, or 2% white cows milk
- Unsweetened/unflavoured fortified soy beverage
- Unsweetened/unflavoured plant-based beverages. For a 250ml serving, must have at least:
- 6g protein
- 30% DV calcium
- 30% DV vitamin D
Yogurt
- Plain yogurt, soy yogurt, and kefir with less than or equal to 2% milk fat
- Fruit flavoured/sweetened yogurt, soy yogurt, and kefir with less than or equal to 2% milk fat and less than or equal to 11g of sugar per 100g serving
Cheese
- Non-processed cheese with less than or equal to 20% milk fat (when possible)
- Cheese strings or curds with:
- Less than or equal to 20% milk fat (when possible)
- Less than or equal to 10% DV sodium per serving
Do Not Serve
Milk
- Flavoured milk (ex. chocolate, strawberry)
- Hot Chocolate
- 3.25% cows milk (homogenized), table cream, coffee cream, whipping cream, non-dairy whipped toppings
- Flavoured/sweetened plant-based beverages
Yogurt
- Yogurts with added candy/chocolate or candy flavoured yogurt
- Frozen yogurt
- Drinkable yogurt
Cheese
- Processed cheese slices
- Cheese made from unpasteurized milk
Protein Foods: Meat & Alternatives
Serve
Eggs
- Eggs purchased from an approved source (or ‘graded’ eggs)
- Pre-boiled hard cooked eggs
Nuts & Nut Butters
- Nut, seed and legume butters (including peanut, almond, walnut, sesame, sunflower, pea and soy butters)
- Whole nuts and seeds (dry roasted or unroasted, with no added salt, sugar, oil)
Beans and Legumes
- Any bean, tofu or legume – canned, bean dip, hummus, soup or pasta with sodium less than or equal to 10% DV per serving
Meat
- Fresh, frozen, ground or pre-cooked with less than or equal to 10% DV sodium per serving:
- Lean cuts of beef, pork loin, traditional meats and wild game
- Patties or meatballs
- Skinless chicken and turkey
- Pre-cooked chicken/turkey
Fish
- Fresh, frozen, or canned fish with
- Less than or equal to 10% DV sodium per serving
- Drained and rinsed to lower sodium content further, and low in mercury (e.g. cod, sole, haddock, salmon, tilapia, trout, canned light tuna, whitefish)
Do Not Serve
Eggs
- Eggs purchased from an unapproved source (or ungraded eggs)
- Unpasteurized, raw or undercooked eggs
- Seasoned or flavoured liquid egg product
Nuts & Nut Butters
- Nut, legume or seed butters that have added sugar (e.g. chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, honey, berry)
- Salted or coated nuts or seeds
Beans and Legumes
- Canned baked beans in tomato sauce with pork, molasses or maple syrup
- Store-bought breaded and fried meat alternatives
- Simulated meat
- Plant-based hotdogs, sausages, bacon
Meat
- Prepared/cured meats (e.g. wieners/hotdogs, sausages, pepperoni sticks)
- Deli meats
- Ham, ribs, bacon, imitation bacon bits
- Meat pies
Fish
- Store-bought breaded or battered fried fish
- Fresh, frozen or canned fish high in mercury (e.g. canned albacore tuna)
- Cold smoked fish
Miscellaneous Items
Serve
The following items can be used in small amounts and served on the side, when necessary, or used in the preparation of mixed dishes.
- Condiments e.g. salsa, cream cheese
- Gravies, sauce, dips
- Oils, non-hydrogenated margarines, dressings, mayonnaise
- Toppings and extras e.g. coconut or pickles
- Honey, jam, jelly, marmalade, fruit butter, or syrup
Do Not Serve
- Food and beverages containing caffeine such as coffee, tea and iced tea
- Diet and regular pop, energy drinks or sports drinks, flavoured or vitamin water
- ‘Protein’ or meal replacement drinks and bars (except when indicated by a parent/caregiver for medical reasons)
- Candy (including yogurt covered, gummy-type, licorice, fruit flavoured)
- Frozen treats, pudding, and jello type desserts
- Hard margarines
- Lard or shortening
- Foods with sugar substitutes or sweeteners