Thousands of children in NSW go to school each day without access to nutritious meals, impacting their learning, health and wellbeing. Given that Australian school children consume about a third of their daily food intake at school – of which 80 per cent has been found not to meet dietary guidelines – there is a need for structured, equitable school food provision. A universal school meals program could be transformative, ensuring all children receive the nutrition they need while supporting their education and future success.

Children who are food insecure face multiple education, health and wellbeing challenges. Schools provide an ideal early intervention point to address these issues, but NSW currently lacks a statewide policy to ensure consistent access to nutritious meals for all students. Universal school meal programs would integrate existing infrastructure, programs and providers and operate on a service-based model whereby meals are planned, prepared and provided directly to all students, ensuring consistent and equitable access to nutritious food.

Policy momentum for universal school meals

Support for universal school meals is growing across Australia. Tasmania has implemented and evaluated a pilot scheme with bipartisan support that has already reached over 5,000 children. This program improved student access to healthy meals, saw a greater willingness to try new foods, enhanced social connections, led to calmer classrooms, and caused positive changes in family mealtime habits, all while minimising food waste and integrating learning opportunities in the curriculum. More recently, school meals were raised in last year’s Queensland election.

In NSW, awareness of the importance of school food is increasing, as seen in the development of various state policies and resources. The NSW Department of Education has introduced healthy eating procedures  to promote healthier food choices and restrict unhealthy items, such as sugar-sweetened drinks, from being sold in schools. Public schools are required to implement the NSW Healthy School Canteens Strategy to improve the nutritional quality of school food, while independent and Catholic schools are encouraged to adopt it. However, such efforts fall short of universal meal provision and are often not consistently implemented due to gaps in monitoring and evaluation.

In December 2024, our research group held a roundtable involving a diverse network, including  NSW Government representatives, not-for-profit food relief sector leaders, school-based administrators, the food industry and academic colleagues. The roundtable concluded that a universally accessible school meals program for NSW is achievable, and could enhance student nutrition, learning and wellbeing by building upon existing food initiatives and addressing current systemic challenges.

A later National Roundtable in 2025 led by the Federation of Canteens in Schools Australia emphasised the important role of existing infrastructure, such as school canteens, in school food provision. However, concerns were also raised about their financial sustainability, as many canteens operate under a retail-based model reliant on volunteers. For schools without canteens, food choices are even more limited, dependent on students bringing food from home, which can widen disparities in access to nutritious meals.

There are pilot programs currently underway in NSW for school meals, in addition to programs teaching kids to grow and cook food. Food relief charities are also running school breakfast and lunch programs. However, the patchwork nature of these initiatives leaves many children without reliable access to food.

A structured, state-wide school meals program would build on this existing momentum and ensure universal access to healthy food at school. To achieve this, the NSW Government should take several critical steps beyond current policies, providing a clear roadmap for implementation. Key considerations include regulatory frameworks, sustainable funding models, parent and guardian perspectives and the potential expansion of existing canteen infrastructure. A well-structured policy would make a universal school meals program a viable, long-term investment in the health and wellbeing of NSW children.

What works?

International evidence reinforces the effectiveness of school meals in improving student nutrition, increasing school attendance and enhancing academic performance. Around the world, 148 countries – including Sweden – have established national school meal programs with strong policy backing, demonstrating the long-term benefits of government investment. A 2016 cost-benefit analysis undertaken by the World Food Program showed that “every USD 1 invested brought a USD 3 to USD 10 economic return from improved health and education among schoolchildren and increased productivity when they become working adults”.

In Australia, the Tasmanian pilot program provides an example of how a school meals program can operate by using locally sourced ingredients and a central kitchen model. It delivers nutritious meals to students while also supporting regional economies. This model demonstrates the feasibility of a structured, government-supported initiative that can provide high-quality food at scale. NSW can learn from and adapt these models to meet the needs of its own diverse student population.

Building a sustainable and inclusive program

A state-level school meals program should ensure universal access, providing every student with a nutritious, culturally appropriate meal each school day. It should also integrate food education into the curriculum, helping students develop lifelong healthy eating habits and an understanding of food systems. A well-designed program, as in Sweden, would also support local farmers and food producers by prioritising local procurement, ensuring fresh, high-quality ingredients while also stimulating economic growth in regional areas.

Given the diversity of NSW school locations and students, a flexible delivery model is likely necessary. Some schools may benefit from central kitchens that prepare and distribute meals, while others may require on-site meal preparation or partnerships with existing school canteens or not-for-profit providers. To ensure a viable and community-supported program, consultation with parents, local producers and suppliers would be crucial.

Different delivery models should be trialled in diverse school settings – including urban, regional and remote communities – to determine the most sustainable and scalable approach. Non-government schools, including both the private and Catholic sectors, should be considered as well. International approaches vary, including  programs being offered in state schools only (as in Wales) as well as programs being offered in all schools, both public and private (for instance, Finland). Implementing a program across all schools, public and private, in Australia would require negotiation with the Federal Government as a key funder of private schools, as well as bodies representing the independent and Catholic school sectors.

Sustainable funding must be at the core of the policy, moving beyond short-term grants or volunteer labour to ongoing government investment, strategic industry partnerships and social enterprise models. One option for a funding model is a means-tested sliding scale fee (full fee, subsidised, free) – a model used in parts of the United States. Alternatively, investment in school meals can be framed in terms of its long-term benefits – improved child health, academic outcomes with potential knock-on benefits for school enrolment and the broader sustainability gains of healthier school food systems – which are likely to outweigh the immediate costs of implementation.

Developing a roadmap for implementation

Economic modelling specific to NSW should be undertaken to assess program costs, potential savings in healthcare and educational improvements, and the broader economic benefits. A clear understanding of the financial impact will help design a cost-effective and scalable approach.

A 2022 parliamentary inquiry into food production and supply in NSW recommended a food system plan, which could provide a strategic framework for school meals. Collaboration with key partners – including schools, food suppliers, unions and community organisations – will help ensure the program meets student needs and is practical for daily operations.

Infrastructure investment will also be necessary to ensure schools have the facilities to support a meal program. Kitchen upgrades, canteen enhancements, staffing and food transport logistics need to be carefully considered to create an efficient and effective system. These elements must be planned in consultation with parents, educators, nutrition experts and public health professionals to ensure that meals meet dietary guidelines and food safety standards.

Investing in the future

The evidence is clear: schools are ideal early intervention points for improving childhood nutrition, health and food security, with long-term benefits for both students and the wider community.

Without coordinated action, reliance on charity-based, fragmented and underfunded programs will continue, leaving many children without access to the nutritious meals they need to thrive. A clear roadmap – backed by robust economic modelling – can provide policymakers with the right evidence to demonstrate that investing in universal school meals can improve nutrition, health, and education, stimulate the economy and promote healthier diets.

The NSW Government has a unique opportunity to lead the nation by committing to Australia’s first statewide school meals program. The question should not be whether NSW can afford to invest in school meals – the question is whether we can afford not to.

Dr Katherine Kent is a public health nutrition researcher with expertise in food security, dietary assessment and sustainable food systems. She is a senior lecturer at the University of Wollongong and leads research on food environments and nutrition policy advocacy.

Associate Professor Liesel Spencer is a public health law and food systems governance expert, specialising in the regulation of food security. She researches school food programs, social security law, urban agriculture and the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on food security in Australia and internationally.

Dr Miriam Williams is a scholar in urban geography, specialising in food justice, sustainability and the social dimensions of food systems. Her research explores how community-driven initiatives shape equitable and resilient food environments.

The authors would also like to acknowledge the contributions to this article of Associate Professor Dean Dudley (Macquarie University), Professor Danielle Gallegos (Queensland University of Technology), Dr Simone Sherriff (a Wotjobaluk woman and Research Fellow at The Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney) and Dr Olukorede Abiona (Macquarie University).

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