No goulash? Some parents lukewarm to N.S. school lunch program

Since the launch of Nova Scotia's school lunch program last September, the Education Department has received hundreds of submissions from parents raising concerns about things such as food quality and safety, what ingredients are used in the dishes and whether the meal options cater to specific diets.

The forms are contained in a 212-page document CBC News obtained through a freedom of information request that has anywhere from one to three entries per page. Parents submitted the forms through the lunch program's website.

The pay-what-you-can program has served more than two million meals since September. Families can pay the full $6.50 cost of the lunch, part of that price or nothing at all.

"My child is trying new foods at his school with his friends and is loving it!" wrote one parent. "The pictures being displayed on your ordering system help him pick out what he is willing to try each week. We appreciate this being offered to all students and it makes nutritional choices fun for all, regardless of income."

That message was an outlier, though, with most focusing on frustrations and ways that parents think the program can be improved.

"The food is often cold, with portions that are either too small or unappetizingly thrown together," wrote one parent. "Some days, the meals have included limp vegetables, barely recognizable entrees, and overripe fruit that's almost inedible.

"It's frustrating to see that instead of enhancing their day and supporting their health, this program has fallen short in delivering even the basics of a decent meal."

Amanda Northcott, who leads the school lunch program for the Education Department, said they get a lot of positive feedback from parents. She said the number of submissions through the online portal has fallen 68 per cent since the program's launch.

"We are really looking at that feedback with an eye for continuous improvement in the program and what we can do to kind of make the menu acceptable for students, keep the menu nutritious and really kind of try to meet as many children's needs and preferences as we can," Northcott said.

She said the fact they've received only a few hundred submissions relative to the number of meals served shows the program is well received.

In the documents provided to CBC, details such as the names of the people who wrote the messages, their email addresses and the school their child attends were redacted, so it's impossible to tell whether anybody wrote multiple emails.

One parent wrote that children are coming home every day with complaints about mouldy fruit and food that was overcooked and smelled like cigarettes.

For one parent, macaroni and cheese offered on the first day of the program at their child's school had them concerned about what the quality of future meals would be like.

"I'm not trying to be mean but boxed Kraft Mac and Cheese honestly looks gourmet by comparison," the parent wrote.