Frequently Asked Questions

About the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program

The Nova Scotia School Lunch Program is a Government of Nova Scotia program that offers nutritious lunches to public school students every school day. The program helps make life more affordable and easier for busy families and ensures students have access to nutritious, delicious food that supports their learning and well-being. 

In the 2025-26 school year, all schools in that include elementary, middle school and junior high grades are participating in the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program. In future years, the program will expand to all public schools across the province. 

Check the list of 2024-25 School Lunch Program schools

Each school is unique, with different facilities and lunch operations. Each school has one of three delivery models for their lunch program:

  1. School staff make lunches in the school's kitchen
  2. A company makes lunches in the school's kitchen
  3. A company makes and delivers lunches to the school

The program model does not affect the menu options, ordering process or quality of lunches.

Fresh, locally sourced ingredients are used whenever possible, promoting healthy eating habits and supporting local farmers.

You can speak to your child’s school or reach out to your regional School Food Program Lead with any specific questions about the School Lunch Program.

Ordering

Ordering opens on Friday mornings and closes on Wednesday at noon for meals that will start being served the following Monday. All registered users will receive e-mail reminders when ordering opens and closes.

  1. Create an account, or login to your existing account on NSLunch.ca by clicking “Order Now” button and selecting your school region or conseil scolaire.
  2. Add a Diner Profile for the student and then select “Order Meals Now” for that student to place an order.
  3. Select meals for each school day for a two-week period. Every day, there will be two choices.
  4. Confirm your meal selections. You will be able to choose the amount you wish to contribute to the meal, if any. If you choose to pay for the meal, you will be asked to provide your payment information. Once you input your information, click Submit Order to submit your order.
  5. The student(s) will receive their meals at their school’s designated lunch area. 

Click here to see detailed instructions.

Yes, you need to create an account to use the ordering system and to order a meal.

If you’re a student, you can create an account and log in using your GNSPES account. If you do not have an account, the system will guide you to create one.

Students and families can create an account and order lunches. Schools and regional staff as well as community organizations can also support families and help order lunches on their behalf, if needed.

The School Lunch Program offers a province-wide menu that provides a variety of healthy, affordable meals to students. 

Full ingredient lists are available at nslunch.ca, allowing families to review offerings and make informed choices. 

Each day, both a meat and a vegetarian option are available, with several meals that do not contain dairy or egg, or that are gluten-friendly*. 

Due to the scale of the program, the NSSLP is unable to provide individualized menu customization or ingredient substitutions. 

On occasion, vendors may replace a single ingredient for all meals that day due to supply or delivery issues. Because of these potential changes and the risk of cross-contamination, meals cannot be guaranteed to be 100% allergen- or gluten-free. 

*Gluten-friendly meals are prepared without wheat, rye, or barley, but may be produced in kitchens where gluten is present.

Gluten Friendly-Gluten is not present in the ingredients in this meal, but meals are prepared in facilities where gluten is present. Due to potential cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee that the meals are gluten free. There is a risk of gluten exposure; please consider this risk based on the student’s individual needs before ordering.

You can place orders for multiple students by creating a separate Diner Profile for each student within your account. To do this, log in to your account on the “Diners” section on the main page, click on the “Add” button. Fill in the student’s information and click “Save”. Now on the main page, simply select the “Order Meals Now” button and you’ll be able to place separate orders for each student. 

Meal orders can be changed or cancelled while the meal ordering window is still open (until Wednesdays at noon). However, once the ordering window closes, no changes or cancellations can be made. 

Please note that refunds are not provided for orders that have already been submitted, even if they are cancelled or changed while the ordering window is still open. This policy is explained in the cancellation agreement that you acknowledge before placing an order. If a meal is missed, families can choose to pay nothing during the next ordering window to “make up” for it.

No, each parent or guardian needs their own account to place orders for a student. For security, don’t share passwords and payment information. To prevent double orders, only one person should place a meal order each cycle.

To make sure your device works well with the ordering system, keep your mobile device or computer up-to-date with the latest app, software and operating systems.

Payment

The cost of a meal is $6.50. Keep in mind that lunches are affordable for every family because the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program is pay-what-you-can. After choosing lunches, the ordering system gives families three payment options: pay the $6.50 cost of the lunch, pay a part of the cost, or pay nothing. 

Lunches are paid for in the online ordering system. After choosing lunches, the ordering system takes you to a payment screen. On the payment screen, you will see three payment options: pay the cost of the lunch, pay a part of the cost, or pay nothing.

You will be able to make a secure payment using:

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • Visa Debit
  • Debit Mastercard

Refunds are not provided for orders that have already been submitted, even if they are cancelled or changed while the ordering window is still open. This policy is explained in the cancellation agreement that you acknowledge before placing an order. If a meal is missed, families can choose to pay nothing during the next ordering window to “make up” for it.

Yes, individuals and businesses can make donations to the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program.

Yes, tax receipts will be sent to your mailing address.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot place orders, it might be because of one of these reasons:

  • You haven’t created a Diner Profile for the student. To create a Diner Profile for the student, log in to your account, click on the button “Add Diner”, fill in the student’s information, and click “Save”. Now on the main page, select the “Order Meals Now” to start placing orders.
  • The ordering window for the current cycle has already closed. Once the ordering window closes, you won’t be able to place meal orders until the next cycle begins. Please check the ordering schedule for future cycles.
  • The school is temporarily closed for certain days/ period. On school closure days, lunch won’t be available, and you won’t be able to select meals for those days during the ordering process.
  • Other reasons: If you are still having problems, please contact your region or conseil scolaire by creating a Support Request.

On school closure days, lunch isn’t available, and you can’t select meals for those days during the ordering process.

If you require further assistance, please contact your region or conseil scolaire by creating a Support Request.

A School Lunch Program Lead from your region or conseil scolaire will respond.

If you have not received any response before the ordering window closes, we recommend submitting your orders with a $0 payment to make sure the order is still processed on time.

If a student is changing schools in the same regions or conseil scolaire, you can update their profile and select the new school in their diner profile.

If a student is changing school regions or conseil scolaire, then you will need to create new account in the region or conseil scolaire’s ordering system.

If you are not a student, you can learn how to set up and manage your My NS account or reset your password, at: About My NS Account.

If you require further assistance, contact the 2KEYS helpdesk.

The 2Keys helpdesk is available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except holidays)
Telephone (North America):
1-844-322-9375
TTY / TDD Telephone (Hearing Impaired)
1-844-322-9377

If you are a current student and need password help with your GNSPES account, you can get help at: https://www.gnspes.ca/help/. For additional help, you can always contact your Regional Help Desk.

If you require further assistance, please contact your region or conseil scolaire by creating a Support Request.

A School Lunch Program Lead from your region or conseil scolaire will respond.

Two-factor authentication (2FA), also known as two-step verification, is a security method that adds an extra layer of protection to your accounts beyond just a password. To make your My NS account more secure, 2-step verification has been introduced. To login to your account, you now need: 
1.    Your username and password, and 
2.    A verification method (e.g. phone number or authenticator app)

For more information on setting up your 2-step verification visit About My NS Account or contact the 2Keys Helpdesk from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (excluding holidays and weekends). You can reach them at: 
•    Telephone (North America): 1-844-322-9375 
•    TTY / TDD Telephone (Hearing Impaired): 1-844-322-9377