NATIONAL LOVE YOUR LUNCH DAY
Share this article
Text Size
NATIONAL LOVE YOUR LUNCH DAY
National Love Your Lunch Day is on September 19, and we are bringing awareness to something often overlooked—lunch shaming. Love Your Lunch Day celebrates food diversity and encourages kids to respect all kinds of lunches at school. On September 19, we are asking parents and educators to take extra time to talk to kids about lunch shaming and how to spot it.
#LoveYourLunchDay
All kids should feel comfortable enjoying the foods they love at home and at school without fear of embarrassment or bullying during lunch time. However, many students are made to feel ashamed about the foods they bring to school. Often, these lunches reflect a family’s culture, traditions or socio-economic status, which makes it even more hurtful.
Lunchbox shaming can cause a variety of problems for children in our communities. Shame, embarrassment, anxiety, sadness, and even feelings of isolation are a few of those problems. To avoid further ridicule, many opt out of eating lunch to avoid the pressure. This lack of food then leads to hunger, an increased risk of being unable to focus and concentrate, and even the possibility of developing an unhealthy relationship with food.
Research conducted by Sistema®, makers of high quality food storage, found that children from Black, Southeast Asian, Latin American and South Asian communities, were twice as likely to face shaming or bullying over their lunch choices.
Cafeterias can be chaotic and less supervised than classrooms, creating opportunities for bullying to go unnoticed. Like all situations that involve bullying, bullies often target those they perceive as different or weaker. According to parents, one of the top reasons their children received negative reactions towards their lunch was because of the unfamiliar appearance and smell of the food. As a result, nearly half of students who experienced lunch shaming asked their parents to change their lunch. It's time all kids have the confidence to eat the food they love at home, at school.
Conversely, when a child feels proud of the lunch they bring to school, they feel safe, which leads to better engagement, stronger social connections and a more positive school experience. #NationalLoveYourLunchDay is September 19 and together we can help all kids have the confidence to eat the food they love at home, at school.
Working Together to End Lunch Bullying
Ending lunch shaming is a community effort. Parents, teachers, schools and children all play a role in a welcoming and safe lunchtime environment. By raising awareness, educating ourselves, and taking proactive steps, we can all work towards making lunch a safe, enjoyable, and inclusive time for all children.
Parents - Take notice of changes in your child's mood, especially after school. They might come home hungry despite having lunch at school. Listen for comments like "I don't like lunchtime," or "Kids are mean at lunch."
Ask open-ended questions like, "How was lunch today?" or "Did anything interesting happen during lunch?" This helps them share without pressure. If they share something upsetting, validate their feelings: "That sounds hard," or "I'm sorry that happened." Explain that lunch shaming is wrong and not their fault.
Using containers with different compartments, in their favourite colours, can help make lunch feel special and intentional. Sistema® offers a range of sizes, shapes and colours that can help with lunch packing as a team. While you are packing, speak positively about what's being put in the containers, such as "this is something our family loves.”
Role-play responses like, "Everyone eats different things, and that's okay," or "More people eat like me than like you." This builds confidence. Let them know they can always talk to you. If needed, speak with their teacher or school counsellor.Teachers - Be aware of behaviours that indicate lunch shaming or bullying is happening, e.g., children hiding or covering their lunch, eating less or not eating lunch at all, or acting differently than usual at lunchtime.
Talk to children when you see lunch shaming happening. Reinforce your classroom expectations and ensure that children feel supported. Refer to your school's anti-bullying policies and seek additional support from school counsellors if necessary.
Take a curious approach to food in your classroom at lunchtime and beyond. Invite children to lead with curiosity and use their senses as they explore and learn about all the different types of lunches their peers have. Food diversity provides a rich opportunity to nurture acceptance, learning and pride. Look for ways to involve students' families and connect food to subjects across the curriculum.Schools - Make sure there is a strong anti-bullying policy in place at school. Lay out the rules, including those associated with lunch shame. Plan a lesson during teacher in-service days to address food diversity, cultural understanding, and empathy for economically challenged students. Always encourage and support a positive environment in the cafeteria, including a list of acceptable cafeteria behavior during lunch.
CELEBRATING NATIONAL LOVE YOUR LUNCH DAY
LOVE YOUR LUNCH LOGO
By implementing a combination of different strategies, schools can transform the lunch experience into a time where all students feel a sense of belonging and community, making lunchtime a truly inclusive and enjoyable experience.
Promote and celebrate food diversity by dedicating specific days to celebrating foods from various cultures represented by the students.
Ask parents to participate in in-class learning sessions about their cultures and encourage students to participate.
Display colorful posters in the classroom and cafeteria to highlight different foods from different cultures, their nutritional benefits, and facts about the food.
Create seating charts for students in the lunchroom to allow students to get to know each other. Change the seating chart every quarter to encourage more interaction.
Try to keep the cafeteria as a place for students to socialize (within reason). Allowing them to have social interaction will allow for a more friendly atmosphere.
Be sure to visit LoveYourLunchDay.ca to get free downloadable resources and activities for your family and classroom.
Share your support for ending lunch bullying on social media using the hashtag #LoveYourLunchDay.
HISTORY: NATIONAL LOVE YOUR LUNCH DAY
Sistema® food storage began the Love Your Lunch Day campaign in 2024 as a day to end lunchtime bullying. In 2025, the company joined forces with National Day Calendar to officially create National Love You Lunch Day on the calendar. Each year on September 19, we are bringing awareness to lunch shaming by celebrating food diversity to encourage kids to respect all kinds of lunches at school.
About the Founder
Sistema® Canada designs innovative, high-quality, durable, functional and versatile food storage containers and lunch boxes, microwave products and home organization solutions. Every container is made using high-quality, food-safe and BPA-free materials that you can trust.
Sistema® food storage partnered with Rainbow Plate, a social enterprise that creates food literacy resources and workshops for teachers and parents, to create free resources available to help facilitate age-appropriate conversations about lunchbox bullying with elementary students and foster a more inclusive lunchtime experience in schools.