Government Says Children's Nutrition Improves After Receiving Free Nutritious Meals

Jakarta – Head of the Government Communication Body (Bakom) Muhammad Qodari has presented research findings from the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) demonstrating several benefits of the free nutritious meals programme, including improved nutritional intake among schoolchildren after receiving MBG.

Qodari noted that over time, according to the Bappenas research, the consumption of fruit—which contains various vitamins and fibre—among schoolchildren increased, particularly after they became beneficiaries of the free nutritious meals (MBG).

“When we talk about Vitamin C, about fruit being good for digestion, it turns out our children used to eat very little fruit. The majority did not eat fruit; now it has risen 58 percent, from 26 percent to 84 percent,” Qodari told journalists in Jakarta on Thursday.

Qodari added that the improvement in nutritional intake is also evident in the protein consumption of schoolchildren receiving MBG. From the same research, animal protein consumption among schoolchildren rose from 65 percent to 90 percent.

“This is good. We want Indonesian football to advance, with big, tall bodies like Japanese players—big, tall bodies, intelligent minds, good nutrition. We should no longer be called a nation with a low IQ. Where does that come from? From protein,” Qodari said.

Furthermore, Qodari reported that thanks to the free nutritious meals, many schoolchildren no longer experience hunger during lessons. Before MBG, he explained, many children were hungry while studying at school, a condition he believes can disrupt students’ learning concentration.

“So it turns out, before MBG, many of our students were hungry at school. The number who were hungry at that time—attending school hungry, listening to the teacher while hungry—was 56 percent,” Qodari said, presenting the Bappenas research findings.

However, after the introduction of MBG, the number of students experiencing hunger has fallen. “The decrease is significant,” Qodari stated.

Meanwhile, the number of students who feel full while participating in school learning activities increased after MBG, from 43 percent to 84 percent. “These are benefits that people are not yet aware of,” he said.