Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia’s flagship free nutritious meal programme is improving children’s health and encouraging greater participation in school activities, Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana has said.
Hindayana also urged families to support the effort with better diets at home.
According to the official, with the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) programme, children are more enthusiastic about going to school. In several regions, they are more eager to take part in school activities and they are much healthier.
However, he warned that the programme’s success in lifting the quality of Indonesia’s human resources depends on continued nutritional support from families after school hours.
He noted that many parents often feed their children whatever satisfies them and give in to their preferences, such as eating rice with instant noodles
Without such support at home, the programme may not succeed, Hindayana said, pointing to common practices that undermine balanced diets.
He added that each meal should contain balanced nutrients, including sufficient energy, protein, fat and fibre, to meet a child’s daily dietary needs and support healthy growth.
To reinforce the programme’s impact, the government plans to step up public education, targeting communities to raise awareness of proper nutrition and what children need to consume at each stage of development.
The MBG initiative, one of President Prabowo Subianto’s key social policies, is aimed at tackling child malnutrition and stunting while boosting school attendance, particularly in poorer regions.
Hindayana said his agency is also committed to optimising its budget to ensure that MBG food packages reach children across the archipelago./.
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