Perceived Benefits of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program Among Senior High School Students in Makassar City

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FORMOSA NEWS - Makassar - High Schoolers Back Free Meals Program in Makassar, but Call for Better Taste and Aroma. The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program has achieved measurable success among Indonesian youth, though sensory improvements are still needed. A comprehensive study conducted by researchers Hendrayati, Nadimin, and Faramitha from Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar evaluated how senior high school students in Makassar City perceive the national feeding initiative. Published in the Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS) in 2026, the evaluation monitored 259 active student beneficiaries between August and October 2025 to determine how the program impacts adolescent well-being and academic readiness. The findings provide a vital, evidence-based foundation for policymakers looking to enhance the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of public health interventions in urban schools.

The Critical Role of Adolescent School Nutrition
Adolescent health remains an urgent public health priority across developing nations, where schools frequently grapple with the double burden of undernutrition and overnutrition. High school students experience rapid physical growth, accelerated cognitive development, and demanding academic schedules, all of which require a highly consistent and nutrient-dense dietary intake. Unfortunately, economic constraints, erratic eating habits, and inadequate access to fresh foods often lead to widespread nutritional imbalances among Indonesian youth. These dietary gaps can impair short-term learning capacities and threaten long-term public health outcomes. In response to these structural challenges, the Indonesian government launched the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program as a core national strategy to improve student nutritional profiles. While school feeding programs are globally recognized for boosting food security and classroom attendance, their ultimate impact relies heavily on user acceptance. The Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar research team initiated this project because measuring student satisfaction is critical to ensuring that public funds successfully translate into sustained dietary improvements.

Evaluating Program Impact Through Student Voices
To accurately assess the initiative, the Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar research team utilized a descriptive quantitative evaluation design. The team surveyed 259 high school students across four selected institutions in Makassar City using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. Every participant had at least three months of continuous exposure to the free meals, ensuring that their feedback was grounded in direct, prolonged experience rather than initial novelty. Beyond gathering subjective perceptions, the researchers incorporated physical health markers by conducting direct anthropometric measurements. They calculated the Body Mass Index (BMI) of all participants and measured the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) for female respondents to check for chronic energy deficiency. This methodological approach combined data on student perceptions with objective physical metrics to deliver an accurate assessment of the program's target demographic.

Key Findings: Tangible Benefits Paired with Sensory Hurdles
The data analysis revealed that while high schoolers widely recognize the physical and behavioral benefits of the program, sensory execution requires immediate refinement.

• Enhanced Daily Energy and Hunger Relief. Students reported that the meals successfully addressed short-term hunger and fatigue. Specifically, 45.6% of respondents rated the program's ability to delay hunger as "good," while 38.6% stated it provided them with significantly better energy for their daily school routines.
  
• Improved Academic Focus. The program demonstrated positive outcomes for classroom learning. Approximately 51% of the students indicated that the mid-day meal provided a moderate boost to their concentration levels during study hours, helping them stay engaged with their teachers and coursework.
• Positive Shifts in Diet Habits. The initiative functioned effectively as a behavioral intervention. The data showed that 42.1% of students felt the program helped them become accustomed to eating healthy food, and 41.3% noted that it reduced their reliance on unhealthy, random snacking during school hours.
• Significant Sensory Obstacles. The primary challenges identified by the Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar researchers centered on meal enjoyment. Aroma emerged as the weakest element, receiving a "poor" rating from 31.3% of students. Additionally, 22.4% rated the taste as poor, 28.2% disliked the texture, and 25.5% found the color unappealing. On a positive note, 44.4% of respondents agreed that the ingredients used were fresh and odorless.
  
• Competition with Commercial Snacks. Due to these sensory limitations, the free school meals struggled to compete with local commercial alternatives. When asked if the program meals tasted better than commercial school snacks, 32.8% of the students rated the program meals as "poor". This represents the highest negative rating in the entire study, confirming that the meals face tough competition from the taste profiles of local commercial vendors.
  

Real-World Impact and Policy Recommendations
The results of this study offer direct, actionable insights for public health officials, school administrators, and catering providers involved in national feeding initiatives. The Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar research team notes that nutritional value alone cannot guarantee a program's success if the target demographic routinely leaves the food uneaten due to unappealing presentation or unpalatable flavors. By prioritizing culinary adjustments alongside strict nutritional guidelines, program implementers can improve student satisfaction, minimize food waste, and maximize the return on public investments in human capital.

Author Profiles

Hendrayati, S.Gz., M.Si. is a senior lecturer and researcher at Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar. She specializes in community nutrition, adolescent health assessments, and the evaluation of public health interventions.
Nadimin, S.Gz., M.Kes. is a nutritional scientist affiliated with Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar, focusing on dietary habits, epidemiology, and adolescent growth dynamics.
Faramitha, S.Gz., M.P.H. is a public health researcher at Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar whose work centers on institutional meal management, food safety, and school health policies.

Source

Hendrayati, Nadimin, Faramitha (2026), Perceived Benefits of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program Among Senior High School Students in Makassar City, Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS) 2026, Vol. 5, No. 4, Hal. 1135-1150
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/fjas.v5i4.48
URL: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas