The MBG program is part of Indonesia's broader effort to improve nutritional conditions and support the development of human resources. In schools, however, the impact of a meal program depends not only on whether food reaches students, but also on how consistently it is delivered, whether students consume the meals, and how well schools coordinate with food providers.
At SMA Negeri 1 Ranto Peureulak, the program has been operating for approximately one year. Meals are distributed from Monday to Friday, with the school receiving around 480 meal portions per day for students and teachers.
MBG Helps Students Save Pocket Money
The study examined the implementation of MBG through three aspects: achievement of goals, integration, and adaptation. These aspects were used to understand whether the program is meeting its intended objectives, how well the parties involved coordinate their work, and how the school responds to conditions in the field.
From the perspective of goal achievement, the program provides a direct benefit to students by supplying food during school hours. Students can also reduce the amount of pocket money they need to spend on meals.
Rohaya, the teacher responsible for the MBG program at the school, said the meals are distributed shortly before the break period. She also observed strong student interest in the program, noting that students sometimes ask about the meal distribution when it is not provided on Saturdays.
For students from families with different economic backgrounds, however, the benefits are not necessarily experienced in the same way.
Muhasir, the school's Supervisor of Trustees, noted that students from families with greater economic resources may already have sufficient food available at home, while students from lower-income families may benefit more directly from the free meals.
This difference is important when assessing the impact of a universal school meal program. The availability of food can provide a common benefit to students, but the significance of that benefit may vary according to household circumstances.
Coordination Keeps the Program Running
The second aspect examined by the researchers was integration, particularly coordination between the school and the parties responsible for preparing and delivering the meals.
The study found that cooperation between SMA Negeri 1 Ranto Peureulak, the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), and food providers has allowed the program to operate regularly throughout the school week.
Nur Masyitah, Deputy Principal for Student Affairs, reported that MBG is provided consistently from Monday to Friday and has had a positive effect on student attendance.
The school also monitors the distribution process and communicates with food providers when problems arise. This coordination allows adjustments to be made when meal delivery does not proceed according to schedule.
The findings suggest that school meal programs require continuous communication between schools, food providers, and program administrators. Regular distribution depends not only on food availability but also on logistics and coordination.
Delivery Delays Affect School Schedules
Although MBG provides practical benefits, the study identified several challenges that affect its implementation.
One of the most noticeable problems is delayed food delivery. When meals arrive later than expected, distribution can extend beyond the school's available break period and slightly interfere with classroom activities.
Muhasir noted that meal distribution can become disruptive when the food arrives close to lesson time and requires additional time to distribute to students.
The researchers also found that some menus do not match the preferences of all students. As a result, some food may remain unfinished.
Septia, one of the students interviewed, described the menu as varying in taste. At the same time, the student emphasized that the program helps reduce the need for spending pocket money on food.
Another concern involves portion sizes. Some students felt that the amount of food provided did not always fully meet their needs.
These findings show that the success of a school meal program involves more than distributing a fixed number of portions. Timing, menu acceptance, and portion adequacy can influence how students experience and benefit from the program.
School Adjusts the Program to Conditions
The school has responded to the challenges through ongoing coordination with food providers and the SPPG. Feedback about menus and portion sizes is communicated to program organizers as part of the evaluation process.
The school also adjusts the distribution schedule when food deliveries are delayed. This approach allows administrators to reduce disruptions to teaching and learning activities.
The researchers found that these responses demonstrate the school's ability to adapt the program to actual conditions.
From the perspective of the effectiveness framework used in the study, the MBG program has achieved important objectives, maintained coordination among participating parties, and demonstrated flexibility in its implementation. However, the researchers emphasize that improvements are still needed, particularly in delivery punctuality, menu variation, and portion suitability.
Improving Menus and Distribution Could Strengthen the Program
The findings have practical implications for the management of school meal programs. Improving delivery schedules could prevent meal distribution from interfering with classroom activities.
Periodic evaluations of menus could also help organizers understand which foods are more widely accepted by students while maintaining established nutritional standards.
Portion sizes may likewise need to be reviewed based on students' needs and the nutritional requirements of the program.
For schools, continued supervision and communication with program providers remain important. For program organizers, feedback from students and schools can provide useful information for improving food preparation, logistics, and distribution.
The study also points to a broader issue in implementing public nutrition programs: effectiveness depends on the interaction between policy design and conditions at the local level. A program may have clear national objectives, but its implementation still needs to respond to school schedules, student preferences, logistics, and local circumstances.
Study Uses Interviews, Observation, and Documentation
The researchers used a qualitative descriptive approach to examine the MBG program at SMA Negeri 1 Ranto Peureulak in 2026.
Information was collected from six informants: the Supervisor of Trustees, the Deputy Principal for Student Affairs, the teacher responsible for MBG, and three students who received the meals.
The researchers gathered information through interviews, observations, and documentation. The collected information was then organized and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman approach, which involves reducing the data, presenting relevant findings, and drawing conclusions.
Because the study was conducted at only one school and involved a limited number of informants, its findings cannot automatically be generalized to all schools implementing MBG.
The researchers recommend that future studies involve more schools and a broader range of participants. Further research could also examine service quality and beneficiary satisfaction to provide a more comprehensive picture of how the program operates.
Authors' Profile
The authors' work in this article focuses on public administration, program implementation, organizational effectiveness, and public service delivery, particularly in the context of the Free Nutritious Meal Program in schools. Academic degrees were not provided in the article information supplied and therefore are not added here.
Research Source
The article is published as an open-access work under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
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