February 26, 2025
JAKARTA – The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has announced that President Prabowo Subianto‘s flagship free meals program for schoolchildren will continue during Ramadan, with an updated menu that will allow fasting students to take their meals home for iftar.
“The free meals program will remain in effect throughout the school session, including during Ramadan,” agency head Dadan Hindayana said on Monday, as reported by Kompas.
“Students can either take their meals home or eat them discreetly at school” to show respect for those observing the fast, he added.
Muslims, who make up about 80 percent of Indonesia’s 280 million population, are required to fast for an entire month during Ramadan. While Muslim children are not obligated to fast until they reach puberty, which is typically between the ages of 10 and 14 for girls, and 12 and 16 for boys, many express a desire to fast and actively participate.
This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on March 2, based on astronomical calculations, but the official decision will have to wait for the sighting of a hilal (new moon).
Dadan stated that the meals provided during Ramadan will have a longer shelf life than usual, including items such as packaged milk, boiled eggs, dates, fortified biscuits and fruits, along with occasional servings of mung bean porridge or the popular Ramadan snack kolak pisang (bananas cooked in coconut milk and palm sugar).
Previously, there have been reports of students complaining that the meals served under the free meals program have spoiled or even contained maggots. Since the program’s launch last month, at least four food poisoning incidents have been linked to the free meals project, causing dozens of students to fall ill.
Despite introducing a new set of menus for Ramadan, Dadan assured that the agency will maintain a balanced nutritional composition, ensuring an appropriate mix of protein, carbohydrates and fiber.
He expressed hope that the nutritious meals provided through the free meals program would inspire parents to prepare healthier meals at home, especially during Ramadan, a time when many tend to serve more sugary treats and greasy foods.
“We will provide fresh, healthy meals every day to help reduce students’ consumption of sugary foods. I hope parents will follow our example at home,” he said.
In addition to menu adjustments, students will now receive their meals in reusable bags, which must be returned the following day in exchange for a new one filled with food, in a bid to reduce waste.
Dadan noted that although there were suggestions to maintain the usual meal distribution and menu in regions with predominantly non-Muslim populations during Ramadan, the BGN has opted for a uniform approach nationwide. An initial review will take place after the first week to fine-tune the distribution system and ensure that all children in Indonesia receive their meals properly.
“We will assess the new system during the first week to determine whether regions with mostly non-Muslim populations should continue with the new approach or [if they] require special arrangements,” Dadan concluded.
President Prabowo launched the free meals program to provide nutritious lunches to millions of students nationwide, aiming to combat stunting and malnutrition.
The program’s first phase, which began on Jan. 6, targeted 500,000 students. The government plans to gradually increase the number of recipients to 17.5 million by December, with a long-term goal of reaching 82 million by the final year of Prabowo’s administration in 2029.