"Daily rice consumption is not compulsory. It can be substituted with noodles or other foods made from corn. Most importantly, the meals must be nutritious," he remarked after reviewing the program trial at a public elementary school in Tangerang, Banten, on Monday.
The vice president-elect affirmed that it is vital that every food provided be in accordance with the program's determined goal of meeting the nutritional needs of schoolchildren.
He remarked that in Tangerang, all meals were served in well-calculated portions, while the type of milk provided supported diabetes prevention efforts.
"This is thanks to the inputs taken from experts and parents as well as the evaluation of previous trials," he remarked.
He then spoke of having coordinated with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani to ensure financial support for the implementation of the program conceived by him and President-elect Prabowo Subianto.
"Financial matters have been dealt with. Hence, we will focus on the implementation in the field," he affirmed.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy suggested using nasi jagung -- a rice-like corn-based staple food -- as an alternative to ordinary rice for the nutritious lunch program.
"The free lunch program is supposed to educate children about food diversification," he remarked after participating in a corn harvest in Ponorogo, East Java, on Saturday (August 3).
Effendy affirmed that Indonesia stores various carbohydrate-rich food materials other than rice, which has been the country's main staple food for most people.
The minister also suggested that the incoming government make the most of food ingredients produced by local farmers in implementing the program.
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Translator: Achmad I, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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