The optimal time to deliver nutrition education via the MBG program is during the common mealtime at schools, ministry official Minhajul Ngabidin said.
“Before the meal, teachers are expected to provide nutrition education by delivering important messages to students,” he expounded during a webinar here on Thursday.
The webinar covered ways to bolster nutrition education, clean and healthy living behaviors (PHBS), and character education through the MBG program.
Ngabidin said that nutrition education can also be provided post-meals in the form of reflection sessions.
Core topics covered during nutrition education sessions could include balanced nutrition, living with clean and healthy living behaviors, student achievements, building a positive culture in school environments, and the ministry's priority programs, he added.
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The nutrition education content can be adjusted to each school’s situation.
One example of this, he said, is interactive education on the topic “Know What’s on My Plate,” which invites students to learn about healthy meal portions based on the Ministry of Health’s guidelines.
“It can start with introducing the proportions of a healthy meal using a balanced nutrition plate model, followed by having students observe the contents of their own plates and compare them with the guidelines,” he explained.
Such sessions can also start with light discussions on simple questions such as the effects of not eating vegetables or the consequences of consuming too much sugar.
“We hope that through webinars like this, each educational institution can be motivated to promote a culture of clean and healthy living while ensuring balanced and adequate nutrition for students,” Ngabidin said.
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Translator: Hana, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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