Acceptability differences across Free Nutritious Meal menu components among elementary school students
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Abstract
Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meal Program (Makan Bergizi Gratis, MBG) requires evaluation of the foods students actually accept because an overall menu score may conceal components that are repeatedly disliked. This study analyzed acceptability patterns and differences across MBG menu components among elementary school students. An observational study with repeated measurements was conducted among students in grades IV-VI at SDN Lagoa 05 Pagi, North Jakarta, in July-August 2025. Of 96 students, 87 had complete data and were included in the analysis. Acceptability was assessed over 11 days using a three-point facial hedonic scale for five sensory attributes. Descriptive analysis covered 55 component servings. The Friedman test used nine days with a complete set of five comparable food groups, followed by Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Holm correction. Of the 55 components, 37 (67.3%) had high acceptability and 18 (32.7%) had moderate acceptability. Fruit (2.51±0.06), animal-source dishes (2.50±0.10), and staple foods (2.46±0.06) had the highest means, whereas vegetables had the lowest (2.19±0.15); 11 of 12 vegetable servings were moderately accepted. Acceptability differed across food groups (χ²(4)=30.46; p<0.001; W=0.846). Fruit, animal-source dishes, and staple foods were accepted better than plant-source dishes and vegetables after Holm correction. Menu improvement should prioritize the taste, texture, and presentation of vegetables and plant-source dishes and monitor acceptability at the component level.
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