Repositioning school guidance and counseling in Indonesia's free nutritious meals program: Toward a safe, healthy, and psychosocially supportive school ecosystem

The Free Nutritious Meal Program (Program Makan Bergizi Gratis or MBG) is a national policy initiative in Indonesia aimed at improving students’ nutritional status, learning readiness, and long-term human resource development. However, school meal programs should not be understood merely as food distribution mechanisms, as shared eating activities in schools also involve educational, social, and psychosocial dimensions. This article aims to reposition school guidance and counseling as a psychosocial support system within the implementation of MBG in elementary schools. Using a conceptual and policy review approach, this article synthesizes relevant policy documents, national regulations, and international literature on school meals, nutrition education, social-emotional learning, school counseling, and child well-being. The analysis shows that MBG has the potential to strengthen students’ health, learning engagement, character development, and social relationships when implemented within a safe, healthy, and inclusive school ecosystem. Nevertheless, the program may also create psychosocial risks, including stigma, bullying, food-related anxiety, exclusion of students with allergies or special needs, and discomfort during shared meals. Therefore, guidance and counseling services need to be integrated into MBG through promotive, preventive, responsive, and system-support functions. This article recommends that MBG standard operating procedures include psychosocial safety, anti-bullying mechanisms, protection for students with special dietary needs, privacy of health data, and child-friendly reporting systems. Integrating guidance and counseling into MBG can transform the program from a nutritional intervention into a holistic educational strategy that supports students’ physical health, psychological well-being, and social development.