Flora Food Group is proud to share research co-authored by our Senior Nutrition Specialist, Emily Schöningh, exploring the impact of a school breakfast programme on children’s nutrition and short-term memory in Indonesia. The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, looked at whether regular breakfast provision alongside nutrition education could make a meaningful difference for primary school children aged 9 to 11.
The findings suggest it can. Children who received both breakfast and nutrition education showed higher nutrient intake, including key vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B1, B2, C and D, calcium, iron and zinc. The group also recorded a significant improvement in short-term memory compared with children who received education alone or no intervention.
These results matter because they show how school-based nutrition programmes can support both learning and healthy eating habits. While the positive effects were not sustained three months later without continued reinforcement, the study reinforces the importance of regular nutrition education and balanced meal provision over time.
Emily Schöningh, Senior Nutrition Specialist at Flora Food Group, said the findings underline the need for ongoing support to help children build better habits that last.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih
The research was conducted in collaboration with IPB University as part of the GESIT study in Indonesia, and adds to the growing evidence that breakfast programmes can play an important role in children’s health and development.
