Local Food Based Supplementary Feeding To Prevent Stunting In Coastal Areas: A Review

Abstract

Stunting remains a persistent public health challenge in Indonesia, particularly in coastal communities where food insecurity and limited dietary diversity are common. Locally sourced foods, especially fish and moringa based products, have been proposed as culturally relevant and sustainable interventions. This systematic literature review analyzed 18 peer reviewed articles published between 2022 and 2025 that evaluated supplementary feeding interventions using local food ingredients for stunting prevention and treatment in children. Evidence consistently indicates that local food based products such as fish nuggets fortified with moringa leaves, rebon shrimp based meals, and other seafood innovations significantly improve child growth indicators, including height for age and weight for age z scores. Community acceptance was generally high, highlighting the importance of cultural relevance. Key challenges included seasonal variability of raw materials, production costs, and caregiver knowledge gaps. Community empowerment and integration with health policies were essential for sustainability. Overall, locally sourced supplementary feeding is both effective and socially acceptable for reducing stunting in coastal settings. Indonesia’s experience demonstrates how nutrition, culture, and policy can converge to create scalable models for child health, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen and replicate these approaches to prevent intergenerational cycles of malnutrition