Lack of Nutritional Literacy, People's Food Choices Still Risky for Health

Nutrition literacy presentation. (Adelia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The public is often faced with a variety of food choices without being equipped with adequate understanding of nutritional content, health impacts, and long-term consequences of these choices. As a result, the decisions made are often not entirely based on clinical considerations or body needs, but rather on habit and ease of access.

Lack of nutritional literacy makes some people not realize that food that looks practical and attractive is not necessarily safe or suitable for their health condition. In fact, understanding the composition of food, ranging from the amount of calories, fat, salt, to the content of other nutrients, is an important first step to maintain health, especially in the face of increasing risks of non-communicable diseases.

According to Dr. Jessica Ferdi, M.Gizi., Sp.GK, Specialist Nutritionist from Harapan Kita Hospital, nutrition education has a key role in helping people make more appropriate food choices. He emphasized the importance of getting used to reading and understanding the composition of food before buying or consuming a product.

"People need to first look at the composition of the food they consume, such as the amount of calories, fat, and salt," said Dr. Jessica, when met at the World Resources Institute, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

"The color or appearance of food can be attractive, but what is more important is its nutritional content. If people don't know this, there is still a knowledge gap that needs to be improved through education," he continued.

He also reminded that the daily diet should return to the principle of balanced nutrition. The concept of "fill my plate" is considered a relatively easy and safe approach for the general public to implement.

"A balanced plate already includes carbohydrates, meat, vegetables, and fruit. If this can be applied in daily meals, then it is a good step. However, everyone's needs are different, especially when they have certain health conditions, so it is important to know each other's needs," he explained.

Dr. Jessica said understanding the body's needs helps people not just follow the food trend, but actually adjust their intake to their conditions and needs.

The challenge of choosing healthy food is also inseparable from the big picture of the national food system. Recent studies from the Sustainable Food System Coalition (KSPL) and World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia reveal that the Indonesian food system has hidden costs that are very large. These costs are estimated to reach Rp3.025,5-Rp9.334,5 trillion, or equivalent to 28.5-45.4 percent of Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023.

This finding was conveyed at a press conference at the WRI Indonesia office on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. The report entitled "The Hidden Costs of Indonesia's Food System" which was released in December 2025 explains that although the food sector is the backbone of the economy, the current way of producing, distributing, and consuming food still has a large negative impact. These hidden costs are borne by the community through health aspects, environmental degradation, and social conditions.

"Our food sector does have an important role in supporting the Indonesian economy with a contribution of 19.5 percent of total GDP in 2024. However, various activities within the current food system actually have a negative impact that exceeds this contribution," said Romauli Panggabean, Knowledge Generation Lead KSPL and Environmental Economist WRI Indonesia.

The five largest cost categories of the current food system include obesity, malnutrition, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and food loss and waste.

In terms of health, the amount of hidden costs reflects changes in people's consumption patterns. According to Dr. Jessica Ferdi, the increasing consumption of sweetened food and ultraprocessed foods is a serious concern because they are generally low in nutritional value, but high in calories, saturated fat, and sugar.

"This study shows an increase in the pattern of consumption of food with sweeteners and ultraprocessed foods which are generally low in nutritional value but high in calories, saturated fat, and sugar. This consumption pattern increases the risk of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, so it is necessary to be vigilant in food selection, especially for children. This study again reminds us of the implementation of a balanced nutritional diet which includes carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits as sources of vitamins and minerals needs to continue to be encouraged," said Dr. Jessica.

He assessed that this challenge could not be imposed on individuals, but needed to be supported by a healthier environment and food system.

Apart from health, the costs of environmental and social degradation cannot be ignored. If the food system continues to put pressure on nature and people's social lives, the risk of future food shortages will increase. Therefore, the findings on these hidden costs show the need for a more comprehensive and sustainable change in policy direction.

"The Indonesian government is taking several steps in realizing the transformation of the food system. This study provides a comprehensive overview of how the food system affects the health of the community and the environment as well as agriculture in Indonesia. In other words, we feel that the hidden cost calculations and findings in this study can support the formulation of more strategic and targeted policies for us in the future," said Sugeng Harmono as Assistant Deputy for Food Reserves and Food Assistance, Coordinating Ministry for Food.

On the consumer side, this fact is expected to encourage the #EatConsciously behavior, which is the habit of choosing and consuming food by considering not only price, but also its impact on health, environment, and the sustainability of the food system.