West Java, Indonesia — In a small village school in West Java, the sound of children laughing fills the air during recess. But behind those smiles lies a hidden struggle: many of these young students are not getting the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.

This was the challenge faced by Dr. Yenni Zuhairini and her colleagues from the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran. Determined to make a change, they envisioned a solution that could fit right into children’s daily lives — a snack that is both delicious and nutritious, made entirely from local ingredients.

The team developed SISTIK, a crunchy, savory treat enriched with chicken liver and eggshell powder — both excellent sources of iron and calcium. “We wanted something that children would actually enjoy eating, without realizing it’s packed with the nutrients their bodies need,” Dr. Zuhairini explained.

The researchers didn’t stop at creating the recipe. They brought SISTIK to the children, observing not only how they reacted to the taste but also whether it could become a regular part of their diet. The trial showed that the snack was well-received, and more importantly, it had the potential to address micronutrient deficiencies common in Indonesian schoolchildren.

If scaled up, SISTIK could be a simple, low-cost tool in the fight against malnutrition — replacing empty-calorie snacks with something that fuels growth, strengthens bones, and supports learning. Its reliance on locally sourced ingredients also supports rural farmers and reduces dependence on expensive imported supplements.

This initiative directly supports SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, showing how innovation can start in the kitchen and ripple outward to strengthen communities. For Universitas Padjadjaran, it’s another example of research that blends science with compassion — and helps raise the university’s profile in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.