Combatting stunting: The vital role of animal protein in early childhood nutrition

Stunting is a global issue that significantly affects the quality of human resources and a nation's future competitiveness. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the role of animal protein in preventing stunting in early childhood using an exploratory approach. The procedures were carried out using a qualitative descriptive design by conducting a literature review and collecting secondary data. The results showed that animal foods (eggs, milk, and meat) contained bioactive compounds and essential amino acid profiles (valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, lysine, histidine, methionine, and threonine), indicating the ability to provide the required nutrients and prevent stunting. In addition, optimizing nutrition in the first 1000 days of life starting from the conception phase until the age of 2 years by consuming a variety of nutritious foods containing animal protein at every meal was expected to prevent the condition. The results also revealed that providing sufficient animal foods that were physically and economically accessible to all individuals in society was a major challenge. Therefore, efforts were needed from the government to realize the goal of reducing stunting in Indonesia. Keywords: Stunting, Early Childhood, Animal Foods, Protein