The Gambia National Food-based Dietary Guidelines, 2023.

These Guidelines provides for improving nutrition, promoting healthy lifestyles, and reducing the prevalence of diet-related diseases in The Gambia. Specific objectives of these Guidelines include: promoting access to adequate supply of nutrient-rich foods, supporting the production and consumption of local foods; promoting healthy eating behaviours and lifestyles, by creating awareness on factors associated with optimal nutrition and health including physical activity, food environments, personal hygiene, increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and reduced intake of salt, sugar and fats; preventing diet-related risk factors of non-communicable diseases by promoting optimal health and nutrition practices especially among high-risk population groups; ensuring the harmonisation of national food policies, to safeguard food quality and availability.
Inspired by the principles of food security, diversification of food value chain and climate resilience and sustainability, the Guidelines are structured as follows: 1) background and overview, focusing on: food consumption, dietary patterns, and nutrients, including breastfeeding, identification of seven food groups, Policy framework and programmes relevant to diets and nutrition in the Gambia, necessity of developing guidelines to improve nutrition policies and promote public health; 2) The Guidelines development process, focusing on: describing diet techniques and multi-stakeholders approaches; 3) Key messages for healthy diet and lifestyles, focusing on: prioritising the consumption of bio-fortified foods, fruits, vegetables, pulses, water; food system recommendation for staples; promoting cereals and whole grains consumption; reducing post-harvest losses along the entire food value chain; increasing staple crops production through irrigation systems, capacity building of farmers.