Official name

Food-based dietary guidelines for Guyana.

Publication year

Guyana launched its first set of food-based dietary guidelines in 2004 and started a revision process in 2015. The revised version was officially launched in 2018.

Stakeholder involvement

The revision of the FBDGs was led by the Food Policy Division under the Ministry of Health, with support from FAO. The process had the participation of a wide range of stakeholders from government ministries to the Bureau of Standards, Bureau of Statistics, PAHO/WHO, UN organisations and the Rights of the Child Commission. 

Development process

A situation analysis of the Health and Nutrition Profile of Guyana was carried out to examine and diagnose the health and nutrition status of the population. Through this process it was determined that the nutritional guidelines were set to address the prevention and reduction of the priority risks and challenges identified in the situation analysis and for the promotion of healthy diets and lifestyles.

A group of nutritionists and dieticians were then tasked with developing a technical document to define nutrition goals and to also identify the types and quantities of food that the population should eat. Based on these recommendations, food groups were outlined and key messages drafted. This was followed by a period of behaviour field testing to ascertain the populations’ willingness and ability to meet recommendations and to identify appropriate language and graphic recommendation.

Implementation

An implementation plan for the rollout of the FBDGs in schools, communities and food retail has been developed. The Ministry of Health in collaboration with FAO, has hosted multi-sectoral stakeholder workshops for the development of training plans on how to use FBDG materials as part of this plan.

Evaluation

There is no official evaluation plan for the FBDGs.

Food guide

The guide chosen by Guyana to represent its guidelines is a ‘stew pot’ representing six food groups: staples, vegetables, fruits, legumes, animal-source foods and fats. 

Recommendations

• Breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months
• Eat different types of foods from all the food groups daily
• Eat more greens and other coloured vegetables daily
• Eat different kinds of fruits daily
• Limit the use of sugary foods and sweetened drinks
• Use more natural seasonings and less salt and salty products
• Reduce your intake of oily and fatty foods
• If you drink alcohol do so in moderation
• Use at least 30 minutes daily for physical activity