This talk by Mrs Charlotte M. Keyter, from the University of Namibia is part of: “Namibia’s Journey Towards Nutrition and Food Security” – A series of engagement talks to share insights, experiences and ideas on how to ensure optimal nutrition for everyone in Namibia.

On 21 April 2021, Mrs Keyter, Nutritionist, Senior Lecturer, Head of Department: Physical and Sport Sciences at UNAM and founding Board Member of the NAFSAN, began by introducing the ten pillars of nutrition with special focus on adequacy, variety and balance.

“Eat a variety of food from all food groups”, she said and elaborated on this principle with a number of practical examples and great humour. Mrs Keyter further provided historical context, when right after Namibia’s Independence in 1990, she was part of the team that developed the Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Namibia through a highly participatory process. These guidelines were approved by Cabinet in 2000, yet they are still relevant today as they were recently also used by NAFSAN for information materials on ‘Food Safety and Nutrition during Covid-19’. Key messages in these food guidelines are, for instance, to eat a variety of foods, eat more fish, eat fruits and vegetables every day etc.

Her presentation concluded with the call for people to eat a balanced diet and less processed food. Her talk was followed by an interactive session with comments and questions from the audience.