Abstract

Food hygiene and nutrition is a serious public health concern. It is the responsibility of providers and duty of consumers to ensure that hygienic and nutritious food is being served and consumed respectively. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 students to assess the perception of hygiene and nutrition of food in the restaurant of Pokhara Valley, Nepal. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Two-third of the respondents were female in this study. The taste was the most common reason for the consumption of food in the restaurant. In the same way, more than two-thirds of the respondents considered restaurants' food for not having a balanced diet. Around one-third of the respondents consumed food high in vitamins and minerals, protein, carbohydrate, and calories in restaurants. Around two-thirds of the respondents considered hygiene of food in restaurants as slightly hygienic. More than two-thirds of the respondents considered unhealthy to eat food in the restaurant. The study found the association between education status, family type with a taste of the food. Proper awareness, promotion activities for the healthy nutrition lifestyle & food safety education is highly recommended at the local level.