Perceptions and Attitudes toward Dietary Practices in an Urban Himalayan Setting: Evidence from Nainital City, Uttarakhand

Ankita Bhatt; Aprajita

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.68906

Perceptions and Attitudes toward Dietary Practices in an Urban Himalayan Setting: Evidence from Nainital City, Uttarakhand

Author(s)	Ms. Ankita Bhatt, Dr. Aprajita
Country	India
Abstract	Dietary practices are influenced by cultural, environmental, and socio-economic factors, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions such as the Himalayan belt. This study aimed to assess the perceptions, attitudes, and dietary practices of residents of Nainital City, Uttarakhand. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among urban residents using a semi-structured questionnaire to evaluate awareness of healthy diets, attitudes toward traditional and modern food practices, and prevailing dietary behaviors. A total of 90 respondents were included in the study. Most respondents (86.67%) reported changes in traditional food habits, mainly due to fast food availability (80%) and changing lifestyles (60%). Traditional foods are still consumed regularly, with 56.67 percent consuming them weekly. Perceptions of authenticity (76.67%) and healthiness (86.66%) were highly positive, driven by taste, natural ingredients, and traditional cooking methods. Strong support was shown for promoting traditional foods to tourists (87.78%), with 96.67 percent recognizing their health potential and 93.33 percent willing to recommend them, highlighting significant scope for tourism-based promotion. The study highlights the need for targeted nutrition education programs that respect local food traditions while promoting healthy eating practices. Our findings suggests that residents of Nainital City demonstrate a moderately high level of awareness and a positive perception of traditional dietary practices, strongly associating them with authenticity and health benefits despite recognizing shifts in food habits over time due to modern influences. The findings reveal strong support for the promotion of traditional foods, particularly in the context of tourism, with respondents acknowledging their health potential and expressing a willingness to recommend them to visitors. Enhancing nutrition awareness and encouraging the continued consumption of traditional Himalayan diets may support both cultural preservation and improved public health outcomes in the region.
Keywords	Healthy Diet, Dietary Practices, Perceptions, Attitudes, Himalayan Region, Nainital, Uttarakhand
Field	Sociology > Home Science
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-02-13
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.68906

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2 Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 1 Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 6

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Perceptions and Attitudes toward Dietary Practices in an Urban Himalayan Setting: Evidence from Nainital City, Uttarakhand

Share this