When it comes to Saudi Arabian cuisine, heartiness is in the soul. Every shared meal is an embodiment of the nation’s warm hospitality, a time-honored tradition of bringing people together, fostering conversation and strengthening bonds. Saudi food also reflects the country’s strategic position along ancient spice routes, and its long-standing devotion to turning humble ingredients into delicious, satisfying meals.
While fast food options – from international favourites to local chains – remain ubiquitous in the kingdom, many are starting to face competition from health-conscious eateries. And it’s no longer hard to find a place to get your fix of quinoa bowls, salads, wraps, smoothies and more.
The Kingdom’s weight problems and high prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have led to a series of nutrition-related reforms including dietary guidelines, nutritional monitoring and educational campaigns. The implementation of a healthy food strategy, established by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), was among these initiatives, as it aimed to reduce salt, sugar and fat consumption in the population by promoting more wholesome foods.
In this context, the aim of this paper was to assess the feasibility and the impact of SFDA’s HFS on consumer behavior. A comprehensive review of the literature and a literature survey were conducted to identify the dietary habits, food choices and motivations for choosing healthier foods in the KSA. An association between food prices and nutrition information was also investigated. This showed that the higher calorie and fat contents of food were associated with increased costs, while an association between fiber content and cost was found. أكل صحي الرياض