ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that affects the human respiratory system. To reduce the risk of contamination, social isolation was determined, but with people in residences, the effects on eating habits can occur. Thus, the objective of this work was to carry out research on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population's eating habits. This is a cross-sectional study carried out in Brazil through an online questionnaire that refers to sociodemographic characteristics and changes in lifestyles, knowledge about food safety, eating habits and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey resulted in a total of 120 people to compare eating habits before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the participants, 71.1% of people increased the preparation of their own meals in their homes during the pandemic. And regarding the frequency of consumption in restaurants, 59.7% of respondents did not consume in restaurants before and during the pandemic. Regarding the frequency of consumption of processed foods such as biscuits and bread, the daily consumption increased to 38.6% during the pandemic. From this comparison, it can be seen that the eating habits of the majority of the population assessed underwent changes, some positive and some negative. It is concluded that there were changes in the population's eating habits during the pandemic, with a greater increase in the consumption of processed foods and meals prepared in their own homes.