This paper is based on qualitative research conducted between 2013 and 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, to explore its people's attitudes and behaviours toward healthy eating and food safety, the discrepancy between attitudes and behaviours, and the factors affecting them. A total of 69 respondents were interviewed for this purpose. Results showed that i) healthy eating and food safety have become a more pressing concern in HCMC, which was welcomed by both food producers and business people; ii) there is a considerable gap between people's cognition, attitudes, and behaviour; and iii) people's financial capacity, their knowledge, and especially mass media and food quality control by the authorities have a significant impact on raising awareness of healthy eating and food safety, positively altering food choices and eating behaviours. This study is important as it reveals people's understanding of healthy eating and food safety in Vietnam, and which can serve as a basis for further research.