The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is experiencing rapid economic growth. Urban youth are increasingly opting for energy-dense, precooked foods that are high in fat. Access to wild and natural food resources, which traditionally provided dietary diversity, has become difficult in urban areas. This change in the food environment has coincided with an increase in overweight and obesity rates. This study aimed to apply and adapt the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) to investigate the food choice motivations of young students residing in rapidly urbanizing areas of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, namely Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Pakse. The original English version of the FCQ was translated into Lao and then back-translated to ensure validity. Data were collected in May and June 2022 from students from the National University of Laos and teacher training centers (n = 512). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 47 items (33 from the original FCQ and 14 new items) to adapt the FCQ to this population. The analysis revealed five factors, comprising 33 items, accounting for 43.5 % of the variance. These factors were labeled “cleanness/hygiene,” “price/convenience,” “health,” “appearance,” and “weight control.” The first factor and most important motivation was cleanliness/hygiene. “Cleanness/hygiene” had the highest mean score (6.32; standard deviation: 0.63). Cronbach’s α values for all five dimensions were satisfactory. Test–retest results generally showed a satisfactory correlation, with Spearman’s ρ above 0.6. Female students had higher mean scores across all subscales: “Cleanness /Hygiene:” male 6.24, female 6.34 (p = 0.12); “Price/Convenience:” 5.76, female 5.85 (p = 0.03); “Health:” male 5.85, female 6.14 (p = 0.045); “Appearance:” male 5.21, female 5.39 (p = 0.03); “Weight Control:” male 5.12, female 5.50 (p 0.01). In conclusion, the FCQ was successfully adapted to enable future research to assess the food choices of Laotian youth.