Autophagy serves as an intracellular recycling mechanism responsible for the degradation and reutilization of intracellular components, including superfluous proteins and impaired organelles. Recently, autophagy has attracted significant attention as a crucial antiaging mechanism instrumental in the prevention of age-related diseases and promotion of a healthy lifespan. Autophagy activity diminishes with age, and mitigating this decline is regarded as a pivotal strategy for achieving healthy longevity. Recent studies have indicated that various dietary components can activate autophagy. However, the activation of autophagy by dietary components is generally modest and occurs over an extended period, posing distinct challenges for research and evaluation. Moreover, numerous challenges persist when translating findings from basic research to human applications, including the development of methods for measuring activity. This review summarizes the current status and challenges of autophagy research in food science, introduces the latest trends in evaluation methodologies, and examines the dietary components that activate autophagy and their mechanisms. Through these insights, we aim to explore the potential of novel antiaging strategies that target autophagy activation through dietary interventions.