It is hard to make a sweeping statement about a population that is over a billion people, but after 10 trips to China I can say that they have a life style that promotes health. Their food and daily life incorporate many things that Americans could adopt.
Fruit and Vegetables as Staples
Their food consists of mostly fruits and vegetables. For dessert they have watermelon, oranges, apples or a slice of pear. I see them eat very little bread. For carbohydrates they will have rice or noodles. Meat is eaten very sparingly. You will find a little in several dishes, but in all the trips I have taken to China, I have never seen a piece of meat served as a main course. Fish is the exception. They do cook their fish with the head and the body, and it is served on a platter.
I was invited to go to a home and have dinner with a Chinese friend in Salt Lake. She prepared several dishes, and I noticed that she had a small bowl of chopped, cooked pork. She added a little bit to several of the dishes. I asked her if that bowl of meat would last her all week. She said yes.
Soy Milk and Hot Milk
The Chinese people do not have baked bread, as we know it. They do not have ovens. All of their food is cooked over a gas burner and if you get bread it is steamed bread. I do not see them eat cheese, and if they have milk it is hot milk in the morning. More often you will see them drinking warm soymilk.
In summary, they eat a lot of fruit and vegetables with rice and noodles to give them the energy that they need.
Fresh, Local Ingredients
The food here is very fresh. Many of the homes do not have refrigerators. There are farmers markets in every city. People go each morning to purchase just enough for the day. Meats are also fresh each day. In the country you go to the restaurant and choose the live fish or chicken. After about 30 minutes, your selection will arrive ready to eat.
Small Portions and Cooking Practices
In Chinese all of the food is cut small before it is cooked. I have been told that the reason for this is that in the early days of Chinese cooking, they used firewood to cook and it took less wood if the food was cut small.
On an average day in China I will eat 8 to 10 fruits and vegetables. You will find a wide variety of nutritious food for every meal, and you never need to leave the table hungry.
