Authorities in Hunan province, an area famed for its bold and spicy cuisine, are taking steps to encourage residents to cut back on oil and salt as part of China’s national “Weight Management Year” campaign.
Recently, 108 medical institutions across Hunan began offering “healthy yet flavorful” Hunan-style weight-loss meals for medical staff, patients, their families and nearby residents. The initiative has received widespread praise.
At the canteen of People’s Hospital of Hunan Province, diners lined up for weight-loss meals that feature shrimp, beef, chicken and lean meat paired with vegetables, prepared mainly through steaming, boiling or cold tossing.
“We enhance flavor using fresh ingredients like ginger, garlic and onions, as well as mildly salted chopped chili or vinaigrette-based dips, to reconcile the bold tastes of Hunan cuisine with weight-loss dietary needs,” said Cai Hua, director of the hospital’s clinical nutrition department.
The hospital sells about 200 to 300 weight-loss meals daily, priced from 22 to 26 yuan ($3 to $3.60).Due to growing demand, reservations are now required, with diners placing orders a day in advance through WeChat groups or a miniprogram, Cai said.
Her team of clinical nutritionists designed the recipes based on Chinese dietary and weight-loss guidelines. Each meal comes with a nutritional label detailing macronutrients, oil, salt and total calories.
“The daily salt intake per person should not exceed 5 grams, while edible oil consumption should be limited to 25 to 30 grams,” Cai said. “For Hunan people accustomed to rich and bold flavors, this means adjusting traditional habits — reducing stir-frying and deep-frying in favor of steaming and cold tossing. This helps effectively control oil and salt intake while promoting healthier eating.”
A resident surnamed Wu said she enjoys the hospital’s beef menu item, which comes with beef spaghetti, cherry tomatoes and other vegetables.
“It’s quite tasty, and the ingredients are fresh, clean and well-arranged, which makes the meal appetizing,” Wu said. “It has protein, carbs and vitamins, and the price is reasonable.”
Wu described herself as slightly overweight and added that she wants “a healthy way to lose weight without starving.” As the weather gets hotter, she finds lighter meals suit her better and plans to continue buying them four to five days a week.
“I hope it can help me stay healthy while getting slimmer and more attractive,” she said.
Wang Yiming, 36, said she eats the weight-loss meals three to four times a week at Hunan Children’s Hospital, where her current favorite is chicken legs and shrimp with broccoli, snow peas and red cabbage.
She said she wants to lose weight after giving birth and believes hospital-designed meals are “safer, cleaner and healthier” compared with other weight-loss meals.
China’s National Health Commission has launched a three-year “Weight Management Year” initiative to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent chronic diseases.
Hunan cuisine, one of China’s eight major culinary traditions, is known for its heavy use of oil and salt and is a major draw for tourists. However, residents’ daily intake of salt and oil far exceeds recommended levels, said Wang Kewei, deputy director of the health promotion division of the Health Commission of Hunan Province.
Wang said the Hunan-style weight-loss meals aim to modify recipes scientifically, guide residents toward healthier eating habits, and prevent obesity-related chronic diseases.
The meals are now promoted in 108 medical institutions across the province, including top-tier hospitals and community health centers, particularly those with nutrition departments or weight-management clinics and among patients with chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Feedback has been positive, with a rising repurchase rate, Wang said. The province plans to expand the program to elderly care facilities, workplace canteens, public restaurants, community canteens and food delivery platforms.
Wang acknowledged challenges in changing local eating habits but said it is “entirely possible to maintain most traditional flavors while reducing oil and salt” through chef training, scientific ingredient ratios and flavor testing. For example, using fresh chili instead of chili sauce and steaming rather than stir-frying can preserve distinctive tastes while meeting health standards, she said.
In October last year, Hunan’s Party secretary Shen Xiaoming emphasized balancing “flavor” and “health” while promoting healthier local dishes during a research session on the province’s cuisine industry.
This year, a nutrition improvement campaign for healthier Hunan cuisine with less oil and salt was incorporated into the province’s reform action plan, with the weight-loss meal program as part of the effort.
Xu Mengdai, a dietitian at Wuhan No 1 Hospital in Hubei province, said substantial international and domestic research shows that weight-loss meals can improve Body Mass Index and indicators of chronic disease.
“For example, a decrease of 2 kilograms can lead to some improvement in visceral fat,” Xu said. “Reducing salt intake can lower the risk of chronic conditions, especially since China’s per capita salt consumption far exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommended limit, increasing the risk of hypertension and hyperlipidemia.”
Liu Kun contributed to this story.
Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn