In 2024, focusing on the theme of “Balanced Diet, Healthy Life” and addressing the current prominent issue of irrational dietary consumption among Chinese residents, the Office of the National Nutrition and Health Guidance Committee formulated the core messages of “Reducing Oil, Increasing Beans, and Adding Milk,” and organized experts in the field to interpret them.
It is noteworthy that the intake of cooking oil among Chinese residents exceeds that of milk. According to the “Report on the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020),” the daily intake of cooking oil per standard person in China is 43.2 grams, far exceeding the recommended amount. According to the same report, a standard person refers to an 18-year-old male engaged in light physical activity, whose energy requirement is 2,250 kilocalories, based on the Chinese National Health Industry Standard “Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes – Part 1: Macronutrients” (WS/T578.1-2017).
However, data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) in 2018 shows that the daily intake of milk and milk products among Chinese adult residents is 27.9 grams, significantly lower than the recommended amount.
Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of the Science and Information Center for Food and Nutrition Exchange, explained to the China Youth Daily that 27.9 grams of milk is approximately 27 milliliters. Although this data is from 2018, in recent years, residents’ oil intake may have increased, while milk intake has decreased. In the dietary habits of Chinese residents, milk is considered a nutritional product, and the habit of consuming milk products among the general public needs to be cultivated.
The focus of reducing oil is on decreasing cooking oil.
The “Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2022)” recommend that the daily intake of cooking oil for adults should be 25-30 grams. However, the current average intake of cooking oil among Chinese residents exceeds this recommendation by one-third. The core message of “reducing oil” formulated by the Office of the National Nutrition and Health Guidance Committee points out that the emphasis is on reducing cooking oil.
“About 54% of the fat (oil) in our diet comes from cooking oil, and 24% comes from livestock meat,” said Liang Dong, Deputy Director and Associate Researcher of the Applied Nutrition Department I at the National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment.
Not only is the intake of cooking oil among Chinese residents excessive, but the total fat intake also exceeds the recommended value. Liang Dong introduced that the “Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2022)” recommend that for the general population, the appropriate range for total fat to provide human total energy is 20%-30%. However, the actual fat energy ratio intake of Chinese residents has reached 34.6%, exceeding the upper limit of the appropriate range by 4.6%. If calculated based on an adult’s daily energy requirement of 2,000 kilocalories, compared to the recommended upper limit, Chinese adults exceed their daily fat intake by about 10 grams, which amounts to approximately 3.6 kilograms per year.
In October of this year, the National Health Commission released the “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obesity (2024 Edition),” which pointed out that obesity has become a major public health issue in China and is the sixth leading risk factor for death and disability. Regarding the causes of obesity, the guidelines mentioned that excessive intake of high-energy, high-fat, high-sugar, and low-dietary fiber foods and beverages can stimulate the central nervous system’s feeding neurons, leading to adverse eating habits such as overeating and irregular eating patterns, which can result in obesity. Additionally, a long-term high-oil and high-sugar diet can disrupt the balance of energy intake and expenditure, as well as fat synthesis and breakdown.
Cooking oils include animal fats and vegetable oils. Liang Dong said that because vegetable oils have a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids than animal fats, cooking oils should mainly be vegetable oils, and types should be frequently changed. Two or three types can also be used alternately. Additionally, the oil from the ingredients themselves can be utilized, such as “rendering” out the oil from pork belly to cook, thereby reducing the amount of additional cooking oil used.
Liang Dong also reminded that there are many high-oil foods in daily life that are easily overlooked, such as chili oil, sesame paste, salad dressing, and biscuits. People should learn to read nutrition labels and choose foods with less fat. Additionally, parents are specifically reminded that taste is gradually developed, and it is crucial to cultivate healthy eating habits during childhood and adolescence. Therefore, it is important to instill healthy eating concepts in children from a young age and develop a bland, non-greasy dietary habit.
Soybeans are rich in high-quality protein and are known as “meat from the field.”
There are various types of beans in daily life. Ding Caicui, an associate researcher from the Nutrition and Health Education Room of the National Center for Nutrition and Health at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, introduced that according to nutritional composition, soybeans have high protein content and include three types: soybeans, black beans, and green soybeans. Legumes have high carbohydrate content and include red beans, green beans, peas, broad beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. The “increasing beans” advocated by the National Nutrition and Health Guidance Committee mainly refers to increasing soybeans.
Ding Caicui introduced that soybeans are known as “meat from the field.” Soybean protein is high-quality protein, similar to the protein provided by animal foods. Soybeans also provide fat and are rich in healthy unsaturated fatty acids. Compared to livestock meat, which is mainly composed of saturated fatty acids, the fat provided by soybeans is healthier. In contrast, legumes have a higher starch content, mainly carbohydrates, and less fat.
The core messages of “reducing oil, increasing beans, and adding milk” suggest that regular consumption of soybeans and their products is beneficial for children’s growth and development, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer, and postmenopausal osteoporosis in adults, and also helps to delay muscle loss in the elderly. It is recommended that adults consume an average of 15-25 grams of soybeans or an equivalent amount of soybean products daily. Currently, more than two-thirds of Chinese residents do not meet the recommended intake and should appropriately increase it.
Ding Caicui mentioned some rumors about soybeans. One rumor claims that soybeans contain estrogen and are not suitable for children and men. In fact, soybeans contain soy isoflavones, which are plant estrogens and not equivalent to estrogen, and the content of soy isoflavones in soybeans is very low.
Another rumor claims that soybeans have a high purine content, so people with high uric acid levels should not eat tofu or drink soy milk. Ding Caicui clarified this rumor: The utilization rate of purines from plants by the human body is low, and after processing, the purine content in soybean products continues to decrease. Deep-processed soybean products contain even lower amounts of purines. Therefore, individuals with high uric acid levels and those with gout can consume soybean products in moderation.
The actual intake of milk among most Chinese residents is far below the recommended amount.
The Office of the National Nutrition and Health Guidance Committee recommends consuming 300-500 milliliters of liquid milk or an equivalent amount of milk products daily. Currently, the actual milk intake of most Chinese residents is far below the recommended amount, and increased intake is encouraged.
Regarding many people’s belief that they are lactose intolerant when drinking milk, Ruan Guangfeng explained that many individuals with lactose malabsorption mistakenly believe they are lactose intolerant, while most individuals with lactose malabsorption can tolerate 12 grams of lactose, which is equivalent to drinking 250 milliliters of milk.
Furthermore, both individuals with lactose malabsorption and lactose intolerance can consume milk. Ruan Guangfeng suggested consuming it in small amounts multiple times to gradually increase tolerance, or consuming it with other foods to provide a “buffer” for lactose. With an increasing variety of products available in the market, one can also choose lactose-free, low-lactose milk, as well as yogurt, cheese, and their products.
The core messages of “reducing oil, increasing beans, and adding milk” highlight that milk and milk products are high in calcium and easily absorbed. Children and adolescents are in a critical period of growth and development, while the elderly are prone to osteoporosis, making it particularly important for them to consume adequate amounts daily.
Ruan Guangfeng added that the accumulation of calcium in human bones peaks around the age of 30. Drinking more milk during childhood and adolescence can increase bone density and slow down the rate of calcium loss in adulthood.
The “Report on the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020)” shows that the lack of dairy products or low intake in residents’ diets is a direct cause of insufficient intake of nutrients such as calcium and vitamin A. It is recommended to increase the intake of milk and milk products through various means, such as adding them during baking, stewing, and other cooking processes. Besides cow’s milk, goat’s milk, mare’s milk, camel’s milk, etc., are also important components of milk and milk products, and residents can choose according to their needs.