Light meals, full flavors for healthier lives

Evolution of wholesome eating habits now a journey of self-discovery for many

BEIJING — As the warm afternoon sun slanted in, the clamor faded to a quiet hush in a courtyard lush with trees and flowers in a coastal community of Xiamen, East China's Fujian province.

Geng Xue, 55, runs a light food eatery at a three-and-a-half-storey villa. While many peers woo white-collar workers and fitness enthusiasts in downtown buildings with traditional light dishes like boiled chicken and raw salad, Geng's eatery stands apart. The signboard above her semi-dome entrance proudly reads "Hot Chinese Light Meals".

Geng's menu presents a fresh take on local cuisine, offering lighter versions of beloved dishes like soy sauce chicken and monk fruit-braised beef, all prepared to retain both flavor and nutritional value. "Farewell to the days of 'eating grass'. Warm dishes go better with Chinese stomachs," a customer noted on the eatery's Dianping page, a popular review platform akin to Yelp in China.