Nutritious meals grow in popularity in Chinese cities

Food at an Element Fresh restaurant in Beijing. [Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily]

The health food market in China has tripled since 2007 to currently account for 1.01 percent of total food consumption, which is still lower than the 5 to 8 percent of the market in areas like Europe and the United States, according to Ryan Zhou, senior director of Nielsen China.

Higher purchasing power among consumers, coupled with growing awareness of the benefits of adopting a nutritious and balanced diet, are driving the demand for natural and fresh food in the country.

"The health food market is likely to be the new most exciting trend in the food and beverage industry in China," said Neil Wang, global partner and China president at Frost & Sullivan.

Last year, the retail sale value of China's health food industry was around 627 billion yuan, with an annual growth rate of 12.8 percent from 2011, said international consultancy Frost & Sullivan.

Beijing-based marketing specialist Tracy Ye said that her food choices have become a top priority in her life in the past few years.

She spends an average 9,000 yuan per month in health food for her and her husband, adding that truly healthy eating options are still scarce in the capital city.