Changes of Diet in Rural North China during the 60 Years since the Founding of the People’s Republic of China

Based on the Case of Liangshan County of Shandong Province

Department of Social Sciences, Heze University, 274015 Heze Shandong, China

Abstract

People’s diets have changed greatly in the rural north China during the 60 years since the founding of PRC, present the gradual characteristics obviously. In the previous 30 years, people almost continue the traditional way, and they had bland diet but just could barely feed themselves. In the leaner year, people had to allay their hunger with those which could be eaten. More unfortunately, they even had nothing to eat, and always died of cholera. In the later 30 years, their dietary changes speed up further, staple and non-staple foods were becoming more and more abundant, and people’s life gradually improved, especially after implementation of the household contract responsibility system. The proportions of non-staple foods increase gradually, people have pursued not only nutrition, but also good health. They have increased their consumption of meat, eggs. What’s more, security problem about food have aroused widespread concerns. Although their diets have become modern day by day but they have not given up the traditional diet. They began to emphasize the balance of refined food and grains, meats and vegetables, even the nutritional health. There were some new trends in consumer’s needs, including the green consumption, healthy consumption, and civilized consumption.