Forgive me if this has been asked before - I've tried having a quick look through these forums for advice on this but couldn't see anything relevant.

I'm aware that Chinese food has a reputation for not exactly being the healthiest diet on the planet, confirmed by a senior WHO Doctor that I coincidentally chatted to on a plane to Beijing last year about his research on the increasing incidences of heart disease and diabetes in China.

I'm going to be in Kunming for a year and whilst I appreciate that it's perfectly affordable to eat out for 3 meals a day every day, I'd like to cook for myself (and friends) as well.

Soooo.... Can anyone give me any ideas on how to find out what Chinese fruit and veg contains which vitamins, minerals or other nutritional info, or am I being too optimistic here? Or give me tips on how to stay healthy during my stay here?

It's good to see that there appears to be a few "organic" food suppliers around the area that sell some more familiar western foods too, but I'd really like to learn more about Chinese specialties since I'm here to learn stuff.

Cheers.

The less you know...the better off you are when it comes to food here.

I wouldn't worry too much. Let's say that standard rules apply: Wash everything before you eat it. Don't drink unfiltered tap water.
If you are not on a special diet just eat a well balanced mix as you would normally do.
Really, the less you care the better. You're here for only one year and if you don't forcefully damage your body (like 3 meals at McD or KFC every day) there is nothing to worry.

Organic vegetables: I can't tell you if they contain more or less vitamins but for me they taste better. Check out Haobao-Farm and Salvadors as suppliers for green veggies.

You will also quickly find out where to eat what. Let your stomach and your fellow eaters guide you. The busier the restaurant, the better the food, at least that's what the Chinese say.
Then, if you fell good after eating, great! If not, try another restaurant or admit that you ate tooooooo spicy (or drank 12 bottles of beer) and give it another try.

Also find a safe spot where you can eat when you stomach is turned upside down (note that I didn't use the imperative and though I am not a fortune teller I can make this prediction).

If you really feel a need for more vitamins, eat fruits. There are plenty of markets all over town (wash before eating).

So, as much as I *** to admit it, Bucko has a point here. The less you worry the better off you are.

i second the salvador's organic 5kg veggie box hook-up. they also got some fine organic Roma tomatoes on immediate supply (veggie boxes only come tuesday and friday if i remember rightly). just ask the staff. oh, don't forget the organic brown and white rices.

i heard indirectly from the owner of haobao several interesting tidbits: jiucai (sometimes called chinese chives) is best to skip as it retains a lot of pesticide residue; peel cucumbers, as the same applies to the skins; eat lamb/beef over chicken/pork, because these are less likely to be overproduced/pumped with hormones etc. due to lower demand in the local marketplace.

i'd also say look out for wugonghai (无公害/no public harm) meat suppliers. not organic, but a halfway house. there's a grass-fed beef place of this ilk on huashandonglu 华山东路, near the luofengjie 螺峰街 wet market.

with regard to the vitamin/mineral/etc. content of stuff, i think you're still best off with the likes of nutritiondata.self.com/ plus a dose of common sense (looks like a cabbage, probably is some sort of brassica - look at a bunch of brassica data). sure, you're not going to find everything listed that's in a chinese wet market, but you'll get most of the info you need.

a more personal comment on the WHO doctor's view: sure there's downsides to the chinese diet, but it's a gross oversimplification to write off the whole deal (i'm aware that had i myself had said conversation, the doctor's view might be more nuanced). the chinese diet seems to be balanced, with a surfeit of veggies (we're especially lucky with their quality in Yunnan) and sensible choices (as in any diet) can lead you in the right direction. the increase in heart disease and whatnot is likely linked to the lo-fi westernisation of the chinese diet. mcdonalds, anyone?

First time in KM, I had the lovely luck to find a small dirty Sichuan restaurant in a small dirty backstreet just a couple of blocks south of the Pagodas. They took good care of me and I have never had such good food. My stomach loved it and already after 3 days of eating there, my body and brain functioned like I was 20 years old again. I ate mainly all my there the 6 weeks I was there. Last time in KM, I was dismayed to see it had been torn down for new development and noone knew where the restaurant had moved to.
If you find a small restaurant on a street at or near the local market, go for it. Dont bother about the spitting on the floor or the dingy grutt on the floors. I found that "fancy" restaurants where often cleaner but not as good food.
I agree with much of the above: If its busy, its usually great food, even if the locale is grutty. And stay away from KFC, MacD and Pizza Hut... thats not food.
So... eat where middle or low middle class locals eat, and you will get really good food most of the times. And do enjoy the street-vendors at night.

Yes, PerNordin is totally right. Enjoy the street vendors at night, their food is great.

Usually the meat they sell is deep frozen and starts defrosting on their carts. This is actually good, it keeps the bacteria count low.

This is one point where I have to say "Don't listen to what Chinese people will tell you". Very often when I told somebody that I ate out last night on the street they put on a shocked look and asked me how I fell. After telling them that I felt good they immediately told me that I am so lucky not being sick and recommended strongly that I never (!) eat on the street again.
Now I don't really know where this is coming from because our local night BBQ is packed with people (up north on BeichenDaDao).
My guess is that a lot of people use eating on the street and getting sick as an excuse not to turn up in their offices and do a day off. So they have to play shocked in order to use the same excuse next time for themselves (anybody seconds?)

Cheers for the tips guys. Especially hedgepig and pierre (funny story about the locals! ha!) for your more relevant replies. But thank you, pernordin, too. And bucko...

The 5Kg veggie box and tomatoes sound great :D

@hedgepig specifically: I'm surprised about your tip on the lamb/beef being in lower demand and thus being less likely to be pumped full of growth hormones as I always thought both were as popular in China as chicken and pork, so that's good to know. I was trying to eat less of any meat, but that's kinda hard to stick to when eating out in Asia...

I've done a bit of travelling in "poor"/"developing" countries (eg Tamil Nadu in India, plus Cambodia) as well as a bit of time in Beijing (there's a great open air food court for lunch and dinner in Wudaokou (五道口), near the Language Unis, which is open in August which had very cheap and very tasty food, but goodness knows what goes into some of it, even if they did have oysters and a stall doing soups with lots of bunches of leafy produce you could select yourself). I almost *prefer* eating off street food places that are clearly popular with the locals, as it's usually very tasty and cheap and, touch wood, have yet to be sick from eating any of their stuff! Balls to overprotective health & safety of the UK! Haha.

On the odd occasion I tried anything like KFC, McD's, Pizza Hut etc in Asia, they've always managed to make an amazingly weird job of recreating western pizzas or they put their own sauces on that really don't go well with the food - eg South Korea's fascination with "sweet potato" and even sweeter sauces drizzled over pizzas :\ So, yeah, I steer clear of all that unless I'm drunk, have the munchies and it's the only place open on the way home...

Thanks again, all. I'm looking forward to getting there!

I never got sick. Not once. Nada.
I heard a couple of times some worried comments, but I think it was more that they where afraid my western stomach couldnt handle the food.
Or that some have a "statusist" view, looking down on these small vendors. I dont know.

Its cheap, its great quality (specially the woked noodles with veggies) and I love the atmosphere of sitting on these small kindergarten chairs on the side walk at midnight and eating.
And some pull out complete modular restaurants on the side walk with all sorts of dishes, from dog to crab.

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It's not that Chinese food isn't healthy - in fact it's considered quite healthy. The problem is eating out at restaurants - they use and re-use oil - they use crappy oil - similar to motor oil in health.

They cut corners and generally the kitchens aren't the cleanest.

As for eating healthy - USUALLY (not always, but usually) the farmer's markets are great for picking up fresh vegetables, etc - but the insecticide and other chemical contents are unknown. As mentioned earlier - for a few RMB more - (30%?) you can shop at the green stores in Kunming. Also - if you're coming from the west - ovens are rare so you'll have to opt for either a LARGE toaster oven or a dual function microwave.

Street food is touch & go - look for "popular" places. LOTS of BBQ places.

The food here in Kunming is disgusting...

I've had diarrhea and stomach aches many times since I have been here.

The place where I live doesn't have a kitchen or refrigerator, so I can't cook my own food. I have to eat out everyday.

I'm essentially fed up with the food here.

Chinese people just do not know how to cook. You can take something as simple as a potato and Chinese cooks will somehow make that taste like garbage.

The food sanitation standards are not that high here either.

I have pretty much eaten everything on the menu at Salvador's, The Box, Teresa Pizza, and the French Cafe.

I'm fed up with this place and my stomach is fed up too...