However, because of the conceptual framework around health and balance of the yin and yang, the patient may expect advice on how to avoid aggravating the illness. For example, certain foods in the Chinese culture are asserted to be toxic or poisonous to individuals with weakened health. Post-operative patients or patients with skin problems like dermatitis, acne or eczema is often told to avoid the above items as eating these foods are thought to worsen the problems. As mentioned earlier, Chinese are not too concerned about eating within the five food group guidelines. There is more emphasis on how to eat to balance yin and yang.
High importance is placed on freshness and flavor of produce or food.
A typical Chinese's meal usually consists of rice, soup and three to four side dishes. Dishes are made of seasonal vegetables, fresh seafood or bite-size portion of meat or poultry. Because Chinese expect to have fresh fruit and vegetable in their daily meals, it is not difficult to comply with a provider's suggestion to increase intake of these items. However, it might be more of a drastic change to ask an anemic Chinese patient to add more meat to her diet to help control her anemia. Again, in Chinese food, meat portions are usually small, and often used for the purpose of flavoring the dish or soup.