Children have their free nutritious lunch at a village kindergarten in Longshan town, Xiangxi, Hunan province, on June 27. (YAO YUXIN/CHINA DAILY)

At Shaping village kindergarten in a remote area of Central China's Hunan province, a simple meal of pickles and rice was often the only food children received at school. In the past, such a meager children's lunch was not unusual in underdeveloped Yongshun county, nestled in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture.

A two-hour drive along winding mountain roads separates this rural kindergarten from the nearest county hub. Most of its pupils are "left-behind" children, raised by grandparents who often sent them to school on empty stomachs.

Headmaster Peng Nangui recalled the children were often sickly and shorter than the standard height for their age. In flu season, many missed school due to colds and fever.

"Poverty and malnutrition combined cast long shadows over these preschool kids from isolated mountainous regions, severely stunting their growth," said Yi Zungang, director of the prefecture's foreign investment and aid project affairs center.

In recent years, the Chinese government has prioritized nutrition for children, launching policies like the "nutrition package" for infants aged 6 to 24 months and the National Nutrition Improvement Program for rural students aged 6 to 15.

However, children aged 3 to 5 have fallen through the gaps.

About 4.8 million Chinese children under 5 still suffer from stunting and wasting, the "State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024" report revealed.

Children in rural and remote areas are especially vulnerable due to food insecurity, inadequate care, poor living conditions, and the urban-rural divide.

A pilot project for nutritious school meals, jointly run by the World Food Programme and Hunan province, is working to bridge the gap in Xiangxi. Since 2018, a daily subsidy of 4 yuan ($0.57) per child has provided rural preschoolers aged 3 to 5, with a more varied lunch, along with breakfast and afternoon snacks. The initiative has dramatically improved the children's nutrition.

Around 7,348 preschool children from Yongshun and Longshan counties in the ethnic minority autonomous region have benefited from the program. Over 80 percent are left-behind children, and more than a half of them come from low-income families.

"We believe that early intervention in the development of rural children is a crucial investment in human capital," said Zhao Bing, representative of the WFP China Office. "It's a key strategy to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and achieve social equity," he said.

A child has his free lunch at a kindergarten in Congjiang, Guizhou province, on Sept 15, 2023. (Photo provided to China Daily)

Seasonal local produce

Nestled in the mountains, a long, narrow path leads to the entrance to Shaping village kindergarten. Beside it, a garden thrives with rows of corn, peanuts, peppers, and long beans, interspersed with peach, pear, and pomelo trees. Near the school gate, a fenced area holds chickens and ducks, leisurely pecking at the ground.

Pass the gate, a large poster on a wall immediately catches the eye. It details the principles of balanced meals, encourages healthy eating habits, and offers tips to prevent picky eating for preschool children.

It is noon, and the children are lined up outside the kitchen, waiting for their lunch. A small blackboard hangs by the kitchen window, listing today's menu: chicken stewed with mushrooms, pork ribs stewed with corn, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and stir-fried cabbage with carrots.

"Back then, we didn't really get nutrition; we just made sure they weren't hungry," said Peng. "Now, we change the menu daily and ensure it is nutritionally balanced."

The menu is carefully crafted by experts from the Normal College of Jishou University in Xiangxi. Lunch typically includes at least one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and soup. The afternoon snack is usually milk or an egg, paired with a small piece of potato, sweet potato, or corn.

Each of the 40 participating kindergartens must use at least 25 different ingredients in their weekly meals, and the quantity is precisely measured in grams. Changed monthly, the menu prioritizes seasonal, locally sourced ingredients for fresh and nutritious meals.

Tian Hong, associate dean of the college and lead writer of the preschoolers' nutrition improvement report, said the children's daily intake of trace elements such as calcium, iron, and zinc, as well as vitamins, generally fell below national standards in the past.

"Children aged 3 to 5 grow fast," Tian said. "Poor nutrition can hinder their growth, affect their learning, and raise their risk of chronic diseases later on."

Children wait to get their nutritious lunch at a kindergarten in Xiangxi, on June 25. (YAO YUXIN/CHINA DAILY)

Balanced diet