Based on the available data collected with national nutritional survey, nutrition surveillance and the child surveys since 1987, analysis on food consumption, dietary pattern and nutrition status of the Chinese people has been done. The data sets used for the analysis are as follows. (1) 1987 Child Survey in 9 Provinces-91011 preschool children were sampled. (2) 1992 National Child Survey-570704 children under the age of 15 were sampled, with anthropometric measurement of 185965 children under the age of 5. (3) 1990 Nutrition Surveillance-State Statistic Bureau (SSB) h usehold survey in selected 7 provinces (including Beijing Municipality) with 8629 household samples in the urban and 11840 households in the rural covered 5341 children under the age of 6, among which 1487 were in the urban and 3854 in the rural. (4) 1992 Third National Nutritional Survey-All the provinces and municipalities were covered with 25033 household samples, among which 8474 were in the urban and 16559 in the rural. 99749 residents were surveyed, among which 30723 were in the urban and 69026 in the rural. Dietary survey data is used for comparison on food consumption and nutrient intake with 1990 nutrition surveillance data Based on the available data collected with national nutritional survey, nutrition surveillance and the child surveys since 1987, analysis on food consumption, dietary pattern and nutrition status of the Chinese people has been done. ( 1) 1987 Child Survey in 9 Provinces-91011 preschool children were sampled. (2) 1992 National Child Survey-570704 children under the age of 15 were sampled, with anthropometric measurement of 185965 children under the age of 5. (3) 1990 Nutrition Surveillance-State Statistic Bureau (SSB) h usehold survey in selected 7 provinces (including Beijing Municipality) with 8629 household samples in the urban and 11840 households in the rural covered 5341 children under the age of 6, among which 1487 were in the urban and 3854 in the rural. (4) 1992 Third National Nutritional Survey - All the provinces and municipalities were covered with 25033 household samples, among which 8474 were in the urban and 16559 in the ru ral. 99749 residents were surveyed, among which 30723 were in the urban and 69026 in the rural. Dietary survey data is used for comparison on food consumption and nutrient intake with 1990 nutrition surveillance data