Global Market Surferby INTAGE Inc

Child Nutrition in Urban Chinese Households with Children: Utilization of Dining Out and Delivery Services and Safety Awareness

• Release date: Nov 26, 2025
• Update date: Nov 26, 2025
• 121 Views

• Usage and altitude
• Restaurant
• Food
• China
• Child care

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1. Caught between health consciousness and a busy schedule

In China, dual-income households are common in urban areas, and time available for daily meal preparation is increasingly limited. Even amidst busy schedules, children's nutrition remains a key concern for many families.
According to Intage's “Global Viewer” data on overseas residents (conducted in 2024), 55.9% of young families raising children aged 0 to 13 cook at home four or more days a week on weekdays. The most common reason cited for cooking at home is “for health reasons” (Source 2), indicating that health is prioritized in home-cooked meals.

Figure 1: China: Frequency of Cooking at Home on Weekdays and Holidays
Source 1: INTAGE Global Viewer (2024)

However, as shown in Figure 1, young families cook at home less frequently than other family types, and they often lack time for cooking amid their busy schedules. Therefore, “how to efficiently prepare healthy and safe meals” has become crucial.
This article explores the actual use of eating out and delivery services for children's meals, along with the challenges involved, focusing primarily on child-rearing households in urban China.

2. Expansion of the Delivery Market: Supporting Time Savings and Convenience

In China's urban areas, dual-income households are the norm, contributing to the rapid growth of the dining out and delivery market.
Urban households spend an average of 500 to 1,000 yuan (11,000 to 22,000 yen) per month on children's food expenses. The scale of China's children's food and beverage market is approximately 50 billion yuan (about 1.1 trillion yen), and it is expected to continue expanding. (Source 3)

China's delivery market is projected to reach approximately $8.19 billion (about ¥1.2 trillion) by 2024 and expand to $19.79 billion (about ¥3.1 trillion) by 2033. (Source 4)
 
Furthermore, China's delivery services are characterized by a wide price range, abundant relatively inexpensive menu options, and generally low delivery fees, making them easy to use on a daily basis.

According to Intage's Global Viewer data, 58.8% of young families use delivery services at least twice a week.
Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, households that frequently use delivery or takeout services, such as four or more times per week, tend to strongly desire more time with their children and show a heightened concern about the origin and additives in their children's food.
Balancing time-saving convenience with a sense of security appears to be a key factor when providing delivery meals to children.

Figure 2: China's Attitudes Toward Child-Rearing (5-Point Scale) × Frequency of Delivery/Takeout Use
Source 1: INTAGE Global Viewer (2024)

3. Rapid Growth in the Restaurant Market: Demand for Children's Menus

China's dining-out market is also booming, with restaurants increasingly enhancing services for families. For example, major Chinese restaurant chains like Haidilao actively provide children's seating, menus, and play areas, focusing on attracting families with children (Source 5).

The primary reasons for the rapid growth of the children's dining market include the fact that many young parents find cooking at home troublesome, coupled with a strong desire to provide their children with tasty, substantial meals. Furthermore, many people order “children's meals” specifically to take photos for posting on social media. (Source 5)

Furthermore, demand for takeout children's meals is also rising. According to Meituan Waimai data, orders for children's meals increased by 300% year-on-year in 2022, and from January to April 2023, they grew by over 144% compared to the same period the previous year. (Source 6)

4. Challenges with Children's Menus: Awareness of Food Safety and Security

On the other hand, children's menus also present challenges.
For example, some nutritionists point out nutritional issues: while meeting calorie standards, they often exceed recommended fat and sodium levels, failing to meet the nutritional intake standards necessary for children's growth.
Furthermore, most children's foods are simply smaller portions of regular meal kits, known as “small portion meals,” using nearly identical ingredients.
Furthermore, there are no unified national standards for children's food. The industry focuses more on designing children's tableware and restaurant environments. Within China, there are voices expressing concerns about children's diets. (Source 3)
This situation highlights the heightened awareness among China's child-rearing generation, who place great importance on food safety.

5. The Potential of the Children's Food Market

Urban households with children in China are actively utilizing dining out and delivery services as essential lifestyle choices. This trend is likely influenced by values such as “time-saving awareness” and “peace of mind.” For families balancing childcare and work, the reliability of services and products related to children's meals is becoming an increasingly critical factor.
This situation also offers Japanese companies valuable insights for exploring market entry strategies. There is significant potential for Japanese companies to leverage their expertise and strengths—such as providing clear origin information, emphasizing health and nutritional value, and ensuring quality assurance—to address the needs of China's busy dual-income families.
Understanding the challenges and values of urban Chinese families with children may offer a key insight for Japanese companies considering how best to deliver value overseas.

■Source List
1: INTAGE Global Viewer (conducted in 2024)

2: Xin Ou, “Main reasons for cooking at home among consumers in China as of March 2025”, 2025
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1413561/china-leading-reasons-for-cooking-at-home/

3: Huang Shiqiang, “How Can the Children's Meal Market ‘Grow Up’?” People Weekly, 2019
https://paper.people.com.cn/rmzk/html/2019-07/17/content_1936687.htm

4: IMARC, “China Online Food Delivery Market Report by Platform Type (Mobile Applications, Websites), Business Model (Order Focussed Food Delivery System, Logistics Based Food Delivery System, Full Service Food Delivery System), Payment Method (Online, Cash on Delivery), and Region 2025-2033”, 2024
https://www.imarcgroup.com/china-online-food-delivery-market

5: Wu Wenwu, “Haidilao to Compete with Xibe for Middle-Class Moms,” 2025
https://www.cbndata.com/information/294578

6: Li Yanjing, “Parenting Consumption Ignites ‘Varied’ Economic Vitality,” China Consumer News・China Consumer Network, 2024
https://www.ccn.com.cn/Content/2024/05-31/1507505934.html

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  Author profile

  Akane Mizuochi

  After completing a master's degree in sociology in 2022, I have been engaged in marketing support at my current position.
  Specializing in cultural anthropology and social anthropology, I am constantly exploring ways to leverage the perspectives cultivated through fieldwork and participant observation to better understand consumers.
  Ever since discovering the deliciousness of beer during my studies in Germany, I can't help but pick up local craft beers whenever I travel.

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  Editor profile

  Risa Takahama

  After working in marketing research support for Japanese FMCG manufacturers (cosmetics, baby products, food and beverages, etc.) in Asia, Europe, and the U.S., from 2019, in his current position, he develops solutions for overseas marketing research for Japanese companies and conducts seminars and other outward communications.