“Beijing Great Craftsman,” Nutritionist Yu Renwen――
Planning Meals, Caring for Health (Craftsman Skills)
Reported by Shi Fang
【Key Highlights】
Having worked in the nutrition field for nearly 30 years, Yu Renwen specializes in customizing personalized nutrition plans for groups of different ages and health conditions. He insists on conveying scientific dietary concepts in a way that is understandable to the public, having published over 600 popular science articles and recorded over 400 popular science videos.
“Your blood sugar is high, so you must pay attention to controlling sugar in your diet.” After reviewing a patient’s test results, Yu Renwen takes a moment to think and meticulously designs a 3-day nutrition plan, including the recommended weight of different foods for each meal and suitable cooking methods.
“The nutrition regimen for groups of different ages and health conditions needs precise calculations and scientific combinations,” Yu Renwen explains.
His involvement in meal planning originated from an accidental opportunity. In the summer of 1994, Yu Renwen was working in the office of the Beijing Military Hospital (now known as the Seventh Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital). One day, he went to the nutrition department for a task and tasted yogurt freshly made by a nutritionist, which he liked. He then consulted Li Ruifen, the director of the nutrition department at the time, about how to make yogurt. “Learning to make yogurt is no problem, but you first need to learn nutrition science and understand meal planning,” Li Ruifen’s words piqued Yu Renwen’s interest.
Not long after, Yu Renwen actively applied to work in the hospital’s nutrition restaurant, attending nutrition training organized by the unit while learning various food combinations and cooking methods from chefs. Starting with knife skills, heat control, and seasoning, he became proficient in various cooking techniques such as frying, roasting, and steaming.
Another year later, Yu Renwen began to be responsible for nutrition planning in the geriatric ward, while also learning from Li Ruifen about nutritional treatment methods for different diseases, helping patients develop meal plans and guiding chefs in preparing nutritious meals. Every weekend, he would bring his nutritional meal plans to consult with Li Ruifen. Besides providing feedback on meal plans, she would select a few dishes for them to cook together, discussing important considerations while cooking.
“To become a qualified nutritionist, one must master related knowledge in nutrition science, culinary arts, and medicine,” Yu Renwen said. To this end, he pursued further studies at Beijing Education College, China Agricultural University, North China University of Science and Technology, among others.
Yu Renwen spent 10 years mastering the skills needed to customize personalized nutrition plans for different populations. “Elderly with advanced age often face decreased chewing, swallowing, and digestive functions, with gradually reduced stomach capacity, making them susceptible to inadequate dietary energy and protein. It is important to choose foods that are high in nutritional density,” Yu Renwen said. To address this, he developed nearly a hundred special nutritious foods such as milk steamed buns, milk egg custard, purple sweet potato rolls, and kelp noodles, which are popular among the elderly.
In addition to outpatient nutrition consultations, Yu Renwen often participates in nutritional assessments for various clinical departments, tailoring personalized dietary treatment plans for patients. “While considering the specific situation of patients, it is also necessary to meet the meal interval requirements related to their oral medication schedule,” Yu Renwen noted.
In recent years, Yu Renwen has attempted to convey scientific dietary concepts to the public in an understandable way, has published over 600 popular science articles, produced more than 400 popular science videos, and participated in co-authoring the 2019 “Chinese Hypertension Health Management Guidelines” and the 2023 “Guidelines for the Dietary Management of Growth Retardation in Children and Adolescents.” In 2019, he was awarded the title of “Top Ten Nutrition Science Disseminators” by the Chinese Nutrition Society.
In July 2023, Yu Renwen was recognized as the third “Beijing Great Craftsman” by the Beijing Federation of Trade Unions, being the only craftsman engaged in nutrition planning among the 28 selected craftsmen.
“My greatest wish and effort is to help people eat healthier,” Yu Renwen said.
《People’s Daily》（July 26, 2024, Page 06）
(Edited by: Hao Shuai, Yang Di)