Chinese social media is ablaze with posts about ‘white people food’, with some loving the often bland snacks and others absolutely appalled.

Over the past few months on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media and e-commerce platform, sometimes seen as China’s version of Instagram, there has been plenty of interest in ‘white people food’.

Think salads that aren’t seasoned, chicken breast and raw vegetables stuffed in a lunch box.

In one post shared to Xiaohongshu, someone shared a picture of a few raw carrots and some spinach in a clear Tupperware container – the lunch that was to be enjoyed by their white colleague.

This user is based in Copenhagen, according to their online profile. They also shared another snap of their workmate’s lunch: Two carrots and a capsicum in a plastic zip-lock bag.

Hayley Zhao told Radii the trend came about when Chinese international students abroad started noticing the foods their classmates were consuming.

‘White People Food’ has been scrutinised but also resonated with people in China.

According to the New York-based, China-focused news site The China Project, the trend of sharing westerner’s food wasn’t solely to ridicule them, it was “initially an object of intrigue” and born out of bewilderment.

Though some social media users were not impressed by the different foods.

One person tried plain crackers, cheese and ham and was left feeling very unsatisfied.

“The point of the white people’s meal is to learn what it feels like to be dead, but I’ve taken two bites and it was so bad it made me realise how alive I am,” they said, according to the South China Morning Post.

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Trend goes beyond food

According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese people living abroad could see the benefits to packing a meal similar to their western colleagues.

They reportedly found they were saving time, money and calories by simplifying their meals to resemble what their European or American co-workers were eating.

Ms Zhao said ‘white people food’ has quite an appeal for young Chinese people and if anything, it shows how some are changing.

Over the past few years there have been many reports about China’s youth shunning “hustle culture”.

In 2021, the term “lying flat” became popular in China. It simply just means taking a break from “relentless” work, the BBC reported, and the movement allowed some workers to enjoy their downtime.

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“The appeal of white people food lies in its simplicity, in a work culture that’s increasingly embracing an attitude of doing the bare minimum,” Ms Zhao wrote.

“Instead of spending hours cooking the night before, tired office workers are taking inspiration from these kinds of meals, packing carrots, cucumbers, and raw bell peppers in their lunch boxes. They’re replacing flavourful dishes with unassuming breads and raw vegetables, and finding an unexpected satisfaction in the seemingly bland fare.”

Ms Zhao explained that office workers in China usually opt for elaborate and labour-intensive meals for work.

But by forgoing carb-rich foods like rice and noodles, and eating more bland food, people are starting to see that boring lunches have benefits.

In the end, it’s just a cultural difference and one that shows a shift away from exploitative work, that some young people in China are rejecting, Ms Zhao writes.

According to The China Project, one Xiaohongshu user said one of the few things they looked forward to in the day was having a delicious meal, so they wouldn’t be able to hop on the “white people food” bandwagon. 

Another person suggested if someone is surrendering to the trend solely out of convenience, then that is “actually very depressing” and perhaps some other life changes were needed.