Table 2_Correcting the “light-diet default”: nutrient density gaps in hospital-based postpartum nutrition services in China and system-level responses.docx

Postpartum hospital stays in China are typically brief and highly standardized, yet they coincide with active tissue repair and, for many mothers, lactation initiation—both of which increase requirements for energy, protein, and micronutrients. In many hospitals, a culturally familiar “light diet” is adopted as the default because it is perceived as safe, well tolerated, and operationally efficient; however, when explicit nutrient specifications are absent, “light” can function as a non-clinical label that permits low nutrient density and underprovision of protein, energy, and foods that deliver key micronutrients. This Perspective examines how the “light-diet default” is produced across the care pathway—from ambiguous labeling and procurement-driven simplification to shortened menu cycles, default order sets, and monitoring practices that prioritize delivery consistency over nutritional adequacy—and argues that low nutrient density should be treated as a modifiable exposure rather than a neutral preference. Drawing on recovery-oriented postoperative nutrition principles and healthcare food-governance approaches, we propose a system-level correction that resets the default to “nutritionally adequate light.” The proposed approach defines a minimum standard for postpartum meal trays, integrates dietitian input into menu specifications and exception pathways, and embeds a concise, auditable indicator set (default integrity, tray compliance, exception rate with reasons, intake proxy, and patient experience) into routine governance and contracting. Correcting defaults—rather than rejecting “light” eating—can preserve cultural acceptability while making adequacy measurable, accountable, and continuously improvable in routine postpartum care.