The characteristics of Chinese medicated diet are as follows:
1. Laying Stress on the Whole, Selecting Medicated Diet on the Basis of Differential Diagnosis By "laying stress on the whole, selecting medicated diet on the basis of differential diagnosis", we mean that when prescribing medicated diet, we should first make an overall analysis of the patient's physical and health condition, the nature of his illness, the season he got ill in and the geographical condition, etc, form a judgment on the type of syndrome; then decide on corresponding principles for dietetic therapy and select suitable medicated diet. Take a patient with chronic gastritis, as an example. he should take Galangal and Cyperus Gruel (Liangfu Zhou) if the suffers from chronic gastritis of stomach- cold type, but the can take Drink of Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizome, Dendrobium, Black Plam and hawthron Fruit (Yu Shi Mei Zha Yin) if the suffers from chronic gastritis due to deficiency of the stomach-yin.

2. Suitable for both Prevention and Treatment, Outstanding in Effect Medicated diet can be used either to treat diseases or for healthy people to build up their health and prevent diseases. This is one of the characteristics in which medicated diet is different from treatment by medicine. although medicated diet is something mild, it has a notable effect on the prevention and cure of diseases, health building -up and health preserving. Here are some of the achievements in scientific research of Shandong Traditional Chinese Medicine College: Eight-Ingredient Food: It is prepared according to the experience in ancient dietetic treatment and health care of imperial court in the Qing Dynasty from eight dietetic Chinese drugs including Chinese yam, lotus seed, hawthorn fruit.

97% of the children who took it for 30 days have whetted their appetite, adn their growth has improved too. Nourishing Extract of laiyang Pear and mushroom: It is made from the juice of Laiyang Pear (Malum Piri) and extract of mushrooms ( Lentinus Edodes) and tremella (Tremella). if the middle-aged and senile patients suffering from chronic diseases take it ,not only can the symptoms of their illness be alleviated, but their blood-fat can be brought down too when they are suffering from hyperlipemia, and their immunologic function can be improved.

3. Good in Taste, Convenient for Taking. There goes the saying "Good medicine tastes bitter" among the people, because most of the decoctions of chinese drugs are bitter. Some people, especially children, take an aversion to the bitterness of Chinese drugs and refuse to take them. Most of the drugs used in medicated diet are both edible and medicinal, and retain the properties of food: colour, sweet-smelling, flavor, and so on. Even if part of them are chinese herbs, their nature and flavour are taken into consideration and made into tasty medicated diet by mixing hem with food and careful cooking. So it can be said that medicated diet is good in taste and convenient for taking.