Stroke is a life-changing event. It has been estimated that 15-30% of stroke patients become permanently disabled. Ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 60% of all stroke cases in China and will significantly increase the health burden because of the aging population. Effective primary prevention strategies are clearly required. In this article, dietary modifications that could play an important role in ischemic stroke prevention for the Chinese population are reviewed. These factors include the promotion of tea drinking, increasing consumption of soy foods, dairy products and fruits, as well as smoking cessation and reductions in salt intake and rice-based foods.