OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate dietary and nutritional status of the empty-nested people in the meal service centers in Qinhuai district of Nanjing city, so as to provide basis for improving the service level of the meal service centers and guiding the empty-nested people to eat scientifically. METHODS From July to September 2019, the empty-nested people aged 60 or above were randomly selected from the meal service centers in Qinhuai district of Nanjing city as the objects of investigation. Face-to-face interviews were used to obtain effective information of 83 empty-nested people, including general information on sex, age, height, weight, and 3-day dietary information obtained by 24-hour dietary review assisted with food atlas. RESULTS The rates of overweight and obesity were 30.2% and 8.4% respectively. The intake of all kinds of food (cereals, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, livestock and poultry meat, aquatic products, eggs, dairy and its products, soybeans and nuts, etc.) reached the recommended level in this group was relatively low, and the dietary structure was unreasonable. Moreover, the dietary energy intake of 59.0% of all ages was lower than the estimated energy requirement, and the energy supply ratio of macronutrients was unreasonable: the energy supply ratio of fat was too high, while that of carbohydrate was too low. Furthermore, the main micronutrients such as vitamin B, vitamin C and calcium in the diet of this group were too low and lacked seriously. CONCLUSION The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the empty-nested people in Qinhuai district of Nanjing city is relatively common, the dietary structure is unreasonable, and the main micronutrient intake is too low. The elderly food service institutions should improve the quality of food services according to the characteristics of the empty-nested people and strengthen the education of dietary nutrition for this group.