The research on the relationship between the changes in dietary structure of Chinese residents and the scale of demand for arable land resources can provide scientific basis and decision-making reference for ensuring the diverse and healthy dietary and nutritional needs of residents, maintaining national food security, and promoting the sustainable use of arable land resources. Methods such as dietary farmland footprint, LMDI decomposition, and scenario analysis were used to analyze the impact of changes in Chinese residents' dietary structure on farmland demand from 2013 to 2023. Four scenarios were set up to provide reference for the direction of future changes in residents' dietary structure. The results indicated that the total food consumption of Chinese residents was significantly increased. The dietary structure of residents was transitioning from a "plant-based dominant" to an "animal plant balanced" dietary structure, and the differences in dietary structure between urban and rural residents were gradually narrowing. The total dietary land footprint of Chinese residents and the per capita dietary land footprint both showed a fluctuating increase trend, with significant differences in the total dietary land footprint between urban and rural residents. Dietary structure factors became the core driving force for increasing demand for arable land resources. Based on a comprehensive analysis of four scenarios, China's arable land resources were currently in a state of overall scarcity. By adjusting the dietary structure, such as transitioning to Scenario D (ecological and nutritional double excellent dietary structure), the pressure on arable land resources can be effectively alleviated.