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An important goal of wild animal nutritional ecology is to understand the correlation between population ecology and food resources and what dictates food choice, especially during seasonal shortages of resources. However, relevant research is scarce due to the considerable challenges in collecting and interpreting such data. Here, we used major nutritional models to clarify the effects of food item chemistry on food choice in a free-ranging band of Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) during winter on the southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains in China. We recorded feeding behavior and consumed food items by scan sampling over 60 full-day observations, and measured the chemical properties of the dietary items, including protein, tannin, fat, and fiber content. The monkeys consumed two lichen species and parts of 35 main plant species. The overall diet consisted of 41.41% lichen, 40.44% bark, 17.25% bud scales, and 0.9% leaves, with higher protein food items more often selected. This is the first report on the nutrient strategies adopted by R. roxellana in response to resource shortage stress in winter, confirming that protein content dictated food selection priority. This study provides valuable comparative data on the adaptive evolution of this species and adds to our knowledge on the utilization of habitat food resources, thus promoting in situ conservation of this endangered primate.