TOP 10 HEALTHIEST PINOY DISHES

A balanced and healthy diet is essential in maintaining good health and lowering the risk for various
diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The common Filipino diet is disproportionate
and is heavy with fatty meat and sweets which lacks essential vitamins and minerals that our body
needs to properly function. People have a misconception that eating healthy is equivalent to eating
tasteless and unappetizing dishes. To help you eat healthier, here are 10 healthy and delicious
common Filipino dishes that you can include in your diet to provide your body with the nutrients that
it needs.
1. Laing Originating from the province of Bicol, this spicy dish is made from taro (gabi) leaves,
which is rich in Vitamins A, C, and iron. The creamy spicy taste of the leaves and coconut milk
makes laing a perfect match to a proper portion of hot rice.
2. Pinakbet/Pakbet Usually prepared with fermented shrimp paste (bagoong), pinakbet offers
several types of vegetables in a single delicious dish. Depending on the vegetables used, pinakbet
can contain eggplant (talong), bitter melon (ampalaya), squash (kalabasa), okra, and string beans
(sitaw). The dish is generally high in fiber and Vitamin A.

3. Tinolang Manok The chayote (sayote) used in the dish is high in folate which cannot be
synthesized by the human body and must therefore be supplied through our diets. Folate is essential

in the production of red blood cells and can be found in green leafy vegetables. Chicken is a rich
source of protein and contributes considerably less fat than the other meats.

4. Malunggay Dish Dubbed the miracle vegetable and recently declared as the Philippines
national vegetable, the leaves of the malunggay (moringa) tree can be prepared in a variety of ways
and can be used as a substitute for spinach in soups and in various vegetable dishes. Malunggay
leaves are rich in B vitamins, Vitamin C, iron, and magnesium.

5. Lumpiang Ubod Fresh coconut shoot (ubod), carrot (kerot), spring onions, jicama (singkamas),
and lettuce enclosed in egg wrapper with minimal cooking makes this one of the freshest Filipino

vegetable dishes available. The accompanying thick sauce and peanuts make the lumpiang ubod a
tasty meal in itself. The dish is high in Vitamin A, which strengthens the immune system and
improves vision.

6. Ginisang Munggo Prepared using bitter melon (ampalaya) leaves and mung beans (munggo),
this tasty dish is packed with folate, thiamine, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus all of
which are needed for the human body to properly function. The bitter melon leaves can be
substituted with malunggay leaves to give the dish a healthier kick.

Photo from Century Park Hotel

7. Sinigang na Isda A variety of fish such as milkfish (bangus), red snapper (maya-maya),
salmon, and grouper (lapu-lapu) can be used to create this savory sour dish perfect for cold and
rainy days. The fish is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids while the water spinach
(kangkong) provides decent amounts of Vitamins A and C.

8. Ginisang Sitaw String beans (sitaw) and squash (kalabasa) are the primary ingredients of this
dish which provide good amounts of fiber and Vitamin C. The dish usually incorporates small pieces
of meat and can also be prepared adobo style.

Photo from lutonilola.net

9. Gising Gising This dish will surely wake you up with its chili content. More importantly, the
green beans used in the dish is an excellent source of Vitamins B6, C, K, manganese, zinc, and
fiber. The coconut milk makes the dish creamy and complete and is rich in iron.

Photo from visitpinas.com

10. Ensaladang Talong A great sidekick to any grilled meat dish, the ensaladang talong only
requires minimal cooking with the eggplant while the rest is mixed in raw. Eggplant (talong) provides
our body with B vitamins and manganese while the fresh tomato is rich in Vitamin C and lycopene.