What do people eat in Philippines?

Diet

Rice is the staple food in the Filipino diet. It is prepared in various tasty ways and is often included in desserts and main meals. The primary protein source is fish, accompanied by various vegetables and tropical fruits.

A typical family eats 3-4 times a day. Breakfast, lunch, (some have "merienda", which usually consists of desserts called "kakanin" which are made of sticky rice, sugar, coconut milk, etc., or some light snacks such as rice porridge or pansit--noodles) & dinner. Some eat twice a day (brunch and dinner). The "traditional" meal is rice with every meal.

A typical Filipino meal consists of rice and a

"viand" usually has meat like beef/chicken/pork or fish in some soup mixed with veggies. Filipinos love sauces, too. Usually, there's fish sauce ("patis"), soy sauce ("Toyo"), and vinegar ("suka").

Standard meal time is 8-10 AM for breakfast, 12-2 PM for lunch, 3-4 PM for merienda, and 6-9 PM for dinner.

Mealtime

The conversation is casual during meals. The best way for a guest to compliment a meal is to eat heartily. A small portion is left on the plate to indicate the person has had enough to eat.

Popular Philippines Recipes

Arroz a la Cubana (Rice with Meat and Vegetables) - Main Dish
Binagoongang Baboy - Main Dish
Brain Soup - Soup
Chicken Adobo - Main Dish
Chicken with Sotanghon - Main Dish
Daing na Bangus(Pickled Milkfish) - Main Dish
Eggplant Salad - Side Dish
Fish Tinola - Main Dish
Ginataang Kalabasa - Main Dish
Leche Flan - Dessert
Morisqueta Tostada (Rice with Sausage and Ham) - Main Dish
Pancit Guisado - Main Dish
Pastillas de Mani or Pili - Dessert
Polvoron - Dessert
Pork Adobo - Main Dish
Powdered Milk Pastillas - Dessert
Puchero(Stew) - Main Dish
Shrimp and Shiitake Mushroom Lumpia with Orange Chili Mint - Main Dish
Sinigang na manok (chicken in sour broth) - Main Dish
Sopa de Fidios (Beef or Pork Soup) - Soup
Spicy Rice - Side Dish
Torta Cebuana - Dessert

Back to Philippines Facts

World Regions

Africa Asia Central America Europe Middle East North America Oceania South America The Caribbean

Most Popular

United States of America China France Italy Canada Spain India Brazil Mexico

All Countries

Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe