Whether you’ve recently discovered Filipino cuisine or love Southeast Asian food, you will love this list of the healthiest (and tastiest) Filipino superfoods.
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1. Mangosteen
2. Kulitis
3. Malunggay
4. Mango
5. Coconut
6. Pineapple
7. Breadfruit
8. Pili Nut
9. Papaya
10. Turmeric
10 Filipino Superfoods to Incorporate Into Your Diet
Not only are most of these superfoods relatively easy to find at your local grocery store, but they are affordable and work well in a variety of Filipino dishes. Get the health benefits of more dietary vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and boost your immune system while enjoying delicious foods that seem too tasty to be good for you.
1. Mangosteen
This tropical “Queen of Fruits” has a sweet-sour flavor and is referred to as purple mangosteen because of its color. Rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and other essential nutrients, the flesh of this tropical fruit has antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects that help to treat conditions like skin disorders and thrush. Mangosteen may also promote weight loss because of its low calorie and zero cholesterol content.
How to use it: As the main ingredient of jam and wild juice
2. Kulitis
Kulitis, also known as Amaranth or Chinese Spinach, is one of the most nutritious vegetables in the Philippines. Depending on the part of the plant you consume, this superfood may help maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure. Some studies suggest that Kulitis also benefits people with diabetes, anemia, and cancer.
Recipe ideas: Quick-fry Garlic Kulitis (spinach), Spinach in Coconut Milk
3. Malunggay
Malunggay Moringa
When it comes to health benefits, Malunggay is perhaps the most popular of all Filipino superfoods. The plant is also known as Moringa, which comes from Moringa Oleifera, or the “Miracle Tree.” Virtually everything from the pods, leaves, seeds, and roots of the tree is edible and rich in nutrients.
Recipes: Chicken and Papaya Soup (Tinola), Pork Ginataan
4. Mango
Mango is a sweet stone fruit with low fat and calorie content. Like many Filipino superfoods, mangoes don’t contain cholesterol. One mango slice gives you 13% of your daily Vitamin A requirement. This serving also accounts for 80% and 66% of the daily Vitamin C requirement in men and women.
Recipe ideas: mango float, ice cream, smoothie
5. Coconut
If you only know coconut for its sweet flavoring in sugary desserts, you might be surprised that it’s considered a superfood. Despite its appearance and name, coconut is considered a drupe, and every part of it useful, from foods to musical instruments.
Popular Dishes: Buko Pie
6. Pineapple
The Spanish introduced pineapples to the Philippines, and it has now become one of the most popular fruits in the Southeast Asian country.
Pineapples are packed with vitamins, enzymes, and have anti-inflammatory properties. They aid digestion and ease out arthritis. They also have the ability to delay cancer progression.
Where to use it: Nata de Pina, Sweet and Sour Sauce
7. Breadfruit
Breadfruit
Despite its name, you’ll find this food in the produce aisle. This is another fruit with loads of health benefits. Unlike other Filipino superfoods, breadfruits aren’t sweet, but the flesh is highly nutritious. It is a good source of Vitamin A and C and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.
It’s likely that breadfruit did not originate in the Philippines – the most likely origin is New Guinea and Malaysia – but it quickly established itself in the island nation.
Don’t worry if you don’t find seeds in your breadfruit. Some varieties don’t have any.
Recipe ideas: Breadfruit in Coconut Milk
8. Pili Nut
Pili nuts aid skin growth, prevent heart conditions, and balance body cholesterol. The kernels of this superfood are the most popular part to eat. You can roast, salt, sugar-coat or process them into kernel oil. They taste like walnut and macadamia.
The Philippines is the only country that produces and processes pili nuts or other pili-based byproducts.
How to use it: Pili Nut Cake, pili nut salad
9. Papaya
Often referred to as the “Fruit of Angels,” this juicy superfood is known to boost immune systems and help eye conditions because it is rich in Vitamin A. In addition, it has a high Vitamin C content and several antioxidants that improve your heart health.
Filipino papaya recipes: Tinola, Atchara, Ginisang Papaya.
10. Turmeric
Turmeric is a plant that belongs to the ginger family and is native to tropical Southeast Asia. In Filipino cuisine, it’s a common spice and an important ingredient in curry that gives the powder its flavor and yellow color.
Where to use it: Adobo, Turmeric Arroz Caldo
