Don’t Quit Rice. Upgrade the Plate.

For many Filipinos, a meal does not feel complete without rice.

White rice is part of our culture, our comfort food, and our everyday table.

And that is perfectly okay. The goal is not to shame rice or remove it completely. The better goal is to make the whole meal stronger.

Because here is the truth: rice alone is not the problem. A low-fiber plate is.

A simple meal of white rice and eggs may be filling, but it gives your body very little fiber, less than 1 gram. Fiber matters because it helps support better digestion, steadier blood sugar, heart health, and healthy aging.

The good news is that you do not need a complicated diet to improve your meals. Small changes can already make a big difference.

• Add a banana, and you get around 3 grams of fiber.

•  Add an apple, and you get around 4–5 grams of fiber.

•  Switch to brown rice sometimes, and you may get around 3 grams of fiber per cup, compared to only about 0.5–1 gram in white rice.

Simple, right?

You do not have to give up rice. You need to build around it.

Add vegetables. Add fruits. Add beans. Add munggo. Add kamote. Add more whole plant foods that your body can actually use for long-term health.

That is how healthy eating becomes realistic for Filipino families. Not by removing everything we love, but by making every plate more balanced, more nourishing, and more supportive of longevity.

Rice can stay.

But fiber should be included in every meal.

By Ninko Ocampo Pangilinan

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