From Rice-Based Diets to Viand-Centered Meals: Dietary Pattern Changes among Filipino Adults, 2013–2021
1
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines - Manila, Manila, Philippines
2
Department of Nutrition, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines - Manila, Manila, Philippines
3
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines - Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines
4
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines - Manila, Manila, Philippines
5
Institute of Clinical Epidemiology, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines - Manila, Manila, Philippines
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1348
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Despite the implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions to address malnutrition and advance SDG 2.2, National Nutrition Survey (NNS)/Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) data indicate persistent inadequacies in energy and micronutrient intake, largely attributable to poor dietary diversity. Examining changes in adult dietary patterns is therefore essential for informing effective policy and program development. This study examined changes in the dietary patterns of Filipinos from 2013 to 2021.
METHODS:
We conducted a secondary analysis of adults (≥18 y) using Public Use Files from the 2013 NNS and the 2018–2019 and 2021 ENNS. Dietary intake was assessed via 24-hour recall. Energy and selected micronutrients were benchmarked against the 2018 Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI). Intakes and food-group consumption were summarized, and principal component analysis with varimax rotation derived dietary patterns by survey year. Proxies represented sodium, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed foods.
RESULTS:
The analytic sample included 11,271 adults in 2013, 95,753 in 2018–2019, and 42,667 in 2021. Adherence to recommended intakes was consistently low and worsened over time: by 2021, nearly nine in ten adults had inadequate energy intake, while inadequacy for calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C exceeded 90% across years. Dietary patterns evolved substantially. In 2013, diets were dominated by a rice-based staple pattern alongside a cereal–egg–milk–sweetened foods pattern. By 2018–2019, corn emerged as an alternative staple and a protein–condiment pattern characterized by fish, meat, poultry, and condiments became prominent. In 2021, protein-rich viands paired with condiments represented the dominant dietary structure, with rice contributing more moderately. The cereal–egg–milk–sweetened foods pattern persisted across years.
CONCLUSIONS:
Filipino adults experienced declining energy and nutrient intakes, persistently low dietary diversity, and a shift toward viand-centered dietary patterns between 2013 and 2021. These findings highlight structural barriers in food systems and support integrated policy responses to improve access.
Despite the implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions to address malnutrition and advance SDG 2.2, National Nutrition Survey (NNS)/Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) data indicate persistent inadequacies in energy and micronutrient intake, largely attributable to poor dietary diversity. Examining changes in adult dietary patterns is therefore essential for informing effective policy and program development. This study examined changes in the dietary patterns of Filipinos from 2013 to 2021.
METHODS:
We conducted a secondary analysis of adults (≥18 y) using Public Use Files from the 2013 NNS and the 2018–2019 and 2021 ENNS. Dietary intake was assessed via 24-hour recall. Energy and selected micronutrients were benchmarked against the 2018 Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI). Intakes and food-group consumption were summarized, and principal component analysis with varimax rotation derived dietary patterns by survey year. Proxies represented sodium, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed foods.
RESULTS:
The analytic sample included 11,271 adults in 2013, 95,753 in 2018–2019, and 42,667 in 2021. Adherence to recommended intakes was consistently low and worsened over time: by 2021, nearly nine in ten adults had inadequate energy intake, while inadequacy for calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C exceeded 90% across years. Dietary patterns evolved substantially. In 2013, diets were dominated by a rice-based staple pattern alongside a cereal–egg–milk–sweetened foods pattern. By 2018–2019, corn emerged as an alternative staple and a protein–condiment pattern characterized by fish, meat, poultry, and condiments became prominent. In 2021, protein-rich viands paired with condiments represented the dominant dietary structure, with rice contributing more moderately. The cereal–egg–milk–sweetened foods pattern persisted across years.
CONCLUSIONS:
Filipino adults experienced declining energy and nutrient intakes, persistently low dietary diversity, and a shift toward viand-centered dietary patterns between 2013 and 2021. These findings highlight structural barriers in food systems and support integrated policy responses to improve access.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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