Kakanin, pancit and the family feast — enjoyed without the sugar and salt spikes
By the H&L Editorial Team
Undas in the Philippines is not only about remembrance. It is about food. Families spread mats and folding tables between tombs and bring out pancit, adobo, lechon, puto, suman, biko, bibingka, and big containers of soft drinks. Food is part of how we honor the dead and gather the living.
But for the many Filipinos living with diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, a day of Undas eating — in the heat, with long hours and missed medicines — can be risky.
The sugar challenge
Kakanin like suman, biko, puto and bibingka are made largely from glutinous rice, rice flour, sugar and coconut milk. They are delicious and traditional, but they raise blood sugar quickly. Add sweetened drinks and leche flan, and a diabetic relative can end the day with dangerously high sugar.
Smarter choices:
• Share, don’t stack. Cut kakanin into small pieces and enjoy a taste of several rather than a whole serving of each.
• Eat kakanin after a meal with vegetables and protein, not on an empty stomach. Fiber and protein slow down the rise in blood sugar.
• Bring water, not just soft drinks. Unsweetened iced tea or calamansi water with little or no sugar are refreshing alternatives.
• Bring fruit. Saba bananas, mangoes, pomelo or watermelon slices are naturally sweet and portable.
• Keep a glucose meter handy if a family member takes insulin or certain diabetes pills, especially if meals are delayed.
The salt challenge
Cemetery food also tends to be salty: adobo, pancit with lots of soy sauce, chicharon, processed meats, salted eggs, chips. For people with high blood pressure or heart failure, a salty day in the heat can mean swollen feet, headaches, or worse.
Smarter choices:
• Cook pancit with less soy sauce and more vegetables. Add flavor with calamansi, garlic and onions.
• Choose grilled or steamed chicken or fish over fried and processed meats.
• Go easy on the dips. Soy sauce, patis, bagoong and vinegar with salt add up.
• Skip the chips. Bring boiled peanuts, kamote or corn instead.
Food safety in the heat
Food left out in hot weather spoils faster. Rice dishes, pancit, dishes with coconut milk and anything with eggs or mayonnaise are especially risky.
• Pack food in insulated containers with ice packs.
• Eat within a couple of hours of serving.
• Keep food covered from flies.
• When in doubt, throw it out.
For families during Undas: Watch out for older relatives who are grieving a recent loss. Make sure they have taken their medicines, are eating and drinking, and aren’t overexerting themselves in the heat.
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