Quaker Reinvents Filipino Favorites With Oats for More Fiber

Filipino comfort food took on a healthier and creative character as Quaker demonstrated how oats can move beyond the traditional breakfast bowl and become part of some of the country’s most familiar dishes.

At the Quaker Fit Breakfast Club 2026, themed “Quaker Salu-Salo,” members of the media gathered at The Studio Kitchen at Enderun Coworking Estancia for a hands-on culinary experience featuring oat-inspired versions of Filipino favorites.

The event highlighted an everyday nutrition concern: fiber intake. Citing a study of Filipino working adults published in the Philippine Journal of Nutrition, Quaker noted that the Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes recommend 20 to 25 grams of fiber daily, while average intake among Filipinos is reportedly only six to eight grams.

With one serving of oats providing 3.5 grams of fiber, the event presented oats as one practical way of adding fiber to familiar meals. Oats also contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber associated with satiety and supporting digestive and heart health.

“Breakfast has always been more than a meal” in Filipino households, said Macy Monson, Marketing Lead of PepsiCo Inc. Philippines, emphasizing the company’s goal of making good nutrition easier to incorporate into everyday family life.

Registered nutritionist-dietitian and content creator Jo Sebastian reinforced the idea that healthier eating does not necessarily require dramatic changes.

“Closing the fiber gap doesn’t mean overhauling how you eat,” Sebastian said. “It starts with small swaps, like a bowl of oats in the morning or a handful stirred into the dishes you already cook.”

Chef Nat Sundiang, recipe developer, food stylist, and Head Chef of Turo Filipino Kitchen, then showed participants how versatile oats can be in savory and sweet dishes.

The menu included Chicken and Mushroom Oats Caldo, Oat-Infused Arroz Valenciana and Savoury Oat Biko. Participants also prepared their own Oat-Crusted Beef Tapa paired with a Garlic Oat “Sinangag” Bowl.

According to Sundiang, oats can absorb different flavors while allowing the character of traditional Filipino dishes to remain recognizable.

The experience concluded with guests sharing their creations around a communal table following closing remarks from Aditya Ahuja, General Manager for PH/MY Asia Foods at PepsiCo Inc.

Through Quaker Salu-Salo, the familiar tapa, caldo and biko became examples of how small changes in the kitchen can introduce more fiber while keeping Filipino flavors—and the tradition of eating together—at the heart of every meal.