The Philippines is a country rich in natural resources, offering ample opportunities for people to make exciting discoveries. For cookbook author and culinary enthusiast Juana Manahan-Yupangco, these discoveries often begin in the kitchen, where many local vegetables have yet to be fully embraced and loved by all.

She wants to convey this in her newest book, “Juana’s Table," launched last Sept. 20, 2023, at Villeroy & Boch boutique in S Maison, Pasay City. This book is the product of Juana’s experiences and inspiration while taking her master’s in Food Security and Nutrition from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The recipes from her cookbook integrate clean ingredients with the rich tapestry of Filipino cuisine, infusing a healthier, plant-based take without sacrificing flavor and variety.

"My thesis was about replacing pork with native Filipino legumes in the Filipino diet," Juan tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle in an interview. Filipinos eat a lot of pork. That's our main meat protein because it's cheap. And I studied that. I looked at native beans, kadyos, and rice beans. We have it here, it's very cheap."

Juana also said that "Juana's Table" is the bigger version of her first-hit book, "Mesa ni Misis"—where she shared affordable recipes. But this time, in “Juana’s Table,” she generously shared the lessons she earned from her master's degree in a palatable way everyone can easily understand and appreciate.

"My first book was very snapshot, easy to read all the info in two pages," she says. "Here, it's many pages. I have to really consolidate the knowledge that I learned from my masters . The very sciency stuff that I think is important for people to know but to make it digestible."

Juana, a hands-on mother and a loving wife, also said that in this book, she hopes to inspire more people to incorporate more vegetables in their diet and debunk some myths and misconceptions about vegetables.

"For example, beans. If you eat it, you should soak it for a minimum of eight hours," she says. "That's to break down the anti nutrients. There's also a myth that beans cause uric acid, which is absolutely not true. It's a fallacy."

Meanwhile, with Juana's advocacies and efforts to impart her knowledge to everyone, SM Supermalls is glad to be where the author launched her new book.

“We have partnered with Juana this year not only because of her impressive credentials but because she is a mom like many of you," says SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Marketing Grace Magno during the launch. "A mom who simply wants her kids to live healthier lives. Hence, a plant-based diet which is not only affordable, but clean and sustainable.”

Overall, Juana is grateful for the support and opportunity. Still, more than that, she's looking forward to more Filipinos exploring more of our local vegetables, hitting the local “palengke” and “talipapa” to look for those.

"Local Filipino vegetables are healthy," she says. "They're nutritious and they can be plated beautifully. Such as pakbet or bulanglang."