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MANILA, Philippines – Actress Neri Miranda came under fire after sharing a sample P1,000 weekly meal plan on Facebook on Sunday, September 10.
Miranda’s meal plan detailed a variety of specific dishes allocated for breakfast and lunch for a whole week, while the entire dinner portion of the menu was labeled “leftovers.” The meal plan was further broken down into the proteins, grains, starches, vegetables, and miscellaneous items needed to cook the food she specified in the post.
“Para sa mga nanay na mamamalengke bukas pagkatapos ihatid ang mga bata sa school, [ito] na, pakiprint na po [ito], kumpleto pati palengke list. Nag-try akong magbudget ng P1,000 for a week. Kung may sukli pa yan, pwede pangdagdag merienda o baon ng mga bata,” the celebrity mom of three captioned the post.
(For the moms who will shop for food tomorrow after dropping the kids off at school, please print this, [this meal plan is] complete, including a palengke list. I tried budgeting P1,000 for a week. If there’s still change, you can use it for afternoon snacks or food for the kids to bring to school).
Numerous netizens questioned Miranda’s meal plan, with some calling it “unrealistic.”
“Hindi makatotohanan… Pag namalengke ako for one week, [tatlo] lang kami, mag-asawa at [isang] kid, nauubos [‘yung] 1,500 ko pero kulang [pa rin]. Tipid na tipid pa ‘yun,” one netizen commented. (This isn’t realistic. When I buy food for one week, we’re only three, me, my spouse, and one kid, I end up spending P1,500 but it’s still not enough. That’s with being frugal already).
“Sa pork sinigang [pa lang] P500 na agad mahigit,” another netizen wrote in response to Miranda’s inclusion of the dish as a Tuesday lunch meal. (Pork sinigang alone will already cost you about P500).
In July, the National Nutrition Council issued a statement, estimating that a family of five would need a daily budget of P1,212.65 if they want to ensure that each of their meals are balanced and healthy. However, costs will be significantly higher for families with infants, adolescents, and pregnant women who may have different dietary needs.
Miranda and her husband, Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda, share three kids together, with their youngest son being one year and 11 months old.
On Thursday, September 14, the actress updated her original post after reading the comments it received. Miranda apologized for forgetting to mention that she would usually get the eggs and some of the vegetables she listed in the meal plan for free.
“Sorry ‘di ko nalagay sa post na ‘to na kunin ang mga sayote and other gulay sa bakuran… Sa amin po madalas free po ang mga eggs. Tapos ‘yung vegetables and fruits namin [kasi] mahilig po akong magtanim,” Miranda added to her post.
(Sorry, I wasn’t able to disclose in this post that the sayote and other vegetables should be taken from your backyard… For us, eggs are usually free. As for our vegetables and fruits, I love planting them myself).
The 40-year-old later posted that she would be giving away free vegetable seeds to the top 50 commenters. She then emphasized the importance of having an edible garden at home. While she admitted that she may have an advantage because they have a backyard, she attested that even those with small verandas in their living spaces can grow their own crops.
On Friday, September 15, her husband Chito came to her defense in a lengthy thread posted on X (formerly Twitter). He said that a few weeks before, his wife created a weekly meal plan worth P2,000 made up of “meals [that] were cheap but relatively healthy, and consisted mostly of vegetables” good for a family of two to four.
"Saan aabot ang P1000 mo?"
— Chito Miranda (@chitomirandajr) September 15, 2023
A few weeks ago, Neri came up with a weekly meal plan, for a family of 2-4, working with a budget of only P2k. It was mostly for fun, but she also thought that it can be useful for those who might want to use it as a guide.😊👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/kw8KNulpYc
“She also reminded those who will be using her meal plan to add portions as needed, depending on their family’s size and appetite. Sinabi [niya rin] na the meal plan was merely a guide which they could use as a starting point. It was a big hit with her followers,” he wrote.
The “Pangarap Lang Kita” hitmaker admitted that while it was not the same meal plan used in their household of over 10 people, his wife just wanted her social media followers to know that a P2,000 budget to feed two to four people was possible.
Shortly after, Miranda wanted to try creating another meal plan with a lower budget of P1,000, which she “eagerly shared with her followers.” The meal plan was apparently “intended for those who already knew what she was doing,” so when the actress left out key details from her controversial post, it quickly received negative reactions.
“Naisip lang naman ng asawa ko na baka sakaling makatulong ‘yung meal plan [niya] sa mga tao that might find it useful, na-bash pa [siya] ng mga taong hindi naman nakasubaybay kung bakit ginagawa [niya] ‘yung meal plan…. What a cruel, cruel world,” he continued.
(My wife just thought her meal plan could help the people that might fight it useful, and she got bashed by those who don’t even know why she creates these meals plans in the first place…. What a cruel, cruel, world).
“For those who got angry and threw stones without knowing the details of what she was doing, good job sa inyo…your comments say more about your character than the person you are commenting on. Peace and good vibes to you too,” the singer added.
Miranda has since taken her original post down as, according to her husband, she intends to include the details she left out of the P1,000 meal plan.
Miranda has been occasionally posting her weekly meal plans since 2019 under the hashtags #NerisWeeklyMealPlan and #WaisNaMisis, a title she has become known for after being lauded by her social media followers for her money-saving tips and low-budget finds. – Rappler.com
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