A Filipino came up with the idea of a mood-based food suggestion tool that recommends Pinoy dishes to help people decide what to eat depending on how they feel.
Reddit user @optikzzz shared that they developed the “Mood! Anong Ulam?” tool to help Filipinos decide what to eat based on their emotions, and possibly lift their mood.
“I was bored, so I made a mood-based food suggestion tool featuring Filipino dishes,” the user said on the “r/Philippines” discussion forum on Monday, June 9.
“Sometimes, I don’t know what to eat, so I made something that suggests food based on my mood and what’s actually available here in the Philippines,” the Redditor added.
“At least the suggestions feel useful and doable, I guess. Still working on expanding the list of foods, but here’s the initial version,” the user said, sharing some screengrabs of the food suggestion tool.
I made a Filipino mood-based food suggestion tool
byu/optikzzz inPhilippines
The tool can be accessed via https://mood-anong-ulam.vercel.app/.
Its homepage gives a relatable shoutout to those unsure if they’re actually hungry, or just going through something.
“Kahit anong mood mo ngayon, may pagkain kaming swak sa’yo at hindi lang ulam, promise,” the website read.
“Minsan, ‘di natin alam kung anong gusto nating kainin kapag sabog ang mood. Dito, tutulungan ka naming pumili ng pagkain base sa nararamdaman mo. Simple lang, masaya at Pinoy na Pinoy,” it added.
“Mood! Anong Ulam?” suggests Filipino dishes based on three emotions — happy, sad, or stressed.
For those feeling happy, the tool suggests dishes that help keep the energy up and make them feel even happier.
For those feeling sad, the tool recommends comforting dishes to help lift their spirits.
“Parang yakap, pero edible,” it said.
Meanwhile, those feeling stressed are offered food suggestions meant to help them relax and feel more at ease.
“Kung feeling mo sabog na ang utak, try mo muna ‘tong mga pagkaing pampakalma. Baka gutom ka lang,” the tool said.
According to its “About” page, the developer created the tool to make deciding what to eat “easier and more enjoyable.”
“Naniniwala kami na ang pagkain, hindi lang para sa tiyan, kundi para rin sa emosyon. Anuman ang vibe mo ngayon, may pagkain na pwedeng tumulong magpasaya, magpakalma, o magbigay ng konting comfort,” they said.
The developer also explained the tool’s logic, matching food suggestions with a person’s mood to help uplift or complement how they feel.
“Kapag masama ang pakiramdam, minsan masarap lang kumain ng bagay na swak sa mood,” they said.
“Kung pagod ka, baka isang manggang hilaw na may bagoong ang kailangan mo. Kung stressed ka, taho sa umaga o mainit na sabaw ng sinigang pwedeng magpakalma. Kung masaya ka, edi dagdagan pa natin ng halo-halo o inasal,” the developer added.
“Hindi ito tungkol sa diet o komplikadong konsepto. Gusto lang naming tulungan kang pumili ng makakain na makaka-boost ng araw mo kahit papaano,” they continued.
The tool suggests Filipino favorites like taho, arroz caldo, champurrado, banana cue and turon. It also gives a brief description of each dish and how it can boost or complement your mood.
