Lola’s Secret Ingredient: Healthy Lumpiang Shanghai with Three Generations
She Flew In and Took Over My Kitchen
My mom Myriam — Lola Mimi to my kids — doesn’t do things halfway.
She flew in from out of town, dropped her bags, looked around my kitchen, and within the hour had reorganized the counter, corrected my kids’ technique, and quietly added fish sauce to the filling without telling me.
That’s how you know it’s her kitchen now.
We don’t always agree on everything. We are two very different women — different generations, different ways of doing things. But when my mom is in my house, something in me exhales. She is home. And when she is here, I feel home.
So we made lumpia.
Three Generations, One Recipe
Lumpiang Shanghai is one of those Filipino dishes that lives in your body before it lives in your memory. The smell of it frying, the sound of the wrapper crisping — it takes you back before you even realize it.
My mom has been making it longer than I have been alive.
This time we made it together. Me, Myriam, and my two kids — Teddy (6) and Maya (4).
Teddy stood beside Lola Mimi and narrated her every move like a tiny food show host. Explaining to anyone who would listen exactly how Lola was folding the wrapper, tucking the edges, sealing it just right.
Maya — our smallest — made the biggest lumpia in the entire batch. We couldn’t stop laughing.
Three generations. One recipe. Zero chill. 😄
Why We Made It Healthier
At HipShake Fitness, food is never about restriction. It’s about nourishment — food that fuels your body, honors your culture, and brings your people together.
Traditional lumpiang Shanghai uses ground pork and is deep fried. Delicious? Absolutely. But we wanted to make a version that fits our active lifestyle without losing any of the flavor or the love.
Here’s what we swapped:
| Traditional | Our Version |
|---|---|
| Ground pork | Ground turkey |
| Deep fried in oil | Air fried at 400°F |
Ground turkey gives you leaner protein with less saturated fat — perfect for active women and growing kids. It absorbs the seasonings beautifully so you don’t lose any of that savory depth.
Air frying cuts the oil dramatically while still giving you that satisfying crispy golden wrapper. Same crunch. Lighter result.
Did Lola approve?
She tasted one. Nodded. Made another.
That’s a yes. 🌺
Lola’s Secret Ingredient
Here’s the thing about Filipino cooking — there’s always something that doesn’t make it into the recipe card.
Ours? Fish sauce.
Lola Mimi added it quietly, without announcing it, while I was distracted with the kids. I only found out when I tasted the filling and thought — wait, that’s different. That’s better.
Two tablespoons of fish sauce is the difference between good lumpia and Lola’s lumpia.
Don’t skip it. 🌺
Healthy Lumpiang Shanghai Recipe
Makes approximately 16 pieces (Lola-sized — big and generous 😄)
Ingredients
- 1 small package 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (Lola’s secret)
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Spring roll wrappers
- Olive oil for brushing
Instructions
1. Make the filling Combine ground turkey, carrot, onion, water chestnuts, cilantro, fish sauce, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix everything together raw — no pre-cooking needed.
2. Wrap Lay a spring roll wrapper flat. Place a small amount of filling in a line near one edge. Roll tightly, folding in the sides as you go. When you reach the end — dab a little water on the edge of the wrapper to seal it. This is Lola’s tip for keeping them together. 💧
3. Brush with olive oil Lightly brush each lumpia with olive oil before air frying. This is what gives you that beautiful golden color.
4. Air fry Air fry at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until golden and crispy. Flip halfway through for even browning.
5. Serve Serve immediately with a dipping sauce of your choice — sweet chili, vinegar with garlic, or just plain. No judgment here. 🌺
Nutrition Information
Estimated per piece | Based on 93% lean ground turkey | 16 pieces total
| Macro | Per Piece | Per Serving (4 pieces) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~55-65 kcal | ~220-260 kcal |
| Protein | ~5-6g | ~20-24g |
| Carbs | ~5-6g | ~20-24g |
| Fat | ~2g | ~8g |
Why 93% lean ground turkey? Compared to traditional ground pork, 93% lean ground turkey contains significantly less saturated fat while delivering around 22g of protein per serving. For active women and growing kids, it’s a high-protein swap that doesn’t sacrifice any of the flavor — especially with Lola’s fish sauce doing the heavy lifting. 🌺
Nutritional values are estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients and brands used.
What Nourishment Really Means
I built HipShake Fitness around the idea that movement and food should make you feel good — not guilty. That health is something you build joyfully, not something you chase anxiously.
Watching my mom in my kitchen, watching my kids learn to wrap lumpia with their tiny hands, watching three generations make something together that has been made in our family for decades — that is nourishment.
Not just protein macros. Not just clean ingredients.
This. This is what it means to fuel yourself well.
The recipe will change over the years. We made it lighter. Someday my kids might make it their own way too.
The love doesn’t change. 🌺
Charlene Dipaola is the founder of HipShake Fitness — an online dance and wellness studio for women who want to move, nourish, and live fully. Follow her on Instagram @charlene.dipaola
