How people eat in Bolivia
50 indicators exploring everyday meals, ingredients and food culture. Information is completed progressively from documented evidence.
Not all data are comparable: food supply, purchases and intake are different measures. Check the period, population and method for each finding. Qualitative descriptions do not establish percentages or amounts.
Timing and company
6/8
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Meal times |
Among pupils who said they had breakfast before going to school, 89.8% reported the local time interval from 6:00 to 9:00. Among those who said they ate lunch, 95.3% reported 12:00 to 15:00. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Meals per day |
87.6% reported eating breakfast before going to school and 95.7% reported eating lunch. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Meal duration | Insufficient data in the sources consulted |
| Daily energy distribution |
Energy intake was distributed across breakfast (22%), school break (20%), lunch (24%), tea time (12%) and dinner (22%). Scope, method and limitations
|
| Weekdays and weekends | Insufficient data in the sources consulted |
| Eating at home and away |
Among pupils who said they had breakfast before going to school, 95.8% reported eating breakfast at home. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Cooking frequency |
69.0% took part in preparing and serving food for their household. The average daily time spent on that activity was 01:33 (hours:minutes). Scope, method and limitations
|
| Eating together |
Most interviewees identified lunch, dinner or both as the main occasions to spend time together as a family. Scope, method and limitations
|
Pantry and recipes
2/2
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Most consumed ingredients |
Estimated food availability was 72.30 kg of potatoes and products, 54.55 kg of rice and products and 45.17 kg of poultry meat per person per year. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Ingredient prevalence in recipes |
Potatoes and peanuts appear in the beef-heart anticuchos, chicken sajta and vegetarian peanut soup. Scope, method and limitations
|
Cereals and plant foods
6/6
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Cereals and cereal products |
Estimated availability per person per year was 54.55 kg of rice and products, 43.76 kg of wheat and products and 31.11 kg of maize and products. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Bread |
The La Paz reference basket included 118.69 g of pan de batalla bread per person per day. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Pulses |
Estimated availability per person per year was 3.94 kg of beans and 0.39 kg of peas. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Vegetables |
Estimated availability per person per year was 11.20 kg of onions and 7.21 kg of tomatoes and products. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Fruit |
Estimated availability per person per year was 30.00 kg of oranges and mandarins and 6.96 kg of bananas. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Potatoes, roots and tubers |
Estimated availability per person per year was 72.30 kg of potatoes and products, 13.65 kg of cassava and products and 0.36 kg of sweet potatoes. Scope, method and limitations
|
Protein foods
5/5
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Meat |
Estimated availability per person per year was 84.43 kg of meat in total, 45.17 kg of poultry meat, 23.54 kg of beef and 10.58 kg of pork. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Fish and seafood |
Estimated availability per person per year was 2.12 kg of fish and seafood in total and 0.94 kg of freshwater fish. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Eggs |
Estimated availability per person per year was 6.89 kg of eggs. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Milk and dairy products |
Estimated availability per person per year was 39.06 kg of milk and products, excluding butter. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Protein sources |
Plant sources accounted for 81.1% of protein intake and animal sources for 18.9%. Scope, method and limitations
|
Fats, flavours and condiments
3/3
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Cooking fats |
Estimated availability per person per year was 1.63 kg of soybean oil, 0.16 kg of sunflower oil, 0.03 kg of olive oil and 0.12 kg of butter and ghee combined. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Herbs and spices |
Ground yellow chilli and cumin occur together in the beef-heart anticuchos and chicken sajta. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Sauces and condiments |
Llajwa is a hot sauce served as an accompaniment. The published La Paz version uses locoto, tomato and either quirquiña or huacataya. Scope, method and limitations
|
Meal composition
6/6
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Breakfast composition |
Breakfast examples included coffee with bread and cheese, api with fried foods and quinoa and apple juice. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Main meal composition |
The lunch list included noodle soup with peanuts and chicken majadito as a main course. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Dinner composition |
Fried chicken and ají de fideo were among the dinner mains recorded. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Appetisers and snacks |
The morning snack list includes baked cheese empanada and relleno de papa. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Desserts and sweets |
The buñuelos in the collection are a sweet fritter with panela syrup and anise in the dough. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Portion sizes |
Chicken salteñas in the Santa Cruz market category averaged 206.29 g per portion. Scope, method and limitations
|
Techniques and equipment
5/5
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Cooking techniques |
The study documented boiling native potatoes and sometimes frying charke in oil after soaking. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Vegetable preparation |
Potatoes for papa wayk’u are boiled and served with their skins on. Some participants described baking or boiling oca. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Food preservation |
For chuño, the study documented exposing potatoes to outdoor freeze and thaw cycles, followed by pressing, washing and drying. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Fermented foods |
The case studies identified huillcaparu and yellow maize among the varieties most used to make fermented chicha. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Kitchen equipment |
55.0866492% had a refrigerator or freezer and 19.5214475% had a microwave. Scope, method and limitations
|
Drinks
3/3
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Everyday drinks |
63.1% reported usually drinking carbonated soft drinks at least once a day in the previous 30 days. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Coffee and tea preparation |
The recorded coffee-with-bread and tea-with-bread preparations included sugar. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Drinks with meals |
Breakfast examples studied included api with bread and coffee with bread and cheese. Scope, method and limitations
|
Nutrition and dietary patterns
3/3
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Energy and nutrients |
In the order energy, carbohydrate, protein, total fat and fibre, daily means for men and women were 2736 and 2422 kcal, 423 and 376 g, 139 and 119 g, 46 and 40 g, and 29 and 26 g among the Tsimane. Among the Moseten they were 1990 and 1916 kcal, 284 and 258 g, 114 and 114 g, 40 and 44 g, and 15 and 15 g. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Salt and sugars |
For men and women respectively, mean total sugar was 112 and 111 g per day among the Tsimane, and 55 and 56 g among the Moseten. Estimated mean sodium was 512 and 446 mg per day among the Tsimane, and 491 and 326 mg among the Moseten. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Dietary patterns |
The survey identified a pattern with more sweets, ice cream and soft drinks, and another dominated by fresh foods with less refined cereal and added sugar intake. Scope, method and limitations
|
Shopping, prices and waste
6/7
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Food expenditure |
Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 37.1% of urban household consumption expenditure. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Cost of a common basket |
The estimated basket included 118.69 g of pan de batalla bread and 119.79 g of potatoes per person per day. The full basket was estimated to cost 402.85 Bs per person per month. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Cost of specific meals |
The menu listed beef salteñas, chicken salteñas and yellow-chilli fricasé salteñas at 12 Bs each. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Grocery shopping locations |
In the sample, 51.9% reported buying these Andean foods at markets and 31.2% at fairs. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Shopping frequency | Insufficient data in the sources consulted |
| Prepared food and delivery |
The dishes studied included beef and chicken salteñas as morning snacks and silpancho with egg as a main course at lunch. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Household food waste |
Food leftovers accounted for 15.09% of household waste by weight. Fruit, vegetable and similar scraps accounted for 47.74%. Scope, method and limitations
|
Seasons and celebrations
2/2
| Indicator | Findings and context |
|---|---|
| Seasonal produce |
Wild aguaí ripens from May to July in the Chiquitania. The guide describes a preference for cooking or roasting it because of the resin in its skin. Scope, method and limitations
|
| Celebration food |
In La Paz, Todos Santos is observed on 1 and 2 November. Offering tables include tantawawas, bread shaped like people, and breads shaped like small horses or ladders. Scope, method and limitations
|
Coverage in progress
The editorial guide for this country is in preparation. You can already explore its recipes; regional attributions are added when documented.
Guide available in other languages: Español
One country, many cuisines
An initial selection of regions to explore. Culinary boundaries may differ from administrative divisions.
La Paz
Santa Cruz
Recipes connected with Bolivia
Each recipe documents one version. Geographic associations do not imply an exclusive origin.
Bolivian baked cuñapé
Bolivian cassava-starch and cheese rolls with lightly golden exteriors and tender, chewy centers.
View recipePurple api
A thick purple-corn drink with cinnamon, lemon, and sugar, served hot. Makes approximately 4 servings.
View recipeBolivian Peanut Soup (Vegetarian Version)
A vegetarian version of Bolivian peanut soup, with a creamy peanut base, vegetables, short pasta, and chickpeas.
View recipeBolivian Buñuelos with Panela Syrup
Fluffy Bolivian buñuelos scented with anise, fried until golden, and served with panela syrup.
View recipeBolivian Sajta de Pollo with Tunta and Peanuts
Bolivian chicken stew in a yellow chili sauce, served with potatoes, tunta with peanuts, and a fresh onion-and-tomato sarsa.
View recipeBolivian Anticuchos with Beef Heart, Potatoes, and Peanut Sauce
Bolivian skewers of beef heart and potatoes served with a thick yellow-chile and peanut sauce. Makes 6 servings; marinate the meat for 2 hours.
View recipe
Sources consulted
Read the sources and each document’s scope. A heritage inscription concerns a particular practice, not all of a country’s cuisine.
- Movilidad socioeconómica y consumo en Bolivia siip.produccion.gob.bo/noticias/files/BI_11032019baa96_6cismovi.pdf PNUD y Centro de Investigaciones Sociales Consulted: November 3, 2026
- Estimación de la canasta básica de alimentos y líneas de pobreza en Bolivia iisec.ucb.edu.bo/assets_iisec/publicacion/n20_a04.pdf Latin American Journal of Economic Development Consulted: November 3, 2026
- Menú y precios — Los Castores La Paz loscastoresbol.com/LaPaz/menu Los Castores Consulted: November 3, 2026
- Consumo familiar de alimentos andinos, en las ciudades de La Paz y El Alto, gestión 2019 www.scielo.org.bo/scielo.php?pid=S1652-67762020000200002&script=sci_arttext Cuadernos Hospital de Clínicas Consulted: November 3, 2026
- Operativo de Consumo de Alimentos Fuera del Hogar 2016, Bolivia siip.produccion.gob.bo/noticias/files/BI_111020192c6c2_4operine.pdf Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Bolivia Consulted: November 3, 2026
- Estudio de caracterización de residuos sólidos de la ciudad de La Paz, Bolivia lapaz.bo/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Estudio-de-Caracterizacion-de-residuos-solidos-La-Paz.pd… Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de La Paz Consulted: November 3, 2026
- FAOSTAT Food Balances — Bolivia, 2023 www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FBS FAO Consulted: November 3, 2026
- KitchenPause — anticuchos-bolivianos-de-corazon-con-papa-y-salsa-de-mani www.kitchenpause.com/es/recetas/anticuchos-bolivianos-de-corazon-con-papa-y-salsa-de-mani KitchenPause Consulted: November 3, 2026
- KitchenPause — sajta-de-pollo-boliviana-con-tunta-y-mani www.kitchenpause.com/es/recetas/sajta-de-pollo-boliviana-con-tunta-y-mani KitchenPause Consulted: November 3, 2026
- KitchenPause — sopa-de-mani-boliviana-version-vegetariana www.kitchenpause.com/es/recetas/sopa-de-mani-boliviana-version-vegetariana KitchenPause Consulted: November 3, 2026
- El desayuno escolar en Bolivia. Diagnóstico de situación actual campovirtual.ipdrs.org/pluginfile.php/12972/mod_folder/content/0/c3.3%20Programas_Desayuno%2… Federación de Asociaciones Municipales de Bolivia Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Llajwa — receta municipal de La Paz lapaz.bo/turismo/2025/09/25/llajwa/ Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de La Paz Consulted: November 3, 2026
- Buñuelos bolivianos con jarabe de panela www.kitchenpause.com/es/recetas/bunuelos-bolivianos-con-jarabe-de-panela KitchenPause Consulted: November 3, 2026
- Indigenous Food Systems and Climate Change in Colomi, Bolivia www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00020/full Frontiers in Public Health Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Variedades de maíz y trigo para elaborar chicha en Cochabamba redicyt.dicyt.umss.edu.bo/entities/tesis/4ce0d141-095b-4d3f-b57f-6d4cbdc7cb73 Universidad Mayor de San Simón Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Bolivia — tenencia de electrodomésticos, Censo 2024 nimbus.ine.gob.bo/index.php/s/Hs3YpsarQpyygtr Instituto Nacional de Estadística Consulted: November 4, 2026
- 2012 Bolivia Global School-based Student Health Survey fact sheet cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/ncds/ncd-surveillance/data-reporting/bolivia/gshs/2012… World Health Organization Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Nutrition transition in 2 lowland Bolivian subsistence populations pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6290367/ The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Dietary patterns and socioeconomic disadvantage: an analysis of food consumption patterns and their determinants in Cochabamba, Bolivia pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12632106/ Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Guía de frutos silvestres comestibles de la Chiquitania sbb.org.bo/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Guia-Frutos-2025.pdf Fundación para la Conservación del Bosque Chiquitano Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Todos Santos lapaz.bo/turismo/todos-santos/ Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de La Paz Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas sobre alimentación saludable en escolares del municipio de La Paz www.scielo.org.bo/pdf/chc/v65n2/1562-6776-chc-65-02-38.pdf Revista Cuadernos Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Estado nutricional y características de la dieta de un grupo de adolescentes de la localidad rural de Calama, Bolivia vbn.aau.dk/en/publications/estado-nutricional-y-caracter%C3%ADsticas-de-la-dieta-de-un-grupo… Aalborg University Research Portal Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Caracterización de las Familias Tarijeñas desde las Dimensiones Vinculares tja.ucb.edu.bo/estudio-caracterizacion-de-las-familias-tarijenas-desde-las-dimensiones-vincu… Universidad Católica Boliviana Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Desigualdades: tiempos y trabajos. Encuesta Urbana de Uso del Tiempo 2023 cedla.org/producto/desigualdades-tiempos-y-trabajos-principales-resultados-de-la-encuesta-ur… CEDLA Consulted: November 4, 2026
- Bolivia: destinos y cultura gastronómica conocebolivia.turismoyculturas.gob.bo/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PF-Bolivia.pdf Ministerio de Turismo y Culturas de Bolivia
- El plato paceño y el festival gastronómico de La Paz lapaz.bo/el-protagonista-de-las-fiestas-julias-el-plato-paceno-cierra-con-broche-de-oro-la-p… Gobierno Autónomo Municipal de La Paz
- Programa 200 años, 200 destinos conocebolivia.turismoyculturas.gob.bo/mapa/ Ministerio de Turismo y Culturas de Bolivia