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Cheap Organic Food – San Jose, Costa Rica

(borrowed from www.skinnybitch.net)

(borrowed from www.skinnybitch.net)

I just read the book called Skinny Bitch this week, and I think it has ruined me. Well, in an eating-junk-and-meat sort of way. It’s a good book with mostly good information, but written in an over-the-top California snobby super-model style. What I mean is, there is a lot of cussing and inappropriate language, for shock factor and humor, but it starts to grate on your nerves after a few chapters. Anyway, it reveals some pretty eye-opening statistics (cited and verifiable, of course) about animal cruelty in slaughterhouses; chemicals, hormones and pesticides that get into the meat, cheese, and eggs we eat; and how the FDA is a corrupt government agency that is being led and persuaded by the farm associations doing all the harm.

So, as a result, I am grossed out by meat, and more careful about the eggs and cheese I eat. Luckily (I think), I am in Costa Rica and there are many little farms here that are organic, humane, and healthier than the mass-produced animal farms elsewhere (although, I can’t speak for the cattle, most is sold to the US/Burger King companies). So, I am on the search for organic, healthy foods that exclude meat and it’s tougher than I thought, especially being in Costa Rica. Although, I am living in San Jose, which will have something even if the rest of the country doesn’t.

I found a great website for vegan/vegetarian recipes developed by the International Vegetarian Union (IVU). It can’t guide me on where to find items in Costa Rica, but I am determined to comb through all the local grocery stores. Each one has their own great features, which will be in a different post, but the organics sections are small! And so, the hunt for cheap organic food in Costa Rica begins.

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[...] not convinced I ’shouldn’t’ eat meat (there are various arguments proposed in Skinny Bitch such as our bodily design, digestion enzymes, shape of our teeth, etc.) but there are valid [...]

//Should I eat meat? | CheapFoodHere

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WHY CHEAP FOOD?

Cheap food gets a bad wrap since most equate it to fast food, bland casseroles, rice dishes and bad cheap meal recipes. That just doesn't have to be the case and my husband and I have dedicated ourselves to disproving this bad perception while living in Costa Rica by creating cheap and easy recipes and finding the cheap restaurants in Costa Rica. You would think food down here is cheap, and it can be for sure, but if you don't change your eating habits away from expensive prepared foods, it'll rob your wallet every time. It's nice to see how the Ticos here survive nicely on healthy foods like beans, rice, plantains, zucchini, onions, etc and that it's actually cheaper than prepackaged garbage foods that you find on the store shelves imported from the US. We have created cheap food recipes that use real food without MSG and all the other harmful artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

Most people have a hard time changing their lifestyle to away from eating for convenience and refocusing their efforts to finding cheap cooking recipes to benefit their health. With this in mind, the food budget is one of the hardest places cut back on and recipes for cheap food can take a little planning. We need to prioritize what we need and what we want. The 'wants' most of the time include a lot of food that falls into the unnecessary snack category and more often than not, are very expensive. These are the foods we need to cut out of our diet and replace with healthy whole foods.

Cheap snack recipes are key so that you aren't wasting your money and your calorie intake on prepacked, sodium-filled foods. Home made crackers with homemade hummus or a simple star fruit can be prepared in advance and be a cheap snack for work or between classes. Cheap Food Here also helps to reduce food costs by finding cheap vegetarian recipes that cut down on the amount of meat, which is a large part of meal expenses.

CHEAP RECIPES

If you haven't noticed, we have cheap recipes that are unique and delicious because we know that cheap food doesn't just mean frozen TV dinners, canned pasta or boxed meals that just need hot water. As intelligent humans, we're able to mix and match flavors from the world to satisfy our creative tooth and not pay outrageously for it. There are a million cheap and easy recipe combinations and the majority including ingredients that don't cost a fortune. Cheap ingredients are the key, but don't put the quality at risk. Look for great deals on organic produce or better yet, grow your own cheap food! Seasonal veggies from the garden are as good as it gets. Everything is sweeter right off the vine.

We have tons of recipes for dinner like soy milk alfredo pasta, homemade pizza and garlic roasted broccoli just to name a few. There's something for everyone and will fit just right into your tightening budget.

FOOD CRAVING

First, let's take a tour of Cheap Food Here starting with the search. Are you having trouble with your chips getting constantly stale? Learn how to unstale your chips. What are you craving? Is it chicken empanadas, or a breakfast burrito? Just type in your favorite cheap food and you'll find all the places you can buy it, cheap recipes to make it yourself and general cheap food ideas related to the search.

If you are more of a photo junkie and need visual stimulation before deciding what you're going to eat (like we are), there is a rotating featured cheap recipe that will suck you right in with the photos. Or if you scroll your way down the page you'll see how to find cheap restaurants, our most popular cheap food posts and some articles highlighting our favorite cheap food gadgets and food causes. If you still haven't found what you're looking for, perhaps you can try finding it at one of our foodie friend sites along the right hand side.

CHEAP RESTAURANTS

If you're in more of a browsing mood, take a look at all the cheap restaurants we've been to and reviewed by clicking on the 'restaurants' tab. Or, if you're interested in food in Costa Rica or the specifics to cooking Costa Rican Food, click on the 'food Costa Rica' tab in the main navigation. We've traveled all over Costa Rica and tried to document as much of the food and restaurants as possible along the way. This will be a work in progress, but the good thing is that most of the places we've been to don't actually have websites, so they are hidden gems that we're revealing to you exclusively.

Directions to restaurants in Costa Rica can be difficult because they don't actually have official addresses, just instructions on how to get there. I'll do my best to use maps and directions to get you there, but any cab driver in the area should know the places by name. Thanks for visiting Cheap Food Here and we hope you like what you've seen. Comments are always welcomed and good eating to you!