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Organic Groceries Delivered in Costa Rica- NaturaStyle

We’ve been toying with the idea of getting our groceries through NaturaStyle for several months now (okay, about 9 months) and remembering our delivery service in Charlotte (Absolute Organics), I’m not sure what took us so long.

WHEN DOES NATURA STYLE DELIVER?

NaturaStyle only delivers on Saturdays, so planning is essential. We placed our order the Sunday prior and just survived off of the fridge leftovers in anticipation for the motherload to come the next Saturday. It was very easy to get in touch with Silvia, the one in charge of orders, to verify the time of delivery. They make the delivery schedule the Friday before, so make sure you don’t have plans for Saturday until you know your delivery time.

Ours was scheduled for 10:30am and the guys were less than 30 minutes late, which is considered early here in Costa Rica. Tico Time usually means everything happens around 2 hours after it was scheduled, so we were in great shape. The delivery guys came and were very friendly and helpful to put the groceries in the house. Here is what we ordered, and keep in mind this is all organic:

WHAT DOES NATURA STYLE DELIVER?

• bunch of 4 ripe bananas ($0.30)
• 4 Whole fresh beets with tops ($2.70)
• 2 Large heads of broccoli ($2.73)
• 1 Whole coconut ($0.35)
• 18 pk of eggs ($3.80)
• 1/4 Kilo Goat Cheese ($4.47)
• 1 large bunch green onion ($0.68)
• 8oz jar of Honey ($4.96)
• 6 misc lemons and limes ($1.39)
• 1 bunch lemongrass ($0.75)
• 1 head boston lettuce ($0.90)
• 1 container of whole white mushrooms ($3.23)
• 4 heads of garlic ($1.63)
• Medium Pineapple ($1.25)
• 250g (approx 1 Cup) Raw Butter ($3.79)
• 1 liter Raw Milk ($2.38)
• 3 Bunches of spinach ($1.63)
• 1 Kilo Star Fruit ($0.75)
• 3 Sweet Red Bell Peppers ($2.28)
• 1 Kilo Roma Tomatoes ($4.61)
• 2.3 Kilo Whole Chicken ($13.31)
• 1 loaf whole wheat and herb bread ($1.86)

TOTAL: $64.30

So, as you can see the prices vary. Some items are surprisingly cheap, like the kilo of Star Fruit or a bunch of lemongrass for $0.75. However, some of the other items you would expect to be cheaper, especially here in Costa Rica, like the bell peppers at $2.28 for three. But, the rest is reasonable especially for organic. If you shop at the markets you’ll find better prices, but you can’t beat delivery and the quality is spot on.

The best items we received, when considering flavor, were the bananas, which had a richness we had never tasted before, the star fruit, the bread, and the raw milk. We’ve been reading about raw milk and the benefits of not drinking pasteurized milk, but this stuff is delicious. We’re not too picky about some food but we’re not into buying our garlic from China, because who knows what they’re doing over there and who is regulating what. So, although the organic garlic is expensive, we definitely prefer it.

Check back here for more posts about NaturaStyle and their products.

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15 Comments »

  1. Hi !!

    First let me congratulate you on this great blog! So many great articles and valuable information!

    I live in Jaco and just finished reading up some articles about Raw milk. I want to try and source some locally and when I entered raw milk costa rica in google, you were one of the first links :-)
    I can’t believe a service like NaturaStyle exists in CR!! I never would’ve expected to find this! Thanks so much for posting it.
    I would like to get your feedback on the Raw milk that you order from them. How long have you been drinking it? Is it completely raw or do they boil it? I’m kind of afraid of bacteria in the raw milk, which is why I’m looking for local people who have been consuming it, to get their experiences and see if it’s safe. Have you noticed any particular changes since you switched to drinking raw milk?

    Sorry for all the questions! I just need to check because I’ll be giving it to my son as well.

    Thanks!
    Natalie

    //natalie

  2. Great questions Natalie. We don’t drink raw milk all the time and in fact we’ve tried to cut out most of the dairy in our diet altogether. However, when we do order the raw milk from Naturastyle (who gets it from a local farm), it lasts in the fridge for about 3 days before going bad, so we only order a liter at a time. The taste is fantastic and is much more rich than pasteurized milk and we haven’t had any issues with getting sick. I think if the cows are healthy, the milk will be healthy too and the western world has scared people into thinking pasteurized milk is safer, but really it’s just killing all the good nutrients and enzymes. I wouldn’t hesitate to consume raw milk products and if you’re healthy yourself any issues with bacteria will only mildly affect you anyway. In terms of changes in my health, I would say reducing dairy consumption altogether has helped my digestive system and overall gives me more energy. I hope this answers your questions.

    //CheapFoodHere (author)

  3. I googled “raw milk Costa Rica” as well and was happy to find this blog. We’re big traditional foods/Weston Price fans and have been drinking raw milk here in DC for almost 6 years. We’re hoping to move to CR next year and my husband is looking for a job as a math teacher for one of the American or International schools there. So I’ve started my research to see what life was like in CR and it looks amazing. So glad there’s a an organic food/raw milk resource. Thanks for all your research and for making it available to others!

    //melanie

  4. I’m glad you found us. Make sure you’re in for an adventure if you move here, living in the city is maddness and has been really hard for us to adjust to over two years. Everyone has different experiences, but know that it’s not all beaches and margaritas. ;-) Hit us up if you move down. ashley (at) cheapfoodhere.com

    //CheapFoodHere (author)

  5. ashley,

    have you found anywhere here in Costa Rica where actual organic milk is sold? Or do you know if the raw milk from Natura Style is from cows given organic feed, exclusively?

    thanks, michele

    //michele

  6. I don’t know of any certified organic milk farms in Costa Rica, but most of the farmers can’t afford the certification process and how many years it takes to get it. I do know that the majority of the cows here are grass fed exclusively. If you get Certified Organic cows milk in the grocery store, it’s imported from the US, so you’re kind of going against the healthy aspect by consuming something that was shipped in from thousands of miles away.

    Sorry, i’m not sure if I helped answer your questions.

    //CheapFoodHere (author)

  7. super helpful! thanks!

    //michele

  8. Hi: I live up here in Puriscal and am wondering if you deliver here. There a few of us here that would be interested in organics and especially if delivered. We could even get together to make it a once stop for you.

    How about carrots and beets? Is there a chance of getting them on your list?
    Thank you
    Patsy

    //Patsy

  9. Hi Patsy, I do not work for NaturaStyle.com. I simply write a food blog and posted about them and their services. You’ll have to contact them about delivery to Purisal, but I do know they offer delivery by bus but you’ll have to coordinate with them. Good luck!

    //CheapFoodHere (author)

  10. [...] my carrot/beet/parsley and Green Vibrance juice cleanse. This week I will be placing an order with http://www.cheapfoodhere.com/groceries/organic-groceries-delivered-in-costa-rica-naturastyle for very affordable home delivered organic produce… so I won’t have to find a ride with [...]

    //evolvequest.com » Blog Archive » First Monday in CR

  11. I’ve been ordering from Natura Style for the 5 years we’ve lived in Costa Rica. Their food is always wonderful, however, the cost of transportation here in the mountains has just risen to 4500 colonnes, up from the 1500 colonnes I paid when we started ordering. I know prices have risen but not this much. Of course there’s a price for shipping but it should be reasonable and I don’t feel this meets that definition. I know I will continue ordering but it certainly won’t be as often. That being said, I still must emphasize the high quality of Natura Style’s products.

    //Michele Glenn

  12. Hi

    I been trying to contact Naturastyle both via Internet and phone.
    They are impossible to reach

    Do you know if they still are in business

    Regards

    Richard

    //Richard Rannikko

  13. Hi Richard, you know…I’m not living in Costa Rica anymore so I can’t say if they are still in business or not. It would be too bad (but not surprising) if they just dropped off the face of the Earth. That happens in CR sometimes with businesses. They don’t put a strong focus on customer service, which can kill them in the end. Good luck getting back in touch with them.

    //CheapFoodHere (author)

  14. 31.12.2012

    Hi,

    What´s wrong in green and healthy Costa Rica,
    why is it so difficult to find organically grown foods
    other then on local farmer markets?

    does anyone know if naturastyle is still in buisness?
    I dont get any response from there website or phone numbers.

    If not so, does anyone else know about alternatives to get
    organic food other then on local farmers markets?

    Worst case is there any suppliers in other countries that delivery at reasonable product prices and rates for delivery?

    Your inputs are much appreciated,

    Steve

    stevebrooker@gmail.com

    //Steve Brooker

  15. Hi Steve,

    It is frustrating that Costa Rica doesn’t have more organic produce available, however I do know that many farmers can’t afford the approval process to become certified organic producers. A lot of them are all-natural but some claim to be and are not. I’m not sure if NaturaStyle is still in business but I’ve been getting a few comments recently about them being unreachable. Thanks for your feedback :-)

    //CheapFoodHere (author)

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