I'm new to the area, am staying in Sosua right now. I try to eat healty and was wondering if there was a health food store around? I'm looking for organic or all natural food, or supplements? Also, what would be a good restaurant for really healthy food. Thanks
- Thread starter ChantalintheDR
- Start date
Health food store?
Thanks Windeguy! I am vegetarian, so I like veggies. I prefer organic, lots of organic veggies for salads. I would be looking for things like spelt bread, whole grain pasta, soy or almond milk. I found soy milk in the local grocery, though. Some regular oatmeal would be nice, not the quick cooking kind. If I could also find Quinoa, that would be great, also, some all natural peanut or almond butter. Also, the honey here seems strange to me. Am I asking too much?
Thanks for the tip on the GNC, I'll check it out.
Thanks for the tip on the GNC, I'll check it out.
For the record "windeguy", this is spelt bread (with recipe) (which i found on google).
Nigel Slater's spelt bread recipe | Life and style | The Observer
and that is Quinoa.
BR
Nigel Slater's spelt bread recipe | Life and style | The Observer
and that is Quinoa.
BR
Quinoa at LaSirena in POP
I saw quinoa on the rice isle at LaSirena in POP...on the end toward the sugar, if I recall correctly - top shelf maybe. Was surprised to see it. Also saw rice milk in City Market (Sosua) today. I think you just have to take your time and check every isle carefully - more healthy stuff out there than one would expect to find here!
I saw quinoa on the rice isle at LaSirena in POP...on the end toward the sugar, if I recall correctly - top shelf maybe. Was surprised to see it. Also saw rice milk in City Market (Sosua) today. I think you just have to take your time and check every isle carefully - more healthy stuff out there than one would expect to find here!
are you a tourist or a resident? if it is the first one do not bother. just eat whatever vegetarian dish you happen to order and smile. being organic in DR ain't so easy...
if you are a resident then you may consider few sources of food. in POP there is a mercado nuevo, a fruit and veg marker in a city center. you can find nice food there if a little monotonous. but it is locally made and in small quantities so most likely as organic as it gets.
you can also buy veg from sellers going around in little pickup trucks. they are from campos and they sell their local produce.
you may also venture out of the city and into the campo, dominicans are generally nice and pleasant and i am sure they'd be willing to sell gringa some of their own eggs/milk/fruits.
since you are in sosua check out german bakeries for bread. dominican so called "bread" is really gross and not worth looking at, not to mention eating.
going from sosua to rio san juan, in a small place called sabaneta there is a small shop that sells excellent cheese. and yoghurt. and milk. worth buying.
i do not know what's strange about dominican honey? i find it quite bland but most people love it way more that whatever you can buy in america...
oat can be bought in supermarkets, look for section with semillas.
in any case la sirena in POP, or even smaller jose luis have healthy food section with all sort of weird stuff there. i am sure you can find something for yourself there.
i will not comment on supplements save from the fact that someone who cares for health should know better than to buy overpriced chemicals branded as "natural"...
if you are a resident then you may consider few sources of food. in POP there is a mercado nuevo, a fruit and veg marker in a city center. you can find nice food there if a little monotonous. but it is locally made and in small quantities so most likely as organic as it gets.
you can also buy veg from sellers going around in little pickup trucks. they are from campos and they sell their local produce.
you may also venture out of the city and into the campo, dominicans are generally nice and pleasant and i am sure they'd be willing to sell gringa some of their own eggs/milk/fruits.
since you are in sosua check out german bakeries for bread. dominican so called "bread" is really gross and not worth looking at, not to mention eating.
going from sosua to rio san juan, in a small place called sabaneta there is a small shop that sells excellent cheese. and yoghurt. and milk. worth buying.
i do not know what's strange about dominican honey? i find it quite bland but most people love it way more that whatever you can buy in america...
oat can be bought in supermarkets, look for section with semillas.
in any case la sirena in POP, or even smaller jose luis have healthy food section with all sort of weird stuff there. i am sure you can find something for yourself there.
i will not comment on supplements save from the fact that someone who cares for health should know better than to buy overpriced chemicals branded as "natural"...
oh, i saw your other post about being here for few months.
your best shot in the market in POP then and doing your own cooking. in the countryside you can buy all sort of things directly from the farmer/producer. i was in the mountains last week and i bought hand made, totally organic casabe. you could even see the process. the family had chickens and veggies so i am sure they would sell if asked.
take time to have few trips to the campo and you will find a constant supply of a good food.
your best shot in the market in POP then and doing your own cooking. in the countryside you can buy all sort of things directly from the farmer/producer. i was in the mountains last week and i bought hand made, totally organic casabe. you could even see the process. the family had chickens and veggies so i am sure they would sell if asked.
take time to have few trips to the campo and you will find a constant supply of a good food.
I have looked for Quinoa in Playero and other markets but like you, couldn't find any. Not the same, but if you like it, Playero sells burgul. Also, there is some difficult to find (in the DR) grains in the back of the isle where the rice is. Probably packed by Playero; just plastic bags with their own price label.
Thanks, dv8, that's great advice! You are obviously into this stuff. I agree about not taking supplements that are just chemicals. In the US and Canada, there are some supplements that are whole food based. As for the honey, it's more liquid than what I am used to, and I thought that perhaps it tasted like it was mixed with corn syrup or something. But if it's 100% pure honey, then that's great.
Would you know if it's possible to find agave syrup here?
Thanks again!
Would you know if it's possible to find agave syrup here?
Thanks again!
i am really not into healthy stuff, i just try to eat well seeing that miesposo has high cholesterol level 
we make our own bread (bread machine is a worthy investment) and my father in law has a finca so i can always stuff. miesposo has a big garden at work and sometimes he brings yuka, platanos and other goodies. and i have platanos and bananas in my garden.
honey here is very liquid and it does not really harden. maybe it is temperatures? or maybe it is really pure? i just had a gallon of honey delivered from a beekeeper, for bread.
when shopping in DR look for local stuff. bon makes not only helados but also nice jams and marmalades.
agave syrup is a sweetener, right? i think i saw some stuff made out of that in jose luis (supermarket in POP). a juice, most likely. they also sell here noni juice, i googled once and apparently it is very much "in" in the civilized world as a remedy for everything. expensive there, cheap here. free if you come to collect the damn smelly thingy from my backyard
in the healthy food section they sell variety of seeds, perfect for breads, if you make them yourself.
sadly, dominicans seem to think that bigger is better relates to vegetables because heck, they grow them to absolutely biblical proportions.
we make our own bread (bread machine is a worthy investment) and my father in law has a finca so i can always stuff. miesposo has a big garden at work and sometimes he brings yuka, platanos and other goodies. and i have platanos and bananas in my garden.
honey here is very liquid and it does not really harden. maybe it is temperatures? or maybe it is really pure? i just had a gallon of honey delivered from a beekeeper, for bread.
when shopping in DR look for local stuff. bon makes not only helados but also nice jams and marmalades.
agave syrup is a sweetener, right? i think i saw some stuff made out of that in jose luis (supermarket in POP). a juice, most likely. they also sell here noni juice, i googled once and apparently it is very much "in" in the civilized world as a remedy for everything. expensive there, cheap here. free if you come to collect the damn smelly thingy from my backyard
in the healthy food section they sell variety of seeds, perfect for breads, if you make them yourself.
sadly, dominicans seem to think that bigger is better relates to vegetables because heck, they grow them to absolutely biblical proportions.
oh, i forgot. in supermarkets and in pharmacies you can buy small pouches with herbs like flor de tilo or flor de manzanilla, they make fantasic teas.
there is a guy who makes algae supplement, spirulina, very organic. we sell it in the pharmacy so i can look up his details. so there are some really natural supplements you can buy locally.
instead of sweeeteners look for one of them guys selling sugar cane syrup. ask him for a glass with no ice. it is very sweet and i am sure more healthy than any stuff you can buy in supermarkets.
coconut water is very rich in potassium and all round helthy. great for hydration.
there is a guy who makes algae supplement, spirulina, very organic. we sell it in the pharmacy so i can look up his details. so there are some really natural supplements you can buy locally.
instead of sweeeteners look for one of them guys selling sugar cane syrup. ask him for a glass with no ice. it is very sweet and i am sure more healthy than any stuff you can buy in supermarkets.
coconut water is very rich in potassium and all round helthy. great for hydration.
Thanks dv8! The sugar cane syrup idea is great, that would be a very good, natural sweetener. I am new here, so I have not seen one of those guys yet. I will be on the lookout.
I am also very interested in that spirulina. You sell it in which pharmacy? I would like to buy some.
Thanks!
I am also very interested in that spirulina. You sell it in which pharmacy? I would like to buy some.
Thanks!
well, we have spirulina in our farmacia in POP but i am pretty sure you can find the stuff elsewhere too. sosua is filled with expats so the shops and pharmacies there should have a choice of vitamins and supplements, also those locally made.
it is true you may find it diffucult to adopt your healthy lifestyle to dominican reality. i guess people who struggle to put any food on their tables will be surprised to hear you do not eat meat. it is a priviledge of the rich to reject different foods...
it is true you may find it diffucult to adopt your healthy lifestyle to dominican reality. i guess people who struggle to put any food on their tables will be surprised to hear you do not eat meat. it is a priviledge of the rich to reject different foods...
Thanks everyone for your input. I know that I will have to adapt to life here, but I also learned a few things that I would not have learned had I not asked the question. Thanks.
no worries, you will find a way to do your thing. certain flexibility is needed because of different location but do not be put off
i confirm that la sirena in POP has your quinoa, or whatever it is called. i saw it yesterday. thay also have stevia sweetener. and oats, avena in spanish. and soy milk.
here is contact for spirulina maker: jgige@aol.com; 809 675 4370, 829 313 905. maybe he will be able to help you with other natural supplements.
i confirm that la sirena in POP has your quinoa, or whatever it is called. i saw it yesterday. thay also have stevia sweetener. and oats, avena in spanish. and soy milk.
here is contact for spirulina maker: jgige@aol.com; 809 675 4370, 829 313 905. maybe he will be able to help you with other natural supplements.
Health food in the Puerto Plata area
Hi everyone, I'm going to Sosua for six months and will be looking for my "health staples" of quinoa, chia seeds, and powdered greens; I'd prefer buying it there rather than lugging it all with me. I'll also be looking for, well, organic everything as much as possible. All of the posts on this thread are from two years ago or more; if anyone can give me an update on where to find this stuff, I'd really appreciate it. Muchas gracias!
Hi everyone, I'm going to Sosua for six months and will be looking for my "health staples" of quinoa, chia seeds, and powdered greens; I'd prefer buying it there rather than lugging it all with me. I'll also be looking for, well, organic everything as much as possible. All of the posts on this thread are from two years ago or more; if anyone can give me an update on where to find this stuff, I'd really appreciate it. Muchas gracias!
here is a thread you started: http://www.dr1.com/forums/north-coast/125612-organic-groceries-puerto-plata-area.html
please do the search before asking the same thing time and again.
nothing has changed: there are no organic food shops on the north coast. you buy from the street sellers, producers and the market. it's as organic as it gets.
all supermarkets have health food sections. la sirena in POP has the biggest choice, some products are also spread across the store (for example organic american almond/rice/walnut milk is in diary section). there is quinoa, couscous, wild rice and other staple foods available (the price of wild rice will blow you away).
i have no idea what are "powdered greens". i prefer my greens raw and fresh.
please do the search before asking the same thing time and again.
nothing has changed: there are no organic food shops on the north coast. you buy from the street sellers, producers and the market. it's as organic as it gets.
all supermarkets have health food sections. la sirena in POP has the biggest choice, some products are also spread across the store (for example organic american almond/rice/walnut milk is in diary section). there is quinoa, couscous, wild rice and other staple foods available (the price of wild rice will blow you away).
i have no idea what are "powdered greens". i prefer my greens raw and fresh.