Whole Food Plant Based in the Dominican Republic

texan

Member
Apr 1, 2014
442
2
18
Later this year I am going to spend several months in Puerto Plata. I haven’t been to the Dominican Republic since I have been on a Whole Food Plant Based diet. I normally got most of our groceries from La Sirena but this time I might need to go to other places as well.

I am not sure if some of the items if I can bring into the Dominican Republic or if I can find them there such as Chia Seed and Flax Seed. I know some of the food will be easy to find over there. Looking forward to eating any fruits, beans, legumes or vegetables that are easier to find in the Dominican Republic. 

Any suggestions to other items I can find during my stay.


Items I am not sure about finding:

Chickpeas
Kale 
Sweet Potatoes
Chia Seed
Flax Seed
Almond Milk
Squash
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Tempeh (soy product) 
Quinoa
Natural peanut butter
Almond Butter
cashew nuts




Items I assume will be easy to find:

Lentils
Spinach
Eggplant
Lemons
Bananas
Rice
Black Beans
Brocoli
Avocados
Mangos
Apple 
Oranges
Cinnamon
Garlic
Green Beans
Grapes
Oatmeal (steel cut and rolled)
Pineapple
Melons
Beets
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
Chickpeas
Kale 
Sweet Potatoes
Chia Seed
Flax Seed
Almond Milk
Squash
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Tempeh (soy product) 
Quinoa
Natural peanut butter
Almond Butter
cashew nuts

some of the items from your list are hit or miss: kale and squash (i assume butternut squash). in PP i have not see murican sweet potato (orange or purple). plenty of batatas tho. never seen tempeh. the rest is easily available, berries mostly frozen but fresh tasteless strawberries are in stores all year long. occasionally la sirena has imported fresh black and blue berries.

if you want the hipster fare take a trip to bravo and el nacional in santiago, they have wider choice of such goods.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
I've seen these items in Sosua with regularity.

Chickpeas
American style Sweet Potatoes - frequently
Almond Milk
Squash - occasionally
Strawberries
Quinoa
Natural peanut butter - lots of different peanut butter, "natural" I don't know.
cashew nuts
 

HS10

Active member
Feb 17, 2008
274
115
43
I am plant based whole foods and I love it.
You will not have any problem.
Items I always bring with me from NY
Nutritional yeast
Peanut Butter from Trader Joe's
You are not likely to find tofu etc here unless you get lucky.
Anyone interested in this way of eating should watch the film "What The Health" or "Forks Over Knives"
I am Very Very Happy not eating animals!!!
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
jose luis in PP always has tofu: cans and boxes.
eva, a dominican company, makes mantequilla de cajuil/almendra/coco/mani. all natural.

i'm curious about murican sweet potatoes, next time i'm in playero i will check the produce section.
 

Buffness

Self-imposed banned🫢
Oct 9, 2014
371
203
43
 Items I am not sure about finding:

Chickpeas
Kale 
Sweet Potatoes
Chia Seed
Flax Seed
Almond Milk
Squash
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Tempeh (soy product) 
Quinoa
Natural peanut butter
Almond Butter
cashew nuts



I am sure that you will find most if not all of these items in the large supermarket/grocery stores . My gf buys them regularly . Avocado and almond butter toast . Yum ! 
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
I've seen tempeh in one of the Chinese minimarkets on Av. Bolivar in Santo Domingo. Tiendas Organica (three branches in SD; not sure about Santiago) may have it too. Sweet potatoes appear from time to time in the Supermercados Nacional vegetable section. Kale too, but it almost always looks past its best.

Otherwise all the items on the list are easy enough to find in the big supermarkets.
 
Jan 17, 2009
1,622
59
48
"Chickpeas
Kale 
Sweet Potatoes
Chia Seed
Flax Seed
Almond Milk
Squash
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Tempeh (soy product) 
Quinoa
Natural peanut butter
Almond Butter
cashew nuts"

From this list, you can find several items at Janet's in Cabarete:  dry and canned, chick peas, kale, chia and flax seeds, quinoa, cashew nuts, almond milk.  

Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries only at Sirena in POP.  Never saw anywhere almond butter Sweet potatoes I've only seen the Dominican type (which are white inside).  

Natural peanut butter, there's a person who makes it and sells it locally.  If you have Facebook, on this group you'll see the name of the person and picture of the pb https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155464180985140&set=gm.1423665744398867&type=3&theater
 

Fulano2

Bronze
Jun 5, 2011
3,287
621
113
Europe
It's not on the list but love the couscous from Jeanette. And the frozen spinach for lasagne ...
 
Aug 6, 2006
8,775
12
38
How could there not be kale? It is the champion of green cuisine.
I prefer bok choy, the smaller defenseless kind.
but it is all a matter of taste
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
How could there not be kale? It is the champion of green cuisine.
I prefer bok choy, the smaller defenseless kind.
but it is all a matter of taste

kale, at least in PP, is a fairly new thing. appeared maybe 2 years ago when stores picked up on the fact there are folks who'd buy anything the internet names as fashionable super-food.
bok choy is available for longer but i only ever see it branded as "espinaca" which may be a bit confusing.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Later this year I am going to spend several months in Puerto Plata. I haven’t been to the Dominican Republic since I have been on a Whole Food Plant Based diet. I normally got most of our groceries from La Sirena but this time I might need to go to other places as well.

I am not sure if some of the items if I can bring into the Dominican Republic or if I can find them there such as Chia Seed and Flax Seed. I know some of the food will be easy to find over there. Looking forward to eating any fruits, beans, legumes or vegetables that are easier to find in the Dominican Republic. 

Any suggestions to other items I can find during my stay.


Items I am not sure about finding:

Chickpeas
Kale 
Sweet Potatoes
Chia Seed
Flax Seed
Almond Milk
Squash
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries
Tempeh (soy product) 
Quinoa
Natural peanut butter
Almond Butter
cashew nuts




Items I assume will be easy to find:

Lentils
Spinach
Eggplant
Lemons
Bananas
Rice
Black Beans
Brocoli
Avocados
Mangos
Apple 
Oranges
Cinnamon
Garlic
Green Beans
Grapes
Oatmeal (steel cut and rolled)
Pineapple
Melons
Beets

Plenty of fruits and veggies in the DR but don't forget Rum, that could qualify as a very whole food.
 
Jan 7, 2016
827
2
0
It was mentioned earlier, that Tofu was difficult to find. It is readily available at National here in Punta Cana, would suppose it would be available on the NC at National, too. I've seen it on a couple of occasions at Super Pola in PC, too.
 

texan

Member
Apr 1, 2014
442
2
18
Thanks for all the responses good to know I can get a lot of items in the Puerto Plata area.  I should eat more Bok Choy I just haven't been.   I do eat about half my greens in a salad and the other half I blend in Vitamix for a smoothie.