Why do kids love Costa Rica cuisine?

My children are very picky eaters.  To make matters worse, Kara is a vegetarian.  Have you tried feeding a picky vegetarian?  It is not fun!

Before we moved to Costa Rica from Texas, I prepared the children for the new culinary experience by having them order something new from a restaurant every week and preparing a new meal at home a couple of times per month.  Sometimes it worked well, other times the whole thing was a debacle.

I was absolutely ecstatic when it became evident that both Kara and Tristan loved Costa Rica cuisine.  While Costa Rica is known for its beauty, environmental sensitivity, and accepting view of life, it is not known for its cuisine.  You don’t see many Costa Rican restaurants out there.

I think the reason Costa Rican cuisine is not popular in the USA is because it is simple, low in fat, low in salt, and low in carbohydrates.  Standard American meals tend to be complicated conglomerates of a multitude of ingredients, high in fat, high in salt, and high in carbs.  Fortunately for us, my children like simple foods, so they love the food here.

The typical Costa Rican breakfast consists of gallo pinto (mixed rice and beans), eggs, a slice of cheese, a corn tortilla, and fruit.

Typical Costa Rican Breakfast (image borrowed from Google images)

Our breakfast at home usually consists of homemade bread and a piece of fruit.  But when we go out to breakfast on weekends, the kids devour the typical Costa Rican breakfast at Choco-Cafe.

The typical Costa Rican lunch or dinner is referred to as “Casado Tipico”, and consists of white rice, black beans, steamed veggies and/or salad, avocado, a slice of cheese, and a friend plantain.

Casado Tipico de Costa Rica (image borrowed from Google images )

Image from http://livinglapuravida.wordpress.com/tag/casado/

Casado Tipico can also come with a tortilla and meat.  Tristan, my meat-eating boy, usually orders the vegetarian Casado Tipico when we go out to eat, but he will occasionally ask for a Casado Tipico with chicken.  I think for my children one of the appeals of Casado Tipico is the fact all the foods are separated from each other.  Nothing is mixed and there is no sauce.  My kids do not like sauces.

Other popular Costa Rican dishes include Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), Arroz con vegetables (Rice with vegetables), and picadillo.  My kids love it all.

So don’t be afraid to travel to Costa Rica with your kids.  Even picky children like my own like the food here.

Pura Vida!