Have you heard of gallo pinto? This dish consists of rice mixed with black beans, plantains, fried or scrambled eggs, chopped meat, and tortillas, which can be replaced with brown rice, boiled plantains, and nopales tortillas, providing just 350 kcal, making it a nutritious and delicious dish. Yes, although it is a dish traditionally eaten at breakfast, it can also make a tasty and light lunch due to its rich ingredients.
On the other hand, there is the "casado" which consists of beans, rice with peppers and chopped onions, a cabbage salad with carrots and tomatoes, fried plantains, and a protein option that can include beef, chicken, fish, pork, or beef sirloin, depending on your choice. This dish contains 600 kcal for an approximately 300-gram portion, but how can it be made healthier? Rice can be substituted with brown rice, fried plantains can be boiled or baked instead, and the protein can be a solid piece of pork since it's one of the meats with the lowest caloric content. This way, the dish reduces to only 427 kcal—a drastic but equally delicious change.
Finally, there is "olla de carne," a delicious stew made with pieces of meat, corn, plantains, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, yuca, and chayote, with a caloric content of 600 kcal. However, the calories matter less when you seek a high-protein source like this, along with nutrients from all these vegetables and tubers. One way to reduce the calorie count is to remove the fat from the meat, decrease the portion size, and control the amount of salt used when seasoning.
Costa Rican food can be your ally if what you want is to regain muscle and maintain a diet rich in proteins and various nutrients.
