A Scavenger Hunt in a Vegan Cupboard
Vegan kitchens have an amazing array of ingredients that the lay person has never even heard of before. This transition to living a plant-based lifestyle is challenging but also exhilarating.
My favourite part about moving towards a more animal product free diet was the amount of new foods I got to test out! The first time you go shopping you will find you are spending a lot. I recommend a slow transition over to an animal-product free kitchen rather than wasting the food you already have in your fridge. I was that “Vegan” who finished her eggs, delicious cheese, and miracle whip before really classifying my fridge as animal product free. For those that are thinking of making the switch to a flexible animal-product free lifestyle – I have comprised a complete list of ingredients that make living Animal-Product free a lot easier!
Vegan Grocery List
Vegetables:
Romaine Lettuce
Kale
Spinach
Parsley
Cilantro
Swiss Chard
Cucumber
Carrots
Mushrooms
Peppers
Cabbage
Zucchini
Onions
Shallots
Garlic
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Sweet Potatoes/Yams
Butternut Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Fruit:
Pears
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Kiwis
Watermelon
Berries (Frozen or not)
Healthy Fats:
Coconut oil
Natural Peanut Butter
Avocados
Almond Butter
Almond Milk
Tahini
Probiotics:
Sauerkraut
Kimchi
Miso
Seasonings/cooking ingredients
Cacao Powder
Coconut Flour
Almond Flour
Tamari
Soy sauce
Maple Syrup
Dijon Mustard
Turmeric
Curry Powder
Himalayan Salt
Sea Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Nutritional Yeast
Sesame Seeds
Italian Seasoning
Dried Cilantro
Dried Parsley
Dried Oregano
Chili Powder
Grains:
Brown Basmati Rice
Wild Rice
Vegan Bread
Vegan Pasta options
Black bean pasta
Edamame pasta
Mainly Protein Sources:
Edamame Beans (Frozen or not)
Vegan Protein Powder
Chick Peas
Black Beans
Lentils
Mung Beans
Hemp Seeds
Super Foods
Chia seeds
Phylum Husk
Maca powder
Flax seeds
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Goji Berries
Mulberries
Cashews
Almonds
Walnuts
Raisins
Cocoa Nibs
Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
Trial and Error
How I came up with this list was a lot of trial and error. At first I was focusing too much on buying ingredients for just recipes. But I was finding that during my day to day life I was not using these ingredients all the time. They were rarely used and it became a waste of money. So I took them off my master list and they are now hiding in my cupboard waiting for that moment I use the recipe I intended to use.
I find the best thing to do is have a staple cookbook that you have at your home. Whether it is Vegan, Vegetarian, or full on meat oriented it does not matter. One cookbook that helps inspire most of your meals helps keep your grocery list structured. My favorite cookbook and vegan blogger is “Oh She Glows”. She is extremely knowledgeable about the vegan diet and she has amazing recipes that never make you want to use animal product again. I was lucky enough that my vegan mentor bought this book for me to get me started on the track to an animal product free lifestyle. So far, it has only done great things! So head over to your closest Chapters book store or go online and order your first staple cookbook today!
If there are any other amazing vegan ingredients that you can think of please let me know! I am always interested in new vegan alternatives to add to my kitchen!