I just answered an ask about my vegan grocery essentials, so I thought I might as well post it here too!
Here are my resources for building your own healthy vegan grocery list:
Building a Healthy Vegan Grocery List
Vegan Lifestyle on a Budget
You can also check out my grocery posts, you might find them helpful too. Here’s the links to the 2 most recent ones:
Groceries 04/23/14 – Includes prices + My flexible menu for the week + Shopping FAQ
Groceries {Week 2} With Prices + What I Ate Last Week + Featured Products
Below are my essentials for eating healthy, these are the types of foods I like to have on hand at the start of each week. *Starred ingredients indicate items that I stock up on (usually from Costco) or items that last a long time, not things I buy on a week-to-week basis.
This is the list of foods I’d buy if I had to suddenly restock my kitchen from scratch. I’d choose these ingredients because I find them really easy to use, versatile, and really good for mixing and matching to create tons of different dishes.
Fruit
apples
bananas
oranges
whatever else is on sale and looks good (lately it’s things like berries, melons, pineapple, kiwis, etc.)
frozen mixed berries and frozen mango*
orange juice*
Vegetables
spinach (essential for salads)
cucumber
carrots
zucchini
broccoli
kale
mushrooms
grape tomatoes
avocados
garlic*
canned tomatoes or pasta sauce* (look for one made with wholesome ingredients)
Grains/Carbs
sprouted grain bread*
brown rice and/or quinoa*
whole wheat pasta*
granola*
oats*
Beans/Legumes
canned low sodium chickpeas*
extra-firm tofu
hummus*
Nuts/Seeds/Other
almonds*
pumpkin seeds*
peanut butter and/or almond butter*
soft pitted dates*
Vegan Non-Dairy
non-dairy yogurt (or dessert tofu)
soy or almond milk (unsweetened)
Other
sriracha*
nutritional yeast*
light soy sauce*
coconut oil/olive oil*
mustard*
Non-Essentials
Daiya Cheddar-style shreds
Earth Balance Buttery Spread
Vegenaise vegan mayo
Superfoods: chia seeds, hemp hearts, cacao nibs, etc.*
With this list you can make:
salads
yogurt and berry granola parfaits
smoothies
sandwiches
vegan lunch bowls
stir-fries
pasta
veggies & hummus
fruit with peanut butter
date balls
toast with pb & banana
toast with mashed avocado
fruit salad
oatmeal with berries/nuts/nut butters
tofu and vegetable broth soups
Here are some of my favourite recipes using those ingredients:
Baked Sriracha and Soy Sauce Tofu (in salads, wraps, sandwiches, and vegan lunch bowls - I use it all the time)
Tofu Noodle Soup [version 1] [version 2]
Classic Green Smoothie
Broiled Apple & Almond Butter Sandwich (you can also do PB & banana)
Mixed Berry, Granola, and Yogurt Parfait
Date Balls
You can also browse Garden of Vegan tags for: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Snacks, Smoothies, and Food on the Go. Most meals are made mostly with the ingredients above or would be really easy to substitute.
