My Vegan Food Staples – Veganuary Series

The vegan food staples that are regularly stocked in my fridge, freezer, and pantry – with some top tips for shopping. Bookmark this list for your next food shop!

Part of my Veganuary Series, for anyone interested in exploring a plant-based lifestyle.

Fruit and Vegetables

TOP TIP: Shop seasonally! In-season produce tends to be much more fresh, ripe, and usually cheaper too.

Produce that is almost always in my shopping cart/kitchen:

• Bananas
• Apples
• Grapes
• Berries (fresh and frozen)
• Tomatoes
• Mixed salad
• Spinach
• Carrots (usually baby carrots)
• Sweet peppers
• Frozen vegetables (mixed, corn, peas, green beans, stir-fry mix)
• Sweet potatoes and Korean/Japanese sweet potatoes

Produce I pick up seasonally/on sale/when needed:

• Persimmons (Fuyu and Hachiya, when in season)
• Watermelon
• Avocados
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Pears
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Kale (fresh and frozen)
• Mushrooms (fresh and frozen)
• Parsnips
• Bean sprouts
• Red cabbage

Grains

TOP TIP: Buy in bulk! Grains tend to have a long shelf-life, so we’ll get big

• Oats: rolled, quick, and steel cut/pinhead
• Rice: white, brown, wild, red, black
• Quinoa
• Pasta (gluten-free): made from corn, lentils, edamame, beans, etc.
• Bread (sometimes gluten-free)
• Gluten-free flour: Bob’s Red Mill
• Gram flour
• Cornmeal

Protein Sources

TOP TIP: Shop smart – I pick up different products from different shops, depending on the best deals. I almost always get tofu from our local asian market. Lentils are usually cheapest at Walmart. Beans are great to get in 6-packs from Costco, and nuts are much cheaper in bulk from Costco too. I don’t often get mock meats, but there’s often great sales so I’ll buy when there’s a deal going on and then store them in the freezer.

• Tinned/Canned beans (Chickpeas, Red kidney beans, cannellini beans)
• Tofu: I usually get whatever is on sale, and/or I love Nasoya’s brand!
• Tempeh: I like Lightlife
• Lentils: red/green/brown
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, pine nuts
• Seeds: pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, ground flax, chia
• Hummus (Sabra or store-brand)
• Mock meats: Beyond Meat, Dr. Praeger’s

Dairy-free alternatives

• Plant milk: Oatly, Alpro, Silk, Almond Breeze
• Dairy-free yoghurt: Silk, So Delicious 
• Dairy-free cheese: Field Roast Chao, Kite Hill, Violife Foods
• Dairy-free ice cream: So Delicious, Almond Dream

Spreads and Condiments

• Soy sauce/tamari
• Tahini
• Nut butters: peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter (I go for all natural, with no sugar or additives)
• Nutritional Yeast: Bragg
• Miso paste
• Vegetable stock: Better Than Bouillon
• Tomato paste/puree
• Tinned tomatoes
• Vegan Butter: Earth Balance, Miyoko’s
• Apple cider vinegar: Braggs
• Maple syrup
• Date syrup and paste: Wanna Date?
• Blackstrap molasses
• Oils – olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil

Spices

TOP TIP: If you want to get started with a spice collection, it’s great to pick a few staples to get started! I recommend cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and a few spice mixes (like chilli powder, curry powder, mixed herbs, etc)

• Cinnamon
• Turmeric
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Chilli powder
• Garam masala
• Mustard seeds
• Medium curry powder
• Garlic
• Mixed herbs

Drinks

• Herbal Teas: Green Tea, Redbush, Peppermint, Chamomile
• Matcha (for matcha lattes)

*Post was originally published on 2nd January, 2019, and updated on the 2nd Jan, 2023