Essential Staples For A Vegan Kitchen | Pantry Essentials And Grocery List

Everything that you need to stock up on when trying a vegan diet or simply if you want to include more plant-based foods in your diet. Transitioning to a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. This guide can help you discover new items to include in your grocery list. (PDF grocery list included!)

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I haven’t been vegan for so long, a bit more than a year but in this time I have discovered so many new products! Transitioning to a vegan diet is extremely exciting! I think it’s crucial not to focus on what you are removing from your diet but focus on the great foods you will be adding.

There is no reason to feel overwhelmed by this process, and this list can help you recognise the products that you can stock up on, so you’re always ready to create delicious plant-based recipes.

Here is a list of my essentials, products that I have in my pantry (not all at once!) and that enable me to make an easy and quick meals like the ones I share on here!

VEGAN SHOPPING LIST

Below you can find a more extensive list of vegan foods you can include in your pantry. You don’t need to have all of these, It is just to get an idea of what you can get, I never have all of these things in my pantry.

VEGAN KITCHEN STAPLES

GRAINS

• Pasta
• Rice
• Bulgur
• Couscous
• Bread (Including pita bread, tortillas, naan and bagels)
• Oats
• Quinoa

I try to get different types of pasta and rice such as wholemeal pasta, buckwheat pasta, brown and black rice, red and mixed quinoa.

BREAD AND BAKERY

• All-purpose flour
• Wholemeal flour
• Gluten-free: Almond flour, Buckwheat flour, Cornflour, Oat flour, Chickpea flour (perfect for vegan omelette, chickpea scramble and fritters)
• Sliced Bread and Sourdough
• Tortillas, tacos
• Focaccia
• Breadsticks
• Crackers

NUT BUTTERS

• Almond butter
• Hazelnut and chocolate spread
• Peanut butter
• Cashew butter

Tip: You can actually make these at home if you own a powerful blender! All you need to do is roast the nuts for about 10 minutes at 165C fan and then blend them until they are liquid.

NUTS AND SEEDS

• Nuts: Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Pecans, Macadamia
• Seeds: Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds, Ground flax seeds (you can make egg substitutes with these, here is how to make a flax egg), Sesame seeds

VEGETABLES

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These depend on the season and I really try to buy only seasonal food. Some vegetables that I always get is leafy greens and they are the most nutritious type of greens. Vegetables in my pantry include:

• Cruciferous vegetables: Arugula, Bok choy, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Collard greens, Spinach, Swiss chard, Lettuce
• Avocado
• Carrots
• Celery
• Pumpkin
• Courgette
• Cucumbers
• Aubergine
• Beets
• Bell peppers
• Potatoes (yellow, sweet potatoes)
• Tomatoes
• Onion and garlic
• Mushrooms

There are some vegetables that are great to buy frozen: spinach, peas, edamame, stir fry mixes.

FRUITS

As for fruits, I always try to avoid tropical foods and buy seasonal produce. So in the winter, I will eat pears, kiwis, mandarin, persimmon, and apples and in the summer I will eat all the fresh berries, peaches etc. It is convenient and cheap to buy frozen fruit like mixed berries. These are perfect for smoothies but also as toppings, they can be defrosted so quickly in the microwave and you know you will not waste any.

• Bananas
• Kiwis
• Fresh berries (in the summer)
• Peaches, plums (in the summer)
• Pears
• Oranges and clementine
• Apples
• Lemons and limes
• Cantaloupe

This also includes Dried Fruit, such as:

• Dates
• Figs
• Raisins
• Currants
• Cranberries
• Apricots
• Apple slices

LEGUMES

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These are a great source of protein and fibre. I tend to buy canned legumes because they do not need to be soaked, apart from dry red and yellow lentils which do not to be soaked and cook relatively quickly. Canned legumes are a great solution and if you are worried about the salt amount you can simply rinse them well.

My favourites are:

• Chickpeas (great for hummus)
• Lentils (Puy lentils)
• Red and yellow dry lentils
• Cannellini beans
• Red kidney and black beans
• Pinto beans

DAIRY ALTERNATIVES

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I think this is one of the easiest swaps one can make when transitioning to a vegan diet. I used to hate soy milk and now I love all types of plant milks. It is unbelievable the variety of plant milk that you can find nowadays! And the same goes for dairy-free spread and yoghurt. Some include:

• Soy, Almond, Hazelnut, Rice, Oat milk
• Soy, Oat, Coconut yoghurt
• Vegan butter or any dairy free spread (including margarine)
• Dairy free cheese
• Dairy free cream cheese

MEAT ALTERNATIVES

These are a great source of protein and great substitues

• Soy-based: Firm tofu, Soft/silken tofu (great for scrambled tofu), Tempeh
• Seitan
• Mock meats: vegan mince, chick’n pieces, vegan sausages, vegan bacon etc
• Veggie burgers, Meatless burgers (i.e. beyond meat)

SAUCES AND OILS

• Oils (olive/rapeseed/coconut/ sesame)
• Balsamic/ apple cider/ rice vinegar
• Soy Sauce
• Tahini
• Miso paste
• Ketchup, bbq sauce, mayo, mustard,
• Siracha