Vegan Grocery List for Beginners

When you’ve eaten vegan for years and years, you don’t have to think twice about grocery shopping anymore. You know exactly what is vegan and what isn’t vegan. You know what you like and where to go to get it. Newbies, on the other hand, might appreciate a vegan grocery list for beginners.

For those just starting out on a vegan diet, grocery shelves can all of a sudden seem mysterious. Your go-to staples must be reexamined for their veganism. So many labels, so little time.

Where To Start

This is a starter list for you to get to know the pantry of a vegan. Some of the items on this list aren’t detailed, like all of the fruits and veggies you should stock but vary according to personal taste. Many baking ingredients like flour, baking soda, baking powder, and canola oil, are already vegan so they’re not fully itemized here.

Some of the ingredients on this list have links to the Plenty Vegan Market. You can add all of the items you want to your cart right here on Plenty Vegan and then checkout with the convenience of Amazon.

Customize It

People have their own preferences, obviously, and not everyone’s kitchen will look the same. Also, while many of the items below are eaten by people of all dietary persuasions, they hold a special place in the hearts of vegans and often take a more prominent role in the daily diet of a vegan (vs. an omnivore or even a vegetarian).

Add items you like, cross off what you don’t – no two vegan grocery list for beginners look the same!

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PANTRY

Dairy Substitutions

Proteins

Nuts – almonds , walnuts, pecans, pistachios , etc.

Seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, etc. (I recommend some other seeds that I keep in the fridge but that’s up to you – they do have a long shelf life but fridge helps extend it, especially if you live in a warm climate)

Nut butters – almond , peanut, sunflower, etc.

Raw cashews (used a bunch in vegan cream sauces)

Chickpeas , black beans, pinto beans, etc. ( If you get refried beans, make sure they’re vegan because s ome beans use lard – check the label)

Lentils

Plant-based protein powder

Staples

Grains:

Quinoa

Rice (brown and/or white)

Millet

Barley

Oats

Packaged Goods (check label for vegan-ness)

Granola

Cereals

Chips

Crackers

Vegan mac & cheese

Canned soups

Other

Pasta and other noodles like soba

Flavor

Olive oil

Coconut oil

Other oils like sesame, peanut, etc.

Veggie stock or bouillon (Better Than Bouillon is kept in the fridge after opening)

Capers & olives

Rice vinegar

Balsamic vinegar

Liquid smoke

Turmeric

Sweeteners like agave if you object to honey

Snacks & Sweets

Dried fruit – mango, raisins, cranberries, dates , etc.

Popcorn kernels

Coconut flakes/shredded coconut

Vegan chocolate chips

Vegan cookies (Oreos are vegan!)

Dark chocolate – vegan

Any candy you like (see Halloween guide

Baking

Apple cider vinegar

Flaxseed (I list this for the fridge too – it will keep longer there)

Vegan sugar (most sugar is vegan but some is processed using bone char and you might object to that)

All the other stuff: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, etc.

Fresh Stuff

Fruit! Bananas, avocado and other fruit you are ripening or keeping out of the fridge.

Veggies! Onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, garlic and other veggies you store out of the fridge.



Refrigerator

Substitutions

Earth Balance (Butter)

Plant-based milk like almond, soy, rice, etc. – refrigerate after opening (Dairy Milk)

Nutritional Yeast (Cheese)

Prepared, packaged vegan cheeses (Miyoko, Daiya, etc.) (Cheese)

Vegan yogurt – soy, coconut, almond (Dairy Yogurt)

Vegan cream cheese – Tofutti , Vegan Gourmet, etc. (Cream Cheese)

Vegan sour cream- Tofutti, Vegan Gourmet, etc. (Sour Cream)

Seeds – Nutrition Boosters

Flavor

Soy sauce

Sriracha (can prolong its life to keep it in the fridge)

Ketchup, mustard

Tahini

White miso

Maple syrup (after it’s open)

Dips & Spreads

Proteins

Tofu (prepared baked tofu, too)

Tempeh (including prepared tempeh strips)

Vital wheat gluten/ seitan (use vital wheat gluten to make seitan or buy prepared seitan)

Packaged, vegan meats – deli and “imitation” like burgers Beyond Meat Field Roast Tofurkey



Fresh Stuff

Veggies! Cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collards, spinach, tomatoes, fresh herbs, etc. (anything that needs to be refrigerated)

Fruit! Lemons, limes, grapes, grapefruit, mango, figs, apples, oranges, etc. (anything that needs to be refrigerated)



Freezer

Fresh Frozen Stuff

Frozen fruit for smoothies (packaged or that you freeze yourself)

Frozen veggies you like (For those lazy times when you only can make pasta and frozen veggies – I recommend peas!)

Flours

Almond flour/meal

Chickpea/garbanzo bean flour

Desserts

Soy, coconut ice cream

Fruit bars

Other packaged vegan treats

Packaged Foods

Amy’s

Daiya

Tofurkey

Field Roast

Notes:

A way to transition into a vegan diet can be to replace your favorite things. So, if you eat sour cream a bunch, get some Tofutti sour cream. If you want to put shredded cheese on your burrito, get some Daiya shreds. Or, you can just keep things simple and turn to whole foods in their original form. It’s totally up to your time/interest and what you are up for!

PRINT this pantry list from the form below.

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Vegan Grocery List For Beginners Print This vegan grocery list for beginners should be customized to your tastes but it is a great place to start. Ingredients Pantry Canned coconut milk

Plant-based milk - almond, soy, rice, etc.

Nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, etc.

Seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, etc.

Nut butters - almond, peanut, sunflower, etc.

Raw cashews

Chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, etc.

Lentils

Plant-based protein powder

Quinoa

Rice (brown and/or white)

Millet

Barley

Oats

Granola

Cereals

Chips

Crackers

Vegan mac & cheese

Canned soups

Pasta and other noodles like soba

Olive oil

Coconut oil

Other oils like sesame, peanut, etc.

Veggie stock or bouillon

Capers & olives

Rice vinegar

Balsamic vinegar

Liquid smoke

Turmeric

Sweeteners like agave if you object to honey

Dried fruit - mango, raisins, cranberries, dates, etc.

Popcorn kernels

Coconut flakes/shredded coconut

Vegan chocolate chips

Vegan cookies

Dark chocolate - vegan

Any candy you like

Apple cider vinegar

Flaxseed

Vegan sugar

All the other stuff: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, etc.

Bananas, avocado and other fruit you are ripening or keeping out of the fridge.

Onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, garlic and other veggies you store out of the fridge. Refrigerator Earth Balance (Butter)

Plant-based milk like almond, soy, rice, etc. - refrigerate after opening (Dairy Milk)

Nutritional Yeast (Cheese)

Prepared, packaged vegan cheeses (Miyoko, Daiya, etc.) (Cheese)

Vegan yogurt - soy, coconut, almond (Dairy Yogurt)

Vegan cream cheese - Tofutti, Vegan Gourmet, etc. (Cream Cheese)

Vegan sour cream- Tofutti, Vegan Gourmet, etc. (Sour Cream)

Flaxseed (also listed under pantry)

Chia seeds

Hemp hearts or hemp seeds

Soy sauce

Sriracha

Ketchup, mustard

Tahini

White miso

Maple syrup (after it’s open)

Hummus

Just Mayo, Vegenaise or other vegan mayo

Tofu (prepared baked tofu, too)

Tempeh (including prepared tempeh strips)

Vital wheat gluten/seitan

Packaged, vegan meats - deli and “imitation” like burgers (Beyond Meat, Field Roast, Tofurkey)

Cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collards, spinach, tomatoes, fresh herbs, etc. (anything that needs to be refrigerated)

Lemons, limes, grapes, grapefruit, mango, figs, apples, oranges, etc. (anything that needs to be refrigerated) Freezer Frozen fruit for smoothies (packaged or that you freeze yourself)

Frozen veggies you like (For those lazy times when you only can make pasta and frozen veggies - I recommend peas!)

Almond flour/meal

Chickpea/garbanzo bean flour

Soy, coconut ice cream

Fruit bars

Other packaged vegan treats

Packaged Foods - Amy’s, Daiya, Tofurkey, Field Roast, etc. Instructions Cross off what you don't want and add what you do! 3.5.3226

What are some staples YOU rely on? Would you add anything to this vegan grocery list for beginners? Comment below and connect with Plenty Vegan on Instagram

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