This vegan grocery list will help you get a better idea of what shopping as a vegan looks like. This list is completely vegan and can be all whole food plant-based.

How to Build a Vegan Grocery List

Whether you’re on a budget, a vegan beginner or an experienced plant-based eater, this list will be helpful in helping you navigate any grocery store. This list covers all the foods you might purchase if eating vegan but will vary week-to-week based on your meal plan, so it is much longer than your weekly grocery list will be.

To put together your weekly grocery list, I’d suggest sitting down on a Sunday and making a meal plan for the week.

Review my one-week vegan meal plan and 3-day whole food plant-based meal plan for ideas.

As you go, write down everything you’ll need to make the dishes on your meal plan. Depending on your dietary preferences, each week your grocery list might consist of:

a lot of fresh vegetables

some fresh fruit

some frozen fruit and vegetables

some soy such as tofu, tempeh and edamame

any pantry items you’re out of such as dried and canned legumes, spices and dried herbs, nuts, seeds, vinegar, nut butter etc.

dairy-alternatives such as almond or cashew milk and dairy-free yogurt

whole grains such as oats, rice and quinoa and whole grain products such as popcorn, bread, pasta

limited lightly processed foods such as cereal or healthy crackers

Shopping For Nutrients

When planning for your of plant-based eating, it can help to think about filling your cart with:

nutrient-dense foods such as leafy greens and colorful fruits and vegetables

high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables

unrefined carbohydrates/starches such as potato, sweet potato, rice, oats and quinoa

foods that are low in added sugar, sodium and fat (minimize processed foods)

some sources of healthy fats such as avocado, nuts and seeds

enough food to cover your nutrient and calorie needs

some sources of protein such as nuts, seeds, lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh and edamame

I’d suggest reading my vegan nutrition guide and plant-based protein guide as well to help you determine what foods need to be on your weekly grocery list from a nutrition standpoint. You may also find my guide to transitioning to a plant-based diet helpful.

What Do Vegans Not Eat?

This list is all about what does go on a vegan grocery list but I thought it would be helpful to quickly cover what does not go on a vegan grocery list.

Here are the items that are not part of vegan diet:

butter

cream

eggs

dairy cheese

dairy milk

meat, poultry

fish, shellfish

gelatin

honey (I include raw honey in my diet but it is not vegan)

Vegan Grocery List

From week to week the specific vegetables you buy will vary but they’ll always make up the base of your shopping. Choose some starchy veggies such as potato and sweet potato, a leafy green or two and a selection of tomatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms and onions.

As for fruit, I always buy frozen berries for adding to smoothies, oatmeal and for snacking. Bananas, apples and oranges are also staples at our house. Before you get started, I’d suggest stock up on dried herbs and spices for flavoring your dishes without the need for excess salt. Various types of vinegar, nutritional yeast, mustard, lemons and limes are also helpful for this.

Once you’ve got your fresh fruits and vegetables, start choosing some starchy, unrefined carbohydrates such as sweet potato, potato, squashes, rice, quinoa, beans and lentils.

This grocery list covers:

Fruit. Fresh, frozen.

Fresh, frozen. Vegetables. Fresh, frozen, canned.

Fresh, frozen, canned. Legumes. Canned, dried, fresh soy products.

Canned, dried, fresh soy products. Herbs and Spices. Fresh and dried.

Fresh and dried. Pantry Items. Natural sweeteners, condiments, baking items.

Natural sweeteners, condiments, baking items. Dairy Alternatives.

Whole grains and whole grain products.

Packaged Items.

Fruits

Fruits are an excellent, nutritious plant-based food to enjoy on a daily basis. Fruit is rich in fiber, antioxidants and natural energy and makes a wonderful snack, dessert and breakfast food. I like to purchase fruits like apples, bananas and berries weekly and then rotate in more exotic fruits like persimmon, kiwi, mango and papaya.

I try to vary my intake of fruits as much as I can so I vary the micronutrients I get each week. All fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants you need to feel your best.

You can include fresh, dried and frozen fruits in your diet but I’d recommend focusing on fresh and frozen. There’s nothing wrong with frozen fruits, in fact, they can even be more nutrient-rich than fresh counterparts since they’re picked at their peak of freshness.

I eat most of my fruit in smoothies and oatmeal and for snacking. If you include any fruit at all, go for berries. Berries are some of the most potent as far as their disease-fighting benefits.

Fresh Fruit

Banana

Apple

Kiwi

Dates

Watermelon

Pomegranate

Figs

Berries: blueberries, strawberries, raspberries.

Stone fruits: nectarines, plums, peaches, cherries.

Citrus fruits: lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, clementines, apricot.

Melons: cantaloupe, honeydew.

Tropical fruits: papaya, mango, dragonfruit, lychee, pineapple, passionfruit, durian, guava, jackfruit.

Frozen Fruit

Frozen fruit is great for oatmeal, smoothies, making chia seed jam and adding to baking. I most often buy frozen blueberries, strawberries, peaches, mango, cherries and pineapple and I like to freeze a number of bananas every week for smoothies. In addition to the fruits listed below, you can also wash and freeze any fresh fruit. This is handy if you find something on sale and want to stock up. Also, frozen grapes make an amazing snack.

Berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mixed berry blends.

Cherries

Mango

Mixed Fruits

Pineapple

Peach

Dried Fruit

I don’t eat dried fruit very often but they can be helpful from time-to-time say for a hiking snack or for someone that needs a calorie-dense source of energy. The only things I really stock on a regular basis are raisins and dates. I buy cranberries sometimes if I need them for a recipe. Goji berries are wonderful if you can find them on sale and mulberries are great too. I love them both on smoothie bowls but I don’t always have them in my kitchen.

Cherries

Apricots

Figs

Mango

Raisins

Cranberries

Dates

Mulberries

Goji Berries

Apple

Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are going to make up the bulk of your diet. Vegetables are an essential food group needed to cover all your micronutrient needs. They’re rich in fiber, enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. We need all of these things for a properly functioning body and to prevent chronic disease and nutrient deficiencies.

My vegetable shopping list varies based on my weekly meal plan, however, staples like onions, beets, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, spinach and kale are always on my list.

If you struggle getting greens into your diet, check out my vegan smoothies e-book for all the ways you can sneak vegetables into delicious smoothies without even knowing it. This is particularly useful if you find yourself wasting food each week. Veggies you’re not going to get to can be frozen for adding to healthy smoothies to prevent food waste and increase your nutrient intake.

Fresh Vegetables

Leafy green. Kale, spinach, arugula, collard greens.

Cruciferous veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage, green cabbage, napa cabbage, brussel sprouts.

Root vegetables: parsnips, carrots, sweet potato, yams, white sweet potato, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas.

Zucchini.

Cucumber (actually a fruit but I’ll list it here!)

Asparagus

Beets

Bell peppers

Carrots

Artichokes

Tomatoes of all varieties.

Hot peppers of all varieties.

Celery

Avocado

Onions and shallots

Mushrooms of all varieties.

Garlic

Eggplant

Ginger

Sweet potatoes and yams

Potatoes

Squash: butternut, acorn, kabocha, pumpkin, hubbard.

Zucchini

Green beans, green peas, snap peas, snow peas (actually legumes but we’ll inlcude them here in veggies)

Jar and Canned Vegetables

I don’t really buy any canned vegetables except for diced tomatoes and pumpkin but some to consider are:

Corn

Peas

Tomato paste

Diced tomatoes

Whole tomatoes

Pumpkin

Artichokes

Sun-dried tomatoes

Recipes to try: Red Lentil Tomato Soup // Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup // Vegan Chickpea Quinoa Stew

Frozen Vegetables

I don’t really stock frozen veggies aside from peas and corn but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them. I think it depends on your time restrictions for cooking and how much food you go through per week. If you’re on your own or don’t each much, frozen veggies can help prevent food waste. If you’re pressed for time, having pre-washed and chopped frozen vegetables on hand can be a lifesaver. There’s no need to shy away from frozen veggies if that’s what works for you.

Some common frozen vegetables you may want to include on your grocery list are:

Corn

Green peas

Mixed stirfry veggies

Brussel sprouts

Butternut squash

Green beans

Recipes to try: Vegan Cauliflower Fried Rice // Pineapple Cashew Cauliflower Rice // Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

Legumes

Legumes include beans, lentils, soy and peanuts and it might be my favorite grocery category. It’s a big one and they make up a big part of my diet. Legumes are a great source of protein in a plant-based diet and they provide many essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Legumes are also rich in fiber and have studies have shown many promising health benefits to include in your diet on daily basis.

I use canned beans most often but also cook dried beans sometimes as well. Canned beans and lentils are a wonderful item to stock in your pantry for quick and healthy meals. That being said, don’t be intimidated by cooking dried beans.

Using dried beans in your kitchen is very budget-friendly and if you plan ahead, it’s easy to include homecooked beans in your weekly meal plan. I always cook my own lentils because they cook quickly and don’t require soaking.

Dried Legumes

Black eyed beans

White kidney beans

Fava peans

Pinto beans

Kidney beans

Green lentils

Red lentils

French lentils

Split peas, yellow and green

Adzuki beans

Navy beans

Recipes to try: Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad // Slow Cooker Vegan Red Lentil Chili // Coconut Red Lentil Dahl

Canned Legumes

Black beans

Kidney beans

White kidney beans

Pinto beans

Black eyed peas

Lentils

Recipes to try: Easy Vegan Minestrone Soup // Spicy Chickpea Wraps // Spicy Vegan Black Bean Soup

Soy Products

Soy products are an excellent source of protein and other nutrients in a vegan diet. Read my guide to tofu and tempeh for more information on their health benefits.

Tofu of all varieties

Tempeh

Edamame

Soy protein

Soy milk

Recipes to try: Tempeh Quinoa Macro Bowl // Vegan Herbed Tofu Ricotta // Vegan Buddha Bowl with Tofu and Edamame

Peanut Products

Peanut butter

Peanuts

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds is a wonderful category full of healthy, nourishing foods that act as a source of dietary fat and protein. Nuts and seeds are rich in nutrients like vitamin E, iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium and more. I stock raw almonds, walnuts, cashews, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in my kitchen on a regular basis. I use other nuts on an as needed basis.

Nuts are great for snacking, can be added to smoothies, oatmeal and baking and can be used to make your own plant milk, energy bars and energy balls.

If you’re on a budget, seeds are a great way to enjoy the nutritional benefits of nuts without the higher price tag. You can also watch for sales, stock up and freeze to keep nuts fresh.

Nuts: pecans, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, pine nuts

Seeds: sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sesame seeds

Nut butter: almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter

Seed butter: tahini, sunflower seed butter

Whole Grains and Whole Grain Products

Whole grains are a staple in a whole food plant-based kitchen. I always stock quinoa, brown rice, rolled oats and farro, the rest I buy on an as needed basis. We buy bread weekly as well and like Silver Hills, Ezekiel and Dave’s Killer Bread as well as fresh bread like sourdough and rye from local bakeries. Read my guide to whole grains for how to cook whole grains and their health benefits.

As for flours, I stock quinoa flour and chickpea flour for pancakes and use whole-wheat or gluten-free flour for occasional baking.

rolled oats, steel-cut oats

brown rice, wild rice and other rice varieties

quinoa

farro

freekeh

millet

amaranth

teff

buckwheat

barley

Bakery: breads, buns, tortillas

Pasta: brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta, whole wheat pasta

Rice cakes

Whole grain flours: quinoa flour, buckwheat flour, whole wheat flour

Dairy Alternatives

I buy dairy-free coconut yogurt often and enjoy it topped with berries and granola, mixed with protein or on top of oats. I also buy almond and cashew milk often as well as make my own oat milk, hemp seed milk and almond milk. Depending on the brand, some of these are healthier than others but regardless they can be very helpful as you’re transitioning towards a more plant-based diet. Read my post on vegan options to replace dairy for more information.

coconut yogurt

almond or cashew yogurt

cashew cheese

dairy-free milk such as almond, oat, soy, rice, hemp, cashew or coconut

Processed Dairy Alternatives

We’ll talk more about processed foods later in the post but if you’re just starting out and need some dairy alternatives to help you transition, you can consider items such as:

vegan sour cream

vegan cream cheese

cheddar or mozzarella style shreds

cheese slices

chocolate soy or almond milk

coconut creamer

Earth Balance butter

vegan ice cream

Brands that make products in this category include Daiya, Earth Balance, Follow Your Heart, So Delicious, GO Veggie, Silk, Yoso, Almond Breeze and Tofutti.

I’m not a big cheese person so I don’t really buy much in this area. I’ll buy So Delicious ice cream once in a blue moon and I’ve bought and enjoyed Follow Your Heart cheese before. I’m not a huge fan of Daiya cheeses but they’re okay and do melt well for pizza and sandwiches etc. I do buy Silk almond and cashew milk weekly though.

I’m very lucky to live in Vancouver where have a number of local brands doing amazing things with whole food nut-based cheeses and you can find everything from vegan brie to harvarti, parmesan to cream cheese.

Herbs and Spices

Having a well-stocked pantry of dried herbs and spices will help you create flavorful meals without the need for excess salt. That being said, since you’ll be eating low-sodium, whole foods (as opposed to processed foods that contain excess sodium), there’s nothing wrong with using a good quality sea salt in your kitchen to flavor your food. Sea salt is rich in trace minerals and can be a healthy addition to your diet.

Both dried and fresh herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants and have many beneficial and anti-inflammatory properties. My favourites are garlic, ginger, turmeric, cilantro, basil, dill, cumin, cinnamon and coriander.

Adding herbs & spices to your food not only kicks up the flavor but is also quite beneficial to your health. Many of these seasonings come with enormous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities.

dried basil, fresh as needed

dried bay leaves

celery seed

ground chili powder

red pepper flakes

cayenne pepper

fresh chives

fresh or dried cilantro (coriander)

cloves

cumin

curry powder

turmeric

fresh garlic, garlic powder

fresh gingerroot, ground ginger

Italian seasoning

ground thyme

onion powder

dried oregano

dried rosemary, fresh as needed

dried dill, fresh as needed

dried parsley, fresh as needed

black peppercorns

sea salt

Miscellaneous and Pantry Items

I have a thorough post on how to stock a vegan pantry but we’ll cover pantry basics in this section.

Natural Sweeteners

Whether you use sweeteners in your kitchen is up to you. I use dates, banana, applesauce, coconut sugar, maple syrup and stevia in my kitchen. If you like baking, you can use any of the sweeteners below for an unrefined option to refined white sugar.

agave syrup

coconut sugar

maple syrup

molasses

stevia

organic cane sugar

dates

Condiments

These items are helpful for taking the flavor of all those veggies up a notch. I stock all of these and use them often to create sauces, dressings and curries and flavor all kinds of dishes.

coconut milk

red curry paste

green curry paste

soy sauce or gluten-free tamari

miso paste

mustard

salsa

organic ketchup

sweet chili sauce

nutritional yeast (read more here)

saerkraut

vinegar: red wine, balsamic, apple cider, rice wine

Baking and Cooking Items

baking powder

baking soda

cornstarch or arrowroot powder

pure vanilla extract

any other extracts you like such as peppermint or almond

shredded coconut

coconut flakes

vital wheat gluten (used to make seitan)

various flours such as chickpea flour, quinoa flour, coconut flour, almond flour

To simplify your daily diet, you can download my free printable daily nutrition checklist. This reference covers suggested servings for each food group, such as legumes, veggies, fruits and seeds needed to cover your daily nutritional needs.

Packaged Favorites and Treats

Up until this point, we’ve covered all the whole plant foods you’ll need to enjoy a vegan diet and feel good while doing it. Now, you may want to eat 100% whole food plant-based, 100% of the time and that’s awesome! However, there’s also nothing wrong with including some processed foods in your diet every so often.

Transition Foods

Changing your eating habits is a big undertaking and these types of food may be particularly helpful as you transition to a plant-based lifestyle. Sustainability is important too so try not to put things into “good” and “bad” categories. Sure, sometimes food will just be fuel but sometimes it can be a source of comfort too. Vegan meat and dairy alternatives may be especially helpful as you transition away from an animal-product heavy diet. There are plenty of decent alternatives to dairy available today.

Creating Sustainability

For myself, you better believe I eat chocolate, chips, cookies, vegan ice cream, go out for vegan pizza. Day to day, I eat whole food plant-based and I love how it makes me feel but I also love enjoying treats. By eating well 90% of the time I can go ahead and enjoy some goodies too, no worries. I also believe the stress of worrying or feeling guilty about eating a vegan chocolate chip cookie is worse than just eating the darn cookie.

Luckily, processed vegan foods have exploded on the market and while there is definitely still some crap out there, there are a ton of wonderful brands making yummy treats we can all enjoy.

Field Roast Sausages

Yves products

Kombucha

Gardein products

Simply Protein Bars, Go Macro Bars

Frozen Veggie Burgers

Canned soups such as Amy’s

Dark Chocolate

So Delicious Dairy-Free Ice Cream and other vegan frozen treats

Vegan Jerky

Frozen waffles from Nature’s Path or Ezekiel

Larabars (or make your own!)

Beanfield’s Chips

Veggie Sticks

Mary’s Organic Crackers

How much does a plant-based diet cost?

I have a quick answer for this: much less than buying eggs, cheese, meat, milk, fish and other animal products.

It’s a common misconception that a vegan diet is expensive. It certainly can be expensive if you buy a lot of packaged vegan foods but if you stick to whole foods, it’s a very inexpensive way to eat.

Rice, beans, lentils, fresh fruits and vegetables are all very inexpensive and if you’ve got the basics you’ll have more than enough to create delicious plant-based meals. From there, if your budget allows, you can spend more on luxury items like superfoods, more nuts, seeds and nut butter and more of the many wonderful vegan products that have exploded onto the market. For reference, my husband and I spend approximately $180 per week shopping plant-based and buying as much organic as we can find or our budget allows.

For budget tips, check out my extensive post about healthy eating on a budget.

Where to Buy Vegan Food?

You can buy most of the foods you’ll need at any grocery store. This includes fruit, vegetables, rice, beans, nuts, seeds, soy products and whole grains. For specialty items, the best stores to buy vegan foods are:

Whole Foods

Trader Joe’s

Costco

Aldi

Target

Health food stores

Asian grocery stores

Farmer’s markets

Online through Amazon or Thrive Market

Here in Vancouver, Choice’s Market is excellent and we also have Vegan Supply which has anything and everything you can imagine, so it’s worth a quick Google search of your local area to see what’s available. Major chains should carry everything you need and every day plant-based options becoming more and more mainstream.

As demand increases, so does availability. Next time you visit your local major grocery store, dig a little deeper and you’ll be surprised at all the fun plant foods you’ll be able to find. When in doubt, keep it simple by sticking to whole plant foods. I’m able to buy almost everything from one mainstream grocery store and only sometimes need one or two items from a more natural food-focused store, if anything at all.