Vegan Pantry "Must-Haves"

Transitioning into a vegan, or plant-based lifestyle can seem intimidating. Even the thought of following, and maintaining a healthy diet is overwhelming, at times, especially at the beginning. The key to maintaining a healthy habit is efficient planning.

There are so many vegan options to buy nowadays, as the vegan diet is becoming more common. The bad news is, that most of those options are heavily processed, and full of fat and added sugar. Vegan junk food is a culprit. Indulging in it, every once in a while, and in small quantities, shouldn’t pose a problem. The problem begins when people forget about the essentials. Which the vegan diet is abundant.

Creating a list gives us a better understanding of what to have in our arsenal. This will provide us with the building blocks of our vegan pantry. In order for us to eat healthfully, we must go back to the basics. A nutritious vegan diet consists of consuming enough protein, and enough lightly processed/ complex carbohydrates, as well as consuming fat, sodium, and added sugar sparingly. Combining nutrient-dense vegan food items, with exercise, hydration, and adequate rest will ensure our success.

Each category is important. If it is not the main one, it is one that complements your dishes. Oils and added sugar are not nutritious and contain empty calories. Meaning; they are high in calories but are not satiating. Too much salt contributes to health problems, such as high blood pressure. On a brighter note, your palate has the ability to change, hence it adapts to less salt. Lemon juice is an excellent substitute for table salt.

Fruit

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In-season produce is always best. It’s more nutritious, and more often than not, fresher. Dried fruit is an awesome snack. Mixing them with oats, and some nuts or nut butter makes a complete meal. Let’s not forget about frozen fruit. They are the backup fruits. If stored properly they can last for a long time.

​apples	cherries	frozen berries	mandarins	pears	​raisins
​apricots	dates	mangoes	persimmons	raspberries	grapes
bananas	​dried	in-season fruit	oranges	pineapple	strawberries
blueberries	kiwi	plums	watermelon	figs	​kiwi

Vegetables

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This is, by no means, a complete list of all of the vegetables that exist. I picked these because they are the most versatile.

asparagus	brussels sprouts	​carrots	​corn	garlic	okra	​red-leaf lettuce	​spinach
avocados	butternut squash	celery	cauliflower	green onion	​romaine lettuce	​sweet potatoes	broccoli
bell peppers	​button mushrooms	​cherry tomatoes	​cucumbers	iceberg lettuce	​oyster mushrooms	shiitake mushrooms	tomatoes
cabbage	collard greens	​frozen vegetables	​kale	potatoes	spaghetti squash	zucchini

Pickles

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Pickles always add that extra zhuzh!

black olives	giardiniera	manzanilla olives stuffed with pimento
cocktail pickles	kalamata olives	sliced pickles
dill pickles	mixed pickled vegetables	vegan kimchi

Starches

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Whole grains are high in antioxidants and dietary fiber. Starches are essential pantry items (staples). You can bake, make breakfast, make meals, and snacks with them. Take oats, for example!

unbleached all purpose flour	bulgur	​farfalle pasta	millet	​oat bran	potato starch	rotini pasta	wheat chex
black rice	corn flour	freekeh	minimally processed ramen noodles	oat flour	quinoa	self-rising flour	wheat germ
​blanched almond flour	corn starch	lasagna pasta	minimally processed whole grain breads	oats	rice flour	spaghetti	white rice
brown rice	elbows pasta	mung bean noodles	lightly-salted rice cakes	penne pasta	rice noodles	tapioca flour	whole wheat flour

Other Baking Items

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baking powder	instant yeast
baking soda	unsweetenened cocoa powder
vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips	vanilla extract

Flaxseed is not on this list. It is under nuts & seeds. This is a baking section, and a nifty trick is mixing flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed) with water, which can be used instead of eggs, to create a binding agent in vegan baking. The ratio is 1 tbsp flaxseed meal to 3 tbsp water. Mix well, and let sit for 5 minutes, then use.

Protein

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Beans and tofu can be used in so many sweet and savory meals. And there are so many options to choose from. Here are some great protein options:

bean sprouts	edamame spaghetti	red lentil
besan (gram flour)	extra firm tofu	silken tofu
black beans	green lentil	Tempeh
broad beans	green peas	TVP
chickpeas	kidney beans	wheat gluten
edamame	nutritious protein shakes	white beans
edamame noodles	pinto beans	whole lentil

Canned Food Items

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Canned items are always great when you don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing food. They’re especially handy when going on trips.

black beans	diced tomato	mixed vegetables	pinto beans
black olives	green beans	mushrooms	sliced beets
cherries	green peas	navy beans	tomato paste
checkpeas	lentils	peaches	tomato sauce
corn	mixed fruit	pineapple chunks	white beans

Jams & Spreads

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Jams are a terrific pantry item. I prefer homemade jam, with as little sugar added as possible. Grocery stores do have no sugar-added jams, but they’re either expensive or hard to find. Nevertheless, the internet is full of homemade jam recipes like this one.

​apricot jam	date paste	natural almond butter	raspberry jam	sunbutter
blueberry jam	fig jam	natural peanut butter	red plum jam	tahini
cashew butter	grape jam	orange marmalade	roasted garlic paste	vegemite
cherry jam	hazelnut butter	peach jam	sour cherry jam	walnut butter
cranberry jam	macadamia nut butter	pistachio butter	strawberry jam

Cooking Oil

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Using cooking oil in moderation adds different flavor profiles to cooking. Here are the main ones:

canola oil	grapeseed oil	sesame oil
coconut oil	olive oil	sunflower oil
avocado oil	peanut oil	vegetable oil

Nuts & Seeds

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Nuts and seeds are good sources of essential amino acids. They add different flavors to meals, not to mention that wonderful crunch. Again, moderation is key.

almonds	hazelnuts	pistachios
brazil nuts	hemp seeds	pumpkin seeds
cashews	macadamia nuts	sunflower seeds
chia seeds	peanuts	unsweetened shredded coconut
flaxseeds	pecans	walnuts

Sweeteners

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Compared to regular white sugar, these sweeteners have depth to them and produce more pleasurable flavors.

agave	monk fruit in the raw
coconut sugar	stevia in the raw
date syrup	turbinado sugar
maple syrup

Seasoning

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The list of seasoning is never-ending. Experiment, make your own, mix, and match. Start with small amounts, and add more as needed.

​allspice	cardamom	dried oregano	ginger powder	nutmeg	sesame seeds
amchur powder	chili powder	dried rosemary	ground cloves	nutritional yeast	smoked paprika
anise star	chinese 5 spice	dried sage	ground cumin	onion powder	sweet paprika
bayleaves	cinnamon	dried thyme	italian seasoning	red curry powder	turneric
black pepper	dried basil	garam masala	kelp powder	red pepper flakes	white pepper
black salt	dried mint	garlic powder kosher salt	sea salt	yellow curry powder

Sauces & Condiments

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Sauces make or break a dish. Tread with caution, but don’t be afraid to try out different combinations.

​apple cider vinegar	hot sauce	red salsa	tomato paste	white wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar	ketchup	red wine vinegar	vegan bbq sauce	yellow mustard
bragg aminos	lemon juice	rice vinegar	vegan buffalo sauce
dijon mustard	liquid smoke	sriracha sauce	worcestershire sauce
​green salsa	lite-sodium soy sauce	tabasco sauce	vegetable stock
hoisin sauce	miso paste	teriyaki sauce	white vinegar

Beverages

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A staple in our kitchen is unsweetened soy milk. Not only is it a good source of protein, but the “modern-day” soy milk also doesn’t have that horrible after-taste. It tastes creamy and substitutes regular milk nicely. Soy milk is great in porridge, protein shakes, and baking.

If the goal is to consume empty calories scarcely, opting for unsweetened, or lightly-sweetened plant milk is the way to go.

almond milk	flax milk	oat milk
cashew milk	light coconut milk	rice milk
coconut milk	macadamia milk	soy milk

Kitchenware

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Kitchenware is an important part of making and preparing food. Besides the essentials, like silverware, plates, cups, and bowls, this is a list of what helps us enjoy our cooking and food prep processes.

air popcorn popper	food processor	ladle	mixing bowl	pyrex dishes	stainless steel pots
bread knife	fruit cutting board	mandoline slicer	non-stick pans	rice cooker	stainless steel strainer
bread pan	fruit knives	masher	non-stick pots	safety gloves	toaster
cake pan	grater	measuring cups	oven mitts	silicon mats	tongs
convection over/air fryer	heavy duty blender	mesasuring spoons	pancake spatula	spatulas	vegetable knife
dutch oven	heavy duty cutting board	mixer	parchment paper	spice grinder	whisk
food prep containers	juicer	mixing bowl with lid	spiralizer	stainless steel pans	wooden spoons

Recommended kitchen appliance brands are:

Black+Decker

Breville (convection oven)

Hamilton beach

kitchen aid (mixer)

Mueller

Ninja (blender)

Phillips

Presto (air popcorn popper)

T-fal