April 16, 2022

The Best Vegan Grocery List for Beginners

The Best Vegan Grocery List for Beginners
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What do you eat? This is a common question that is asked of vegans. But if you are someone who is looking to transition into veganism, then this is probably a question that you may be asking yourself. This vegan grocery list for beginners will not only assist you in answering that question but will assist you in what to buy at the grocery store.

What is a vegan?


A vegan is someone who excludes all animal products and byproducts, mainly from their diet. Some vegans exclude non-food items that include animal products. This can be make-up, clothing, tattoo ink, etc.

Why would someone want to go vegan?

There are a variety of reasons why people go vegan. These reasons include but are not limited to health, environmental, spiritual/ religious, the increase in the cost of meat, and compassion for animals.

Where do vegans get their protein from?


Vegans get their protein from plant-based sources such as grains, beans/legumes, nuts, and seeds. Some vegans get their protein from vegan substitutes as well.

What can vegans eat?

A vegan’s diet is composed of grains, beans/legumes, fruits, vegetables, fats, oils, herbs, and spices.

What foods should vegans avoid?

Vegans should avoid all meat, dairy, eggs, and poultry. There are also animal by-products that should be avoided as well like gelatin.

Food groups to focus on

Fruits

Fruits are made up of mostly water and are packed with nutrients. When buying your groceries try to stick with fruits that are in season. This will ensure that your fruits will last. Here are just some fruits to buy but of course, the sky is the limit with this food group:

  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Watermelon
  • Bananas
  • Plums
  • Grapes
  • Pears
  • Oranges
  • Mangos

Vegetables

This is another food group that is a must on your grocery list; your options here are endless as well. Vegetables are rich in many essential nutrients like fiber, folate, and Vitamin K. There are so many ways to cook them, you can add some of them to your smoothie, or even put them through a juicer. Here are a few of my favorite vegetables:

  • Kale
  • Collard greens
  • Spinach
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Oyster mushrooms
  • Celery
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Potatoes
  • Squash
  • Eggplant

Grains

This food group is very beneficial to a vegan diet. Grains are packed with nutrients like fiber, iron, and magnesium and will help you feel full longer.

  • Rice (white, brown, wild, etc)
  • Quinoa
  • Kamut
  • Teff
  • Amaranth
  • Chickpea Pasta
  • Buckwheat
  • Barley
  • Oats
  • Fonio

Protein

Here are just a few plant-based foods that are rich in protein.

Healthy fats

  • Avocado
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Olive oil
  • Flaxseed oil
  • Hempseed oil

Vegan Alternatives

Being on a whole plant-based diet is ideal when transitioning to veganism, but sometimes you may want foods that remind you of animal products. Here are my favorite vegan alternatives:

Vegan Meat Substitutes

Vegan Seafood Substitutes

  • Hearts of palm (This is a vegetable that originates from the inside of a tree. I love to use this in my gumbo recipe).
  • Be leaf shrimp
  • Konjac root
  • Tofu ( you can give tofu whatever flavor you like)

Vegan Egg Substitutes

  • Just egg ( this one is pretty good in my opinion)

Vegan Dairy Alternatives

Milk

  • Almond milk
  • Oat milk
  • Coconut milk
  • Flaxseed milk
  • Walnut milk
  • Hempseed milk
  • Rice milk
  • Cashew milk
  • Soy milk
  • Macadamia milk

Butter

  • Earth balance no soy
  • Earth Balance Extra Virgin Olive Oil Buttery Spread
  • Miyokos Creamery, Butter Unsalted Cultured Vegan

Cheese

  • Good planet cheddar cheese
  • Good planet mozzarella cheese
  • Violife cheddar cheese
  • Violife mozarella cheese

Cream Cheese

  • Tofutti cream cheese
  • Violife cream cheese
  • Miyokos cream cheese

Yogurt

  • Silk products

Sour cream

  • Forager sour cream
  • Tofutti Better than sour cream

Ice cream

  • Oatly so delicious non-dairy ice cream
  • So delicious
  • Breyers non-dairy almond milk ice cream

Bread/Pasta

Most bread is vegan but be sure to look at the ingredients for milk and eggs.

  • Nature’s Own Whole Wheat Bread
  • Nature’s Own Perfectly Crafted Multi-Grain Bread Loaf 
  • Aldi simply nature products
  • Barilla pasta
  • Banza (This is my favorite. It is made out of chickpeas and packed with protein)
  • Ole Mexican Foods Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Low Carb Keto Friendly Tortilla Wraps

Snacks

Okay. I can go on and on with this category but I’m just going to list a few here.

  • Goji berries
  • Popcorn (my favorite)
  • Nori sheets
  • Potato chips
  • Hummus and pita chips
  • Chips and salsa
  • Nuts and seeds

Baking essentials

Egg replacement:

  • Applesauce
  • Aquafaba (the liquid found in canned chickpeas)
  • Chia egg (1 tablespoon of chia seeds & 3 tablespoons of water. Let this sit for 10 minutes)
  • Flaxseed egg (1 tablespoon of chia seeds & 3 tablespoons of water. Let this sit for 10 minutes)
  • Neat egg

Flour:

For baking:

  • Baking powder (a raising agent)
  • Baking soda ( a rasing agent)

Sweeteners:

  • Date sugar
  • Coconut sugar
  • Sugar (some sugar contains animal byproducts but most are vegan)
  • Brown sugar
  • Date syrup
  • Agave
  • Maple syrup

Buttermilk:

  • 1 cup of plant-based milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

Seasonings

The sky is the limit with this group. I will list out just a few for you.

Conclusion

Transitioning to the vegan lifestyle is exciting but can leave one with many questions. I hope that this vegan grocery list for beginners has answered the many questions that you have had including what vegans eat.

Comment below and let me know what meals you like as a new vegan.

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