by M.A. Dal Cero

Created on: April 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 03, 2009

A vegan diet, one in which meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products are avoided, can be relatively easy to shop for. Being rich in grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, one can find all the necessary essentials at the local grocery store or health food market.

A well-stocked pantry is an absolute necessity for the vegan cook. The following is a shopping list of items that should have a permanent home in every vegan kitchen in order to make cooking and mealtimes interesting, varied, and exciting.

Grains:

Barley, brown, white, and wild rice, buckwheat, unbleached, and whole wheat flour, cornmeal, kasha (buckwheat groats), oats, pasta of various grains, quinoa, rice and mixed grain beverages, soba (Japanese-style buckwheat noodles), whole grain vegan breads, crackers, tortillas, and cereals, millet, wheat and kamut berries

Legumes:

Adzuki beans, black beans, split peas, all varieties of lentils, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, mung beans, kidney beans

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables:

Carrots, celery, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, onions, shallots, garlic, all types of potatoes, zucchini and squash, artichokes, asparagus, peas, all varieties of salad and cooking greens

Apples, citrus fruits, pears, all types of berries, melons, mangoes, papayas, pineapples

Dried Fruit:

Cranberries, raisins, apricots, figs, mangoes, prunes

Sea Vegetables:

Nori, wakame, dulse, hijiki, kombu

Soy Foods:

Light and dark miso, soy milks, tamari, tempeh, tofu

Nuts and Seeds:

Almonds and almond butter, peanuts and peanut butter, flax seeds, pecans, pinenuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, tahini (sesame paste), sunflower seeds, walnuts

Oils:

Canola oil, olive oil, sesame oil-light and dark, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil

Vinegars:

Apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown rice vinegar, red and white wine vinegar, raspberry vinegar

Dried Herbs and Spices:

Allspice, basil, bay leaves, caraway seeds, cardamom, chili flakes and powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, ginger, oregano, nutmeg, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, rosemary, sage, sea and kosher salt, tarragon, thyme, turmeric, spice blends

Condiments:

Mustards, ketchup, horseradish, salsa, vegan mayonnaise, capers, olives

Sweeteners:

Blackstrap molasses, brown rice and maple syrup, organic and turbinado sugar

Other:

Vegan ice creams, vegan yogurt, vegan chocolates, vegan butters and spreads

Thanks to the wide variety of alternative choices to dairy and other animal products, today's vegan has a multitude of options. Shopping and cooking can therefore be a simple and pleasurable experience for those who enjoy experimenting with the vast types of foods, textures, and flavors that combine to create the ideal vegan diet.

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