The Pantry....
I think the key to an easy vegan life or healthful life in general, is having a well stocked pantry. In fact no kitchen is complete without a good pantry, but particularly a vegan pantry. We’ve been raised in a real ‘grab and go’ society, and it seems that so often if things aren’t readily available to us in our time of need, we’ll automatically eat junk, simply because it’s quick, easy and there. Stock your pantry well and you likely won’t have this problem. Below is a list of foods I generally keep on hand, but since my pantry is literally overflowing I recommend you start slow. Buy the ingredients you think you’re most likely to use on a day to day basis, and then once you’re stocked with those and comfortable branch out and grab the rest. Don’t feel disheartened if it takes you a while to stock your pantry fully to your liking, because it took me several months of accumulating dry goods for me to get this far. Do as much as you can as often as you can, that’s all anyone can ask.
Beans/Legumes (dry or canned,)
Adzuki Beans
Black Beans
Black Eyed Peas
Black Soy Beans
Butter Beans
Cannellini Beans (White Italian Kidney Beans)
Edamame
Fava Beans
Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas)
Great Northern Beans
Kidney Beans
Lentils (Green, red, French, beluga, brown)
Lima Beans
Mung Beans
Navy Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Refried Beans (vegan)
Split Peas (Green and Yellow)
Soy Beans
Baking Needs
Agar Agar Flakes
Agar Agar Powder
Arrowroot Powder (Gluten-Free)
Baking Chocolate (Dark, unsweetened)
Baking Powder (aluminum free)
Baking Soda
Breadcrumbs (regular and/or Panko)
Cacao (Raw)
Cacao nibs (Raw)
Carob Chips
Carob powder (Toasted)
Chocolate Chips (dark, unsweetened)
Coconut Flakes
Cornstarch (Organic)
Dark Cocoa Powder
Ener-G egg replacer
Maca
Oat Bran
Potato Starch (Gluten-Free)
Tapioca Pearls
Tapioca Starch (Gluten-Free)
Wheat Bran
Wheat Germ
Flour
Almond Meal/Flour (Gluten-Free)
Amaranth Flour (Gluten-Free)
Black Been Flour (Gluten-Free)
Brown Rice Flour (Gluten-Free)
Buckwheat Flour (Gluten-Free) ***Note - be sure to check the label because some commercial buckwheat flours are a mix of buckwheat and regular wheat flour***
Coconut Flour (Gluten-Free)
Corn Flour (Gluten-Free)
Cornmeal/Polenta (Gluten-Free)
Fava Bean Flour (Gluten-Free)
Garbanzo Bean Flour (Gluten-Free)
Millet Flour (Gluten-Free)
Oat Flour (Gluten-Free)
Potato Flour (Gluten-Free)
Quinoa Flour (Gluten-Free)
Sorghum Flour (Gluten-Free)
Soy Flour (Gluten-Free)
Spelt Flour
Tapioca Flour (Gluten-Free)
Teff Flour (Gluten-Free)
Whole wheat flour (Organic)
Whole wheat pastry flour (Organic)
Unbleached all purpose flour (Organic)
***Note- Bob's Red Mill is a popular brand for Gluten-Free Flours and other Gluten-Free baking products***
Dried Fruits
Apricots
Blueberries
Cherries
Cranberries
Dates (Medjool)
Figs (Black Mission)
Goji Berries
Mango
Mullberries
Papaya
Pineapple
Plums
Raisins (Black and Gold)
Grains
Amaranth
Barley (pearled)
Buckwheat
Buckwheat Groats
Couscous (regular, pearled)
Farro
Millet
Oats (rolled, and Steel Cut)
Oat Groats
Quinoa (regular, black and or red)
Wheat Berries
Rice...
Arborio Rice
Basmati Rice (Brown)
Bhutanese Red Rice
Forbidden Rice
Jasmine Rice (Brown)
Sushi Rice (Brown)
Wild Rice
And any other grains that catch your fancy.
Nuts/Seeds/Nut Butters
Almonds (raw and/or roasted)
Almond Butter
Brazil Nuts (raw and/or roasted)
Brazil Nut Butter
Cashes (raw and/or roasted)
Cashew butter
Chestnuts (raw and/or roasted or canned)
Hazelnuts (raw and or roasted)
Hazelnut Butter
Macadamia Nuts (raw and/or roasted)
Macadamia Nut Butter
Organic Peanuts (raw and/or roasted)
Organic Peanut Butter
Pecans (raw and/or roasted)
Pine Nuts (raw and/or toasted)
Pistachios (raw and/or roasted)
Walnuts (raw and/or roasted)
Chia Seeds (whole)
Flax Seeds (Brown and Gold, Whole and ground/meal)
Hemp Seeds
Sunflower Seeds (raw and/or roasted)
Sunflower Seed Butter
Pumpkin Seeds (raw and/or roasted)
Pumpkin Seed Butter
Tahini
Sweeteners
Agave Nectar
Barley Malt Syrup
Brown Rice Syrup
Cane Sugar
Maple Syrup
Molasses
Sugar in the Raw
Stevia
Yacon Syrup
Pasta
Black Bean Pasta (Gluten-Free)
Brown Rice Pasta (Gluten-Free)
Multi-Grain Pasta
Oat Bran Pasta
Quinoa Pasta (Gluten-Free)
Rice Noodles (Thai)
Soba Noodles
Udon Noodles
Whole Wheat Pasta
Canned/Jared goods and Condiments (Keep in mind that many of these things will need to be refrigerated after opening)
Applesauce
BBQ Sauce
Bragg’s Liquid Amino’s
Chili Sauce
Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce
Coconut Amino’s
Coconut Milk (low-fat or regular. I like 365 brand and Thai Kitchen)
Dijon Mustard
Green Chilies
Horseradish
Hot Sauce
Jalapenos
Jam - any flavor - (Also known in the Mid-West - Possibly all of America - for reasons entirely unfathomable to me - as preserves or spreadable fruit)
Ketchup (Buy a natural/Organic brand that is naturally sweetened. I like Annies)
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce (Organic, Low sodium)
Olives (Black, Kalamata, Green, Spanish)
Seaweed (Nori, Dulse, Kombu, Kelp, Wakame)
Sriracha
Tamari Soy Sauce (organic, Low sodium)
Tamarind Paste
Tomatoes (Diced, Crushed, Fire-roasted, Whole Peeled, Paste, ect..)
Vegetable Broth (Low-Sodium)
Yellow Mustard
Energy Bars - If you need an Energy Bar fix some options include Cliff Bar, Larabar, Luna Bar, Odwalla (Love their greens bar) Pro-Bar, Raw Revolution (Love their Spirulina Bar) Vega, and Pure-Fit.
Protein Powder - If you're looking for a good vegan Protein powder there are a few options out there but my favorite are Vega and Sun Warrior.