Vegans get a bad rap. Some of it well-deserved, some of it based on misunderstandings. I’ve even dipped my toe into Vegan life more than once and currently I consider myself a flexitarian. When I’m feeding myself I try to eat vegan at leas 80% of the time. I will admit that I’m cheating a little bit because I’m lactose intolerant so I’ve eaten vegan substitutes instead of milk products for a long time. If I’m at your house, traveling, on a date, or at a relative’s house-I’m eating what you feed me. Because, it just makes life easier. That said, what makes eating vegan a little intimidating is all the weird ingredients that you’ve never heard of. As a foodie, I have to admit that some of the entrees that people come up with I’m like…you’re trying too hard. It’s totally possible to use regular, cheap items in your vegan pantry. Don’t believe me? Check out the list below.
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Before You Shop
Don’t forget to download Ibotta, my go-to savings app for the following:
- Groceries
- Booze (for parties!)
- Amazon
- Groupon
- The Military Commissary
- Target and Walmart
I LOVE Ibotta. It’s a Denver based app and I’ve had the opportunity to meet the CEO. He’s a pretty cool guy. But, most importantly, I love saving and giving money. If you sign up HERE you will receive $10 after you redeem your first set of savings. Nice. You do need $20 in order to get a payout from your savings. I’ve saved hundreds using this app.
The good thing is that Ibotta also shares non-dairy savings, produce, and those freakishly good Beyond Meat burgers are often on the app. Now that you’ve set up your savings, let’s check out the list.
45 Must Have REGULAR Cheap Items for Your Vegan Pantry
Sometimes Vegans can be a little “extra.” There are whole cultures that manage to create a ridiculous number of vegan meat and dairy free meals without ridiculously expensive ingredients. In fact, I shop the same way that I normally do when I’m eating meat. The only exception is that…I don’t buy meat 🙂 Again, I’m lactose intolerant so I buy non-dairy items on a weekly basis.
The other thing that I think is important to mention is that eating vegan doesn’t mean eating bland food without layers of flavor. Eating vegan (or vegetarian) also doesn’t mean trying to recreate every meat-based meal so that it’s meat free. It just means eating meals with flavor that don’t happen to have meat. I purchase all of these ingredients on a normal basis. They are a part of both my meat eating life and my vegan life. Let’s check out the list!
1-10
- Vital Wheat Gluten-I will admit that I was a little weirded out by this ingredient. It’s used to recreate cheesy flavors. And, and in some recipes, an umami flavor. I used it when I made vegan bacon with rice paper. DELICIOUS.
- Soy Sauce or Tamari-I tend to use these interchangeably. But, lean towards using soy sauce more. Double-check that there is no fish sauce in them.***I have a nervous feeling that one has a little fish sauce***
- Sesame Oil-I absolutely love sesame oil. I can’t get enough of it. If possible, I strongly recommend getting it from an Asian Market-the quality seems to be better and the sesame oils that I get at other markets seem to have a flat flavor.
- Olive Oil-I love Olive Oil!! I use it to finish meals and to with salads. I don’t typically cook with it because Olive Oil has a low smoke point.
- Coconut Milk-I always keep several cans on hand. I use it in Indian based lentil mixes, with coffee, and desserts.
- Good Quality Canned Tomatoes-Do not buy cheap tomatoes. Buy the best quality canned tomatoes when they are on sale. I use canned tomatoes in a ridiculous number of recipes including winter Gazpacho when you don’t want to go to the grocery store.
- Better than Bullion-or a Good Quality Bullion Cube. People are really used to eating bland food. Bullion is the quick and dirty way to give depth to a recipe. If you’re making mashed potatoes, boiling water for pasta, making a soup, adding bullion is the way kick up the flavor of what you’re cooking. I’m absolutely obsessed with Better than Bullion by the way. Can’t get enough of it.
- Fennel-I.Love.This.Spice! It has a slight licorice flavor to it. But, its a great addition to a wide range of entrees.
- Cumin-I.REALLY.Love. This. Spice. Smokey, exotic, amazing. In non-meat and meat dishes. Can’t get enough of it.
- Tumeric-Can be a little tricky to cook with if you’re not used to it. But, it’s a must have for a number of Indian dishes. I enjoy the flavor and it adds depths to masalas when I make them. It’s also a great anti-inflammatory.
11-20
- Rice-When I was little I lived in Japan for two years. As a result, my mom picked up the belief that you’re never hungry if you have rice in the house. I have to agree.
- Chia-As the months get warmer I like having chia seeds in my smoothies.
- Quinoa-A tasty grain that can be used for breakfast/lunch/or dinner bowls. ‘
- 365 Pea Protein-That is my preferred protein for shakes. It’s the Whole Foods in-house brand. And, it’s surprisingly affordable. Whole Foods is in the process of rolling out delivery with Amazon Prime-keep an eye out for it in your neck of the woods.
- Oatmeal-I prefer Mccann’s Steel Cut Oatmeal for breakfast, but just get the type of oatmeal that you enjoy.
- Flax Seeds-Are great to add to yogurt, oatmeals, and smoothies. You can also make flax eggs with them when you’re baking and need a binding agent.
- Dried Mushrooms-There is nothing better than mushrooms. Woodsy, smokey, yummy! Great in soups, as a taco filling, or as topping-you have to have mushrooms in your life. My favorites are: Chanterelles (crazy expensive), Portobello, Shiitake, Enoki, and the list goes on.
- Shelf Stable Nut Milks-If there is a Zombie Apocalypse you will need something to drink, use with oatmeal, and cereal. While am a HUGE fan of Ripple (the pea milk drink/not the alcohol) it’s not in a shelf-stable container).
- Chickpeas-Give me life! You can make soups, vegan “tuna”, falafel, and hummus with chickpeas. I pick up a ridiculous number of cans when they are on sale.
- Liquid Smoke-Everyone should have this condiment in their home. If you like smoked tofu, smoked meats (for the flexitarians) you need this in your home.
21-30
- Rice Paper Sheets-You use these to make Spring Rolls and I use these to make vegan bacon. Great texture and flavor.
- Rice Noodles-These can be added to soups, and Spring Rolls.
- Seaweed-I eat a ton of seaweed. And, enjoy making sushi rolls with it…or, just eat it plain.
- Flour-Everyone needs flour in their pantry. Because…it’s flour.
- Earth Balance-Basically, this is vegan butter. This brand has a nice balanced flavor.
- Preserved Lemon-If I could grow lemons in my house-I would. In fact, when I buy my next home I plan on having a green house so that I can grow my own lemons, limes, and avocados! Preserved lemon is what you use in almost any cooked recipe that calls for lemon. If you don’t have fresh lemons-use some preserved lemon. Just know that it’s a little salty because of the preservation process.
- Nut Butter-Whatever nut butter you enjoy…have it in your pantry.
- Sunflower Butter-Because you should have two in your pantry.
- Vinegar-Factors a lot in my cooking. You can bake with it, use it for salads, or marinades. I typically have white and Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Black Beans-They are so delicious.
31-40
- Lentils-Are so ridiculously versatile. You can use them for soups, taco fillings, and homemade vegan burgers.
- Nuts–It’s so hard for me to eat 2 tablespoons of nuts (a serving size) a lot of vegans and vegetarians will gain wait because of eating too many of these delicious fats. You’ve been warned.
- Cocoa Powder-You need deserts!
- Chickpea flour-One of my favorite quick eats is Socca. Basically, it’s a chickpea flat bread. I like to top mine off with red sauce with capers simmered in it.
- Dried Fruit-Sometimes you need to eat something sweet.
- Agave or Sugar in the Raw-You need a little sweetener in your life. Just decide which one you prefer.
- Red Pepper Flakes-I like it spicey and red pepper flakes make my tongue sing.
- Cocoa Nibs or Chocolate Chips-Again, sometimes you need to make some chocolate chip cookies.
- Beyond Meat-Technically, you will put this in your freezer and bring it out when you want a burger, that tastes like the burgers you used to eat during your meat eating days. The Beyond Meat Burger is what you want. Again, check Ibotta to see if you can redeem some savings on it.
- Tofu-This will go into your fridge. Super versatile and takes the flavors that go with your dish. You can freeze it (Google how to thaw it out).
41-45
- Matcha-I sometimes make Matcha lattes when I’m at home. Using Matcha and the nut milk that I have on hand.
- Hot Sauce-There is no way this list would be complete without hot sauce. Or, Cholula.
- Excellent Quality Tea-My friend sends me tea from England. But, I’m overdue for a trip…to visit my friend, her kiddos, and Tesco to pick up Kenyan tea.
- Garlic powder-obviously, fresh is preferred. But, you also need some garlic powder as well. You can pick it up from the bulk spice section in Whole Foods or Sprouts.
- Cornstarch-I’m hooked on frying with cornstarch. Things just are crisper with it.
Bonus Items
- Capers-Gives a salty, briny taste to dishes. Love capers.
- Miso-For soups, salad dressings, and giving an umami taste to certain dishes.
- Bread crumbs-Specifically Panko!
- Kombu-is a hardy seaweed often used in soups.
With the exception of the seaweed and Vital Wheat Gluten-everything on this list most people would normally purchase. All of these items are easy to find at almost every grocery store in every mid-sized and major city. What regular cheap items do you have in your pantry?
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interesting and good suggestions:D