When you first make the decision to go plant-based or vegan, thinking about what you can and can’t eat may be daunting. However, once you have the basic necessities stocked up in your pantry and freezer, whipping up recipes found online becomes 10x easier.

Whole Grains– a food group I find very important to keep stocked up on.

• Rice (brown, white, whatever you prefer :))
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Corn and flour tortillas
• Whole Wheat/ Sourdough bread

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Beans, if you didn’t already know, are a simple and quick way to add fiber, protein, and antioxidants to your meals and snacks.  Be sure to drain and rinse them if you struggle with indigestion and/or are concerned about sodium content.

I like to keep a variety of different types stocked in my pantry so its easy for me to switch up my meals day to day! I always go for canned beans but dried is always an option as well.

• Black beans
• Pinto beans
• Refried beans
• Garbanzo beans

I love keeping beans on hand for hummus, tacos, soups, etc.

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Fruits and Vegetables may seem like an obvious staple to keep on hand but because fresh produce goes bad so quickly, I like to keep lots of frozen and canned fruits and veggies on hand.

Frozen/Canned:

• Frozen berries, banana, mango chunks, etc.
• Frozen broccoli, starchy veggies like potatoes.
• Canned tomatoes, corn, etc.

Frozen fruit is great for smoothies or to mix into oatmeal. I also love dried fruit like mango!

Fresh fruit and veggies:

When picking out my fresh fruits and veggies I try to choose produce that is in season because that is always the cheapest and yummiest!

• Banana
• Berries of some sort
• Apples
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Avocados
• Potatoes
• Onions

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Herbs and spices are the best way to add antioxidants and flavor to plant-based dishes.  Try a variety and always keep your favorites on hand. Seasoning is one of the easiest ways to create flavorful dishes so these are the staples I like to keep around.

• Garlic powder
• Garlic salt
• Dried onion
• Onion powder
• Red pepper flakes
• Lemon pepper
• Fresh or frozen basil
• Nutritional yeast (adds a cheesy flavor to almost any dish)
• Taco seasoning (whey free)

We put taco seasoning on veggies, grains, anything and everything! Highly recomend buying seasonings at costco and trader joes in order to get the best bang for your buck!

Nuts and seed products are great to have on hand when trying to get a bit more creative in the kitchen. Below are my favorites.

• Cashews (great for creating creams and sauces)
• Peanut butter
• Almond butter (I love the vanilla flavor from ‘Justins’)
• Almond milk
• Canned coconut cream

As vegan/plant-based consumers we try and keep our necessities simple and easily accessable. We hope these lists help you kick start a healthier lifestyle, and make the idea of eating more plant-based meals less daunting!