Looking to go vegan.?

Question

I want to go vegan but I don't want recipes. I just need a basic grocery list of essentials. For instance, I am used to buying packaged meats and dairy every time I shop. What I need to know is what vegetables and products can I buy without the need for complicated meal preparation or breaking the bank?

Answer 1

I never leave these foods off my shopping list-

-Nuts to snack on, especially cashews and almonds (high in calcium)

-Fortified dairy free milks (I buy rice and soy milks)

-LOTS of fresh fruit and vegetables- you can never have too many of these!

-Wholegrain bread. It's delicious, in my opinion it's far better than refined white bread. It has more vitamins and minerals too, and contains a lot of iron.

-Beans- are a great source of protein and B vitamins in a meat free diet

-Try vegan meat alternatives if you like. You can buy them from a health foods store.

-Soy products such as tofu- lots of protein.

[Edit] to the answerer who suggested beef- humans are not designed to digest cow meat. It's very hard on the digestive system. Your teeth are not designed to eat cow. There are many processes beforehand that enable you to eat it. Eating beef just isn't natural.

Answer 2

gosh, i always have plenty of canned garbanzos at home. good for making into hummus, or just to eat out of the can. or toss in some spinach and tomatoes and onion, and it makes a hearty and tasty meal. yum.  <3 garbanzos.  

rice

soy milk

cereal

peanut butter

pasta & ragu

fresh veggies

fresh fruit

Answer 3

- I always have lots of beans, avocado, lentils at home.

- Heaps of greens, spinach, lettuce, rocket, watercress, etc.

- Veggies I love broccoli, carrots, cauliflour, tomatoes, mushrooms.

- dried fruits, nuts, seeds

- oats, breads & pastas (check the ingredients)

- & of course soy milk, tofu and a few other soy products.

Looks like fluffycat gave you some great links too.

Good luck.

Answer 4

http://www.veganwolf.com/easy_food_for_v... -

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetaria...  (This is a vegan list)

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm - (scroll down for list of foods)

A lot of veggies can be eaten raw, carrots, red cabbage/white cabbage(lovely in coleslaw), sweetcorn(baby ones) bell peppers, celery, cucumber, mushrooms, bean sprouts.

I always keep a stock of canned tomatoes, beans, kidney, soya, chick peas, easy to make salads with and curries!

Answer 5

Veganism needn't break the bank.  You can get pretty far on bulk legumes, grain, nuts and seeds, paired with a lot of fresh produce.  My grocery bill went down about 25% when I went from vegetarian to vegan because I stopped buying much in the way of convenience foods and started cooking with whole foods instead.

I do like to cook, so I peruse cookbooks for recipes that I want to try for the week, then shop for those specific ingredients.  That way I always have what I need and excess produce doesn't go to waste (I used to wander through the produce department and get a little of everything - sometimes I couldn't figure out how to use it all before it went bad.)  Even if you're not looking to cook complicated meals, you can still sketch out a plan each week so you know what you need.

Things I always have on hand include canned and dry legumes (pinto beans, black beans, red lentils, brown lentils, split peas and lots of chickpeas are always in my pantry.)  I keep several varieties of rice, along with quinoa, cous cous and millet.  I keep frozen peas and corn because I can toss a handful into a variety of dishes.  I always have a variety of nuts.  And plant milks are great because when you find a good price on a brand you like you can stock up; shelf stable packaging means you can keep a few months worth in the cupboard.  I also have a variety of canned tomato products available for the convenience factor.

I know you're not looking for recipes, but the cookbook "Veganomicon" can be a good resource even if you want to keep it simple.  They include some good information on stocking a vegan pantry.  And they have sections with simple, mix and match grain, legume and vegetable recipes designed for simple meal planning .  (Of course, if you get it, you might be tempted by the rest of the fabulous foods in there... so I apologize in advance if you become obsessed with cooking!)  ;)