The best aspect about a vegan diet is that you get to be very creative about the foods you make. This is one of the aspects I enjoy about this diet.
This is why your list of vegan foods is essential to have just before you decide to go to buy your grocery as this will help you know what types of foods you have to play around with.
Most vegans have a problem when it comes to picking out the best vegan foods. It is good to know this since you need to ensure you are buy foods which will complete your nutrition.
Do not worry because I have got you covered with what to include in your grocery list.
Nuts and seeds
When writing about your grocery list you will soon find out that nuts and seeds are a must in the list of vegan foods which you have to always be buying.
This is because these foods are what I call the fuel of the vegan diet since they provide the core amounts of protein, along with tofu, in the vegan diet.
Luckily for us vegans these foods are unlimited and are readily avaliable in any store. Not only that there are so much variety to choose from and this is what I will listing below:
Nuts
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Macadamie
- Brazil nuts
Seeds
- Peas
- Peanuts
Vegetables
The list of vegan foods would also not go without putting vegetables. The vegetables are so vast that many people think that vegans only eat veggies and leafy foods.
In this post I will list the veggies which cover many of the nutrients that you need. This will help make your job easier when it comes to doing your shopping the healthy way.
- Spinach
- Leafy greens
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cauliflower
- Corn
Ofcourse the list goes on…but basically every veggie you can imagine will fit in here.
Related: Benefits of a vegan diet
Meat alternatives
Meat substitutes are where I started off as a vegan since I did not know too much about cooking vegetables and combining them the right way.
Meat substitutes are normally made of soy beans or soy and they are pre-made for you so that you just have to get home and do a bit of warming or and grilling.
There are loads of brands catering for these meat alternatives and it all depends on what you enjoy having. My favorite is Frey’s which I have been using for years.
Here are just a few of the meat substitutes:
- Soy sausage
- Soy burger
- Soy pie
There are also other alternatives which make up for meat that are not processed like Tofu.
Speaking of vegan meat substitutes I have had the tasting vegan burger, which tasted and looked like meat, few months ago and I did a review that you can check it out >>here<<
Cheese alternatives
Are you a sucker for cheese? well if you are, do not worry as a vegan there are many vegan cheese alternatives for you.
I am not really a fan of vegan cheese so I hardly buy this food.
However, here is a pick for you:
- Raw cashew almond cheese
- Baked cashew mozzarella
- Potato and carrot cheese
- Paprika cheese
- Cashew blue cheese
Frozen foods
Frozen foods can include your meat alternatives, and cheese substitutes which I have already listed.
There are other foods that are worth putting in your grocery list which you may not have realized.
Butter substitutes
If you are looking to use butter you will be happy to know that there are many brands.
Although I do not use this food due to the fact that I am trying to keep my heart arteries clean it is there for those who want it.
Butter substitutes are basically processed foods so even the oils in it are highly unhealthy if you eat them for extend period of times.
Below are the top brands to choose from:
- Coconut oil
- Vegan spread
- Nut butters
Dessert
Vegan desserts have always been a bit of a hard one for me since it has always been so hard to get vegan desserts up until last year.
Maybe this was due to the fact that I was only focusing on eating no junk food at all. However, what I have found is that vegan desserts are much healthier than normal desserts.
This is because the vegan desserts do not have any dairy and normally have 100% natural sugar.
Vegan snacks
Snacks make up about 50% of people’s diet and that is why it is vital to ensure you include them in your list of vegan foods when you do your grocery.
Below is a list of vegan snacks:
- Lousville
- Kettle brand potato chips
- Dark chocolate
- Vegan protein bars
- Fritos
- Vegan protein powder
You can check out my number recommendation for protein powder >>here<<
Non-dairy milk and products
Vegan non-dairy products are used extensively by people who bake and eat cereal. I am one of them ha-ha.
With non-dairy milk it is better to choose the unsweetened version as this is the healthiest since there are not added sugars.
Again there are many non-dairy milk to choose from and here are some best options:
- Coconut milk
- Almond milk
- Soy milk
Whole grains
List of vegan foods is also never complete without the food that makes you get full, called whole grains.
There are many times of grains that you can get and what is best is that you can include grain in all of your meals if you plan well.
Extra foods
if you have pets like cats or dogs that you feed them a vegan diet than you may also want to buy great quality vegan foods.
Here post for best vegan dog food that you can read here.
Take home message
Choosing your vegan food list can be really daunting especially for vegan beginners and this is what messes up most people in terms of attaining proper nutrition for this diet.
There many types of vegan foods like meat substitutes and cheese substitutes which most people tend to gravitate towards when they are starting out on the vegan diet.
I always recommend that you stack your grocery list with natural vegan food as opposed to processed foods like meat substitutes and cheese substitutes.
That is why I usually fill my vegan grocery list with fruits and vegetables which will enable me to do my own juices like smoothies.
I have not eaten any cheese or butter vegan substitutes due to my artery related issues.
Regarding snacks I eat them only occasionally as I try to be as healthy as I can be but people’s circumstances depends
I hope this vegan grocery list was very helpful in giving you the best vegan foods that you will need as a vegan.
If you have any questions that you would like to ask you can leave them below and I will be more than happy to engage with it.
Reader Comments
Hi THABO, thanks for sharing your so detailed list of splendid vegan food! They look are comprehensive in nutrients and will surely provides all the energies and vitamins that we need to support a very healthy condition. Great post!
Hey Shaun
I hope they can help you attain great health when it comes to vegan grocery shopping list. Yes these are great if you can learn to focus on them constantly when you buy
There are these chips I’ve eaten like crazy lately called exotic vegetable chips. Sweet potatoes are just one of the many vegetables in these things and they’re made with olive oil. They taste beyond phenomenal and I eat them almost daily.
As for the rest of the list, I’m amazed by how many choices there are these days for vegans. I find myself opting more and more for soy burgers and I’ll likely end up making the full switch someday. I’ve also gotten to try quinoa burgers as well, which also taste amazing.
Wow it seems like you are really turning vegan. The switch will happen one day and I know because you will get more healthier by doing this.
Yes the vegan options are expanding almost daily due to the demand for the diet.
This is a great shopping list. I am not vegan but do make an effort to eat a lot of healthy foods and almost never cook any meat at home. I actually like meat substitutes and try to find the ones that have less salt in them. I’ve lately gotten into the Beyond Burger, which is a great meat alternative – it’s even juicy! Thanks for encouraging health for us all.