As of 2013, 2.5% of the United States population identified themselves as vegans. There are tons of reasons people choose to be vegan, but one universal reason is simply — it’s a plant-based diet.
Plant-based diets are a good way to remedy some of the issues traditional Western diets can cause. Today, so many people are over-consuming red meat and added sugar, and of course, this can lead to a myriad of health issues.1
But, it’s not uncommon for first-time vegans to get overwhelmed.
And even if going completely vegan isn’t for you… there are good reasons to understand more about eating (and shopping for) a plant-based diet.
Maybe you’ve got vegan friends and want to relate to them… or you just want to eat less meat… or you’re planning a big dinner and you want to make food all your guests can eat.
Well, there’s one thing to understand about a plant-based diet — not only are you giving up meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs… but you’re passing over any animal byproducts, as well.
As a result, putting together a vegan shopping list before heading to the grocery store can be difficult for some. If this sounds like you, let’s help you make your vegan shopping list great so you can stick to your diet and discover the long-term benefits of a vegan lifestyle.
Why Plan Your Meals?
Easy. Studies show that meal planning may have a positive impact on heart health, weight, and overall diet quality.2,3
How can this be?
Well, think of it this way: Say you’ve had a busy day at work, you’ve got to run errands afterward, there’s traffic, you’re rushing only to wait and you end up frustrated over the whole dang experience. That frustration, coupled with the fact you’ve suddenly got no time to eat, might cause you to need some ready-made option. Well, ready-made is usually not the healthiest choice.
But, simple meal planning and prep can help you in this area. And by thinking ahead with your meals when you go to the grocery store, you can cover almost any scenario. In addition, prepping fruits and vegetables ahead of time means you always have the healthiest snacks on hand.
What to Put on Your Vegan Shopping List
As a vegan, you may not realize how many food options you have. This vegan shopping list covers some essential, everyday vegan needs. Being a healthy vegan is about finding balance. So, be sure to enjoy several foods from every category!
1. Fresh Fruit
Apples Apricots Bananas Blackberries Blueberries Cantaloupe
Cherries Clementines Coconut Cucumber Currants Durian
Figs Grapefruit Grapes Guava Honeydew Jackfruit
Kiwis Kumquats Lemons Limes Lychees Mangosteen
Mangoes Nectarines Oranges Papayas Passionfruit Peaches
Persimmon Physalis Plums Pomegranate Raspberries Strawberries
Watermelon
What Do These Do For Me?
When it comes to fruit, the berry family is one of the healthiest options. These little guys pack a powerful punch. Why? Berries are full of antioxidants and they do a lot to help lower free radical damage to your cells.4 In addition, they’re packed with other nutrients.
For example, just one cup of blackberries has:
- Calories: 62.
- Vitamin C: 50% of the recommended daily intake
- Manganese: 47% of the recommended daily intake
- Vitamin K: 36% of the recommended daily intake
- Copper: 12% of the recommended daily intake
- Folate: 9% of the recommended daily intake
On top of this, berries are super low in calories and still have plenty of fiber.5 It’s a great combination if you’re looking to lose weight.
2. Dried Fruit
Apples Apricots Cranberries Dates Figs Goji Berries
Mulberries Prunes Raisins
What Do These Do For Me?
Dried fruit is a great alternative to snacks with plenty of added sugars or salt. However, buyer beware: Some brands do add sugar despite the fact that fruit has enough of its own. And, because dried fruit is smaller you may eat more calories than with regular fruit before actually feeling full.6
3. Vegetables
Broccoli Carrots Celery Cauliflower Cucumbers Snap peas
Tomatoes Avocado Zucchini Mushrooms Squashes Bell peppers
Asparagus Garlic
What Do These Do For Me?
As the foundation of a plant-based diet, vegetables have almost too many nutrients to name. In general, they’re rich in potassium, dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin C. In addition, they are inherently low in fat and calories.7
Now, if you’re new to the whole vegan thing, you may find yourself less satisfied with your plant-based meals… at first. That’s perfectly normal. After all, most vegetables have fewer calories on average. Try to focus on foods with fiber to help with satiety as you adjust.
4. Leafy Green Veggies
Arugula Baby Spinach Bok Choy Chard Spring Greens
Kale Lamb’s Lettuce Lettuce Sorrel Romaine Lettuce
Endive Mixed Salad Spinach Watercress Turnip Tops
Wheatgrass
What Do These Do For Me?
Leafy green vegetables are among the most nutrient-packed foods on the planet. Many leafy green vegetables have high levels of Copper, manganese, iron, and zinc.8 But leafy greens often contain good amounts of calcium. Sure, calcium supports strong bones. But you don’t need to drink milk to get your fill.9
5. Grains/Starches
Amaranth Barley Brown Rice Buckwheat Bulgur
Corn Cornflakes Einkorn Farro Kamut
Millet Quinoa Oats Rye Spelt
Wild Rice
What Do These Do For Me?
Ancient grains are becoming popular due to the rise of gluten-free diets. But, they do have other nutritional merits.
Take quinoa: Studies show that quinoa’s fiber content eclipses that of other grains by a wide margin. This can support glucose regulation, weight loss, and healthy cholesterol levels.10,11,12
Rice, too, is a great, inexpensive way to make meals more filling, but it can be heavy in carbohydrates. In addition, white rice is a refined grain. So if you want to play it safe, eat brown or wild rice instead. These are whole grains — closer to the ancient grains your ancestors survived on for centuries.13
6. Beans/Legumes
Chickpeas (canned/dry) Black beans (canned/dry) Kidney beans
Lentils (dry) Hummus Edamame (frozen)
Veggie burgers (lentil, bean, or vegetable based)
What Do These Do For Me?
As a vegan, you know it can be a challenge to figure out how to get your protein without eating meat. However, the legume family provides an affordable and versatile way to get all the protein you need.
In general, you want to eat varied proteins for maximum health. This means eating legumes along with certain grains and vegetables. However, don’t fall for the myths that vegans can’t meet their protein needs.
7. Nuts/Seeds
Peanut butter Almond butter Almonds Cashews
Pecans Sunflower seeds Chia seeds Sunflower seed butter
Pumpkin seeds Walnuts Flax seeds Sesame seeds
Tahini (sesame butter)
What Do These Do For Me?
Another category vegans want to be mindful of is healthy fats. The body cannot produce these, so they need to be consumed through your diet. Healthy fats support eye, brain, and immune health. Certain foods, like avocados or olives, have healthy fats. However, seeds and nuts are some of your best options to fill this food category. In addition, they have plenty of other nutrients.
8. Herbs
Anise Basil Bay Leaf Celery Seed Chamomile Chili powder
Chives Cilantro Clove Coriander Cumin Curry
Dill Garlic Ginger Italian Season Lemongrass Marjoram
Nutmeg Onion Oregano Paprika Parsley Red Pepper
Peppermint PoppySeed Pepper Rosemary Saffron Salt
Spearmint Thyme Turmeric Yeast (Nutritional)
What Do These Do For Me?
Herbs and spices allow you to add extra flavor to your food without extra salt or sugar. And while herbal medicine has been practiced for centuries, cooking with medicinal herbs isn’t quite the same as taking herbal supplements. But, some of the beneficial health properties can transfer over.
9. Dairy Alternatives
Almond Milk Almond Yogurt Coconut Milk Coconut Yogurt
Cashew Milk Flax Milk Hemp Milk Oat Milk
Rice Milk
What Do These Do For Me?
It’s important to note that dairy substitutes mirror textures of milk in terms of cooking and texture. Nutritionally, it’s a bit more of a mixed bag. For example, almond milk is a rich source of vitamins D, E, and A. However, it doesn’t give you the same amount of calcium milk would. So, these dairy alternatives are vegan essentials, keep a close eye on their nutrition labels.14
The Vegan Shopping List In Review
Finally, adopting a plant-based diet is easier now than it has never been. Of course, growing interest means there’s more accessibility to plant foods.
There’s also a growing community of vegans online so you’ll find more recipes, tips, and info to help you put your diet together.
Therefore, companies are taking notice which means new and exciting products to help vegans replicate different flavors and textures.
So, in order to make sure you get all the nutrients you need, remember to keep your vegan diet balanced. The vegan shopping list above is a perfect starting point, but everyone’s different. In any event, don’t just run off to the grocery store.
Feel free to check with your doctor or nutritionist to see if you have any deficiencies to consider. They can help guide you to focus on certain foods, as well as dietary supplements.
Learn More About Vegan Diets:
How to Build Muscle on A Vegan Diet (it’s easier than you think)
7 Popular Vegan Diet Myths Debunked
Aquafaba: The Sci-Fi Vegan Egg Substitute To Check Out Now
Sources
1.http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/health/western-diet-health/index.html
2.https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-017-0461-7
3.http://newsroom.heart.org/news/meal-planning-timing-may-impact-heart-health
4.https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/761264/
5.http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1848/2
6.https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/is-eating-dried-fruit-healthy
7.https://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables-nutrients-health
8.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11678441
9.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium-full-story/
10.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18287346
11.http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM199307013290104
12.http://jn.nutrition.org/content/130/2/272S.full
13.https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2010/08/think-twice-eating-white-rice
14.https://www.livescience.com/g00/51695-almond-milk-nutrition.html
