Vegan Grocery List

This vegan grocery list is the perfect way to shop whether you are a beginner to plant-based eating or a pro. This vegan shopping list will help you navigate the aisles with ease. You’ll learn all of the essential grocery items for vegans and vegetarians.

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Take this vegan grocery list on your next shopping trip.

This shopping list covers the essentials to eliminate overwhelm with all of the vegan grocery items offered in the store. If you are new to vegan eating, this list will familiarize you with the most important foods. If you are looking for particular brands that are appealing you can download our Favorite Things vegan grocery list.

You’ll be a pro after reading this plant-based pantry list. It shows the items that are notorious for being non-vegan and the ones that are great to eat.

Some items listed are crossovers and under two categories, as those items could be considered a part of either category. I consider them pretty important staples in a vegan kitchen.

PRODUCE

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The number of vegetables and fruits sold at the market is too plentiful to list, so here are the highlights.

Lettuce, spinach, spring mix, arugula, romaine, green leaf, red leaf, kale, chard, cabbage, bok choy, napa cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, carrots, onions, squash, zucchini, corn, beets, potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, snap peas, green beans, asparagus, sprouts, cucumbers, bell peppers, poblano peppers, jalapenos, parsnips, rutabagas, mushrooms, portabellas, fresh herbs, avocadoes, bananas, apples, oranges, peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapefruit, kiwi, pineapple, mango, and dates.

If you want the best way to preserve a salad for up to a week, check out this article.


EAT TO LOSE!


VEGAN PANTRY STAPLES

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You will most likely want to have some of these items on your vegan grocery shopping list.

Olive oil (if you use oil), tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, nutritional yeast, canned jackfruit, maple syrup, canned beans – black, pinto, kidney, garbanzo, lentils, maple syrup, tahini, baking soda, baking powder, egg replacer, cocoa, canned coconut milk, agar-agar, nuts – cashews, pecans, walnuts, almonds, seeds – chia, flax, hemp, flours for baked goods, sugar, spices – garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, oregano, basil, cumin, cinnamon, vanilla extract, just to name a few.

GRAINS

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it’s best to buy whole grain products whenever you can. Here’s a good list of grains for your vegan or vegetarian diet.

Pasta, bread (Ezekiel or Dave’s Killer Bread are good), English muffins, bagels, whole grain tortillas, breakfast cereal, rice, quinoa, couscous, polenta, barley, farro, rice noodles, oats, crackers,

If you enjoy baking things like cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and brownies, you might need to make something using a gluten free substitute or just want to experiment with different ingredients. Learn these 6 flour replacements you can use.

VEGAN CONVENIENCE FOODS AND SNACKS

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These foods are great to have on hand when life gets busy and you need something quick to eat.

Frozen pizza, frozen rice, frozen quinoa, frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, canned soup or chili, shelf-stable meals like Tasty Bite, store-bought hummus, store-bought spaghetti sauce, Just Egg liquid product, vegan cheese, granola bars, protein bars (no cow), dried fruit, salsa, popcorn, tortilla chips, pretzels, olives, pickles.

VEGAN PROTEIN-RICH FOODS

vegan proteins like beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables to be included in a vegan grocery shopping listPin

There is a wide assortment of mock meats in the grocery store these days. You may or may not want to include them on your vegan grocery shopping list due to their lack of nutrition. However, if you are looking for convenience they are helpful.

Veggie burgers, veggie hotdogs, veggie sausages, vegan chik’n, vegan fish, deli means – like Tofurky, nuts – cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts, seeds – chia, hemp, flax, peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, beans, edamame, tofu, tempeh, and seitan.

If you aren’t familiar with how to get protein on a plant-based diet, check out this article.

DAIRY-FREE PRODUCTS

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It’s never been easier to go dairy-free! There are a plethora of products, so if you try one and find you don’t like it, give a different brand a try.

Milk – oat, rice, cashew, soy, almond, coconut, vegan butter, mayo (Vegenaise), yogurt, vegan cheese – cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, feta, vegan cream cheese, vegan sour cream.

SEASONINGS

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When you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet you want your food to taste amazing, so you will want to have some of these seasonings in your kitchen.

Sea salt, pepper, soy sauce or liquid aminos (Bragg’s), Sriracha, Barbeque sauce, Worcestershire, vinegar – apple cider, red wine, balsamic, ketchup, mustard, mayo (Vegenaise), bouillon (Better Than Bouillon or make your own with this recipe), nutritional yeast, spices – cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and teriyaki.


Snack Smart!

Grab your FREE Plant-Based Snacks, Smoothies, & Desserts mini-cookbook now!


SWEETS

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Let’s talk dessert! Of course, you can enjoy dessert while eating a vegan diet. There are some really delicious items in the grocery store. However, just because they are vegan doesn’t mean they are healthy, it is dessert after all.

Dark chocolate, dairy-free ice cream, dairy-free cheesecake (Daiya), vegan cookies, vegan gelatin (Simply Delish), and vegan marshmallows (Dandies).

NON-VEGAN FOOD

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There are some foods that are obviously not vegan like meat, seafood, eggs, cheese, cow milk, etc. You will want to avoid these items if you are eating a plant-based diet. But there are some foods that are sneaky and you can’t go by the packaging. For instance, dairy-free doesn’t mean vegan, it means there is no dairy. Vegetarian is different than vegan because the product might have dairy or eggs.

You need to become familiar with reading ingredients labels. Thankfully, it has become slightly easier with the “allergy ingredients” notice at the bottom of the ingredients list. Look for the word “CONTAINS”. If there are eggs or dairy it will be listed. However, it won’t list meat or any of the other sneaky non-vegan ingredients listed below.

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You will need to recognize these various names for animal products:

Lanolin (oil from sheep wool) is used in some items fortified with vitamin D3 like breakfast cereals.

Shellac – derived from ground bugs and used to coat candy.

L-cysteine – a dough conditioner found in many products and derived from feathers or human hair.

Whey – is a milk by-product and is used in many products.

Gelatin – derived from pig skin, cow skin, cow bones, and other by-products of the meat industry. Gelatin is found in marshmallows, Jell-o, puddings, candies, cakes, ice cream, yogurts, vitamins, and is used in fermenting most wines.

Honey – some people are against the process of producing honey because it can resemble factory farming. For instance, the queen bee’s wings are typically clipped. Items like beeswax, royal jelly, bread, and beer may contain honey.

Albumen – derived from eggs and used in cakes, cookies, candies, and some wine.

Casein, Caseinate, Sodium Caseinate – is a milk protein and used in non-dairy creamers and some soy cheese.

Collagen – derived from animal tissue and sold as a health product.

Colors & Dyes -can be obtained from animals like crushed bugs and is in too many products to list.

Fatty Acids – are derived from animals and used in processed foods.

Glycerin, Glycerol – animal fat and used in chewing gum.

Lactic Acid – is derived from animals it is used in sour cream, beer, sauerkraut, and pickles.

Lactose – derived from milk and used in baked goods and foods.

Lard – is fat from hogs and is used in baked goods, french fries, refried beans, pies, and many other foods.

Monoglycerides, Glycerides – derived from animal fat and used in margarine, cake mixes, candies, baked goods, and processed foods.

Rennet, Rennin – derived from calves’ stomachs and used in cheese.

Tallow – rendered beef fat and used in margarine and cake frosting.

SNEAKY FOODS THAT AREN’T VEGAN

Gum and Altoids, candy-like Skittles, Beer and wine because they are sometimes filtered through fish bladder, powdered sugar, and some white sugars because they are sifted through bone char. You can purchase organic powdered sugar instead. Worcestershire sauce contains fish ingredients, as do some Asian food products.

If in doubt look for the V on the package or Google the ingredient in question and see if it is an animal product. If you want to find out the top “accidentally vegan foods” check out this article. As always, just because an item is vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy, so keep in mind the food items in the produce section are the best products to eat.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PLANT-BASED RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

PIN THIS VEGAN GROCERY LIST FOR LATER

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14 Comments

  1. It is a really interesting post! I’m not vegan but I would like to change our family diet. Thank you for useful tips.

  2. Wow, great information here. It’s not very easy knowing what to buy and eat when you first starting on your plant-based journey. This post will be of great help when going shopping.

  3. Wow! This was so informative! my hubby and I are definitely not vegan, but I didn’t realize what a struggle it could be to go that route! Thank you for opening my eyes to this! =)

    1. This article is extremely informative! I had no idea that white sugar is sifted through bone char 😬 Thank you for sharing all of this, it is extremely helpful.

  4. This was a very informative read! I had no idea that gum, wine, and beer were not vegan. You have some really great detail in here for serving those who are vegan and what to buy.

  5. I love the list of spices–it seems like a lot of people don’t know which spices they really need in their cabinet. This is a great resource for a fully stocked kitchen 🙂

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