The bottom shelf has noodles, pinto beans (back), quinoa (back), brown rice (back), brown and red lentils (front), white and black beans.
Before we began our plant-based eating there were certain ingredients I always had in my pantry, freezer, or fridge. Some of those ingredients have changed but not all of them. I like to be able to go into the kitchen and make something without having to run to the store. When I run to the store for one thing I usually make it home with at least five, the trip that would have cost me a few bucks now cost $20! That is not frugal!
I stock up on some things when they are on sale and buy in bulk when it makes sense. Below you will find a list of ingredients I try to keep on hand at all times.
Spices
- black pepper
- chili powder
- cinnamon
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- sea salt
- vanilla
Pantry
- agave
- applesauce
- baking soda & baking powder
- brown rice
- canned beans
- cereal
- chocolate chips (non-dairy)
- cocoa
- coffee
- dried beans (pinto, black, chickpea’s, lentils, etc.)
- dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.)
- grains
- non-dairy milks
- nuts
- old fashioned oats
- pasta
- pasta sauce
- quinoa (I buy a 4 lb bag at Costco for $9.99)
- raw sugar
- tomato sauce
- tortillas
- tortilla chips
Freezer
- bananas
- blueberries
- breads
- cherries
- corn (my husband can’t have it so I scoop out what I need)
- other veggies
- strawberries
- whole wheat pastry flour
Refrigerator
- almond milk
- apple butter (L&A Unsweetened is delish!)
- applesauce
- Bragg Liquid Aminos
- creamer (soy or coconut milk creamer)
- Earth Balance
- fat-free balsamic vinaigrette
- jelly (with no added sugar, I like Crofter’s)
- lime juice
- mustard
- natural peanut and almond butter (I buy both at Costco)
- nutritional yeast
- salsa
- veggie base ( I use Better than Bouillon)
Fresh Plant Foods
- apples
- bananas
- broccoli
- carrots (I buy 5 lbs at a time for $2.49)
- garlic
- onions
- potatoes
- sweet potatoes
- spinach
I can make almost anything I could want with these ingredients. I did not buy them all at once and I don’t use them all the time but these are my essentials. When I have people over they are usually overwhelmed by how full my pantry is. Right now it is extremely disorganized but it is normally just semi-disorganized.
Depending on your tastes and cooking style you may have a different list of essentials. Your list could change over time too. Now that I’m discovering my son has an issue with gluten I’m sitting on quite a bit of gluten filled grains and trying to transition to others.
Did I forget anything? What is in your must have list that differs from mine? If you’re new to plant-based is there anything that stands out as weird to you?
Can I ask perhaps a silly question? Why do you keep your flour in the freezer? Just to keep it fresh longer? Does it freeze solid, or are you still able to scoop out what you need?
On a side note: seeing your list and what you can get at Costco makes me really wish there was a Costco near me!!! We only have Sam’s Club, and they don’t have near as many good choices as Costco!
I’ve heard keeping flour in the freezer keeps it fresh longer. Some flours go rancid quickly. I never kept white flour in the freezer but I always keep my whole wheat pastry flour in there. I have also heard there are little bugs that sometimes live in flour and that it was best kept in the freezer, after that I was sold!
We do like our Costco but I have heard some people just as crazy about Sam’s Club. Some things are so expensive a regular stores that if I didn’t have Costco nearby I would order them online.
Also – what about ketchup and barbeque sauce? Those are two must-haves for my 3-year-old daughter. Do you use any cooking oils or oils for salad dressings? Or are you oil-free? Also, what about vinegars for cooking or salad dressing?
Oh yes, we have ketchup! My 3 year old wants it on everything! I haven’t bought BBQ sauce in years and just threw some away that had been in the back of the fridge. It had expired a long time ago and was full of unhealthy ingredients. In the old days I’d make pulled chicken or pulled pork sandwiches.
We don’t use oil, although I still have a big tub of coconut oil in the pantry. It is so expensive I don’t want to throw it out and I know we can use it topically. I do have several vinegar but I rarely use them, (I haven’t yet this year) so they are not on my essential list. We do have some store bought dressings but the balsamic vinaigrette is the only one I like. I would rather have hummus or avocado and salsa on my salad most of the time.
Cumin!
Oh yes…all of the spicy spices, italian spices and Indian (eastern) spices and seasonings…total must haves!
Do you have recipes on your blog? I didn’t see them but my boys keep me half way distracted all the time. I’d be interested in some of your recipes.
oh I have cumin but I don’t use it a ton. I put it in Mexican food when I remember but I usually forget it.
We make almost everything from scratch so that is what we keep on hand. I even make my own crackers, bread and sometimes chips. We make our own salad dressing so we keep olive oil, flaxseed oil and vinegars on hand. Oh…instead of buying a dairy free cheese, we started making that too. Miso and cashews are definate staples for us.
Great list! 🙂
We make a cheese sauce from nutritional yeast. I haven’t tried making it with cashew’s yet but I hear it is all the rage.
I recently bought Miso but I haven’t used it yet.
Looks like my pantry, etc.!
I’ve been gluten-free for over 3 years and plant-based since the beginning of this year–the best thing our family has ever done! We have a lot of the same things, but I would add eggplant, mushrooms, and firm tofu. The kids also like to snack on dried plums, dates and figs. I always have a couple of nut bars handy to toss into my purse. Ground flaxseed, fresh black olives and big, leafy lettuce is always on hand here too (since we eat salad with every meal).
This is fun! It’s good to know we’re not the ONLY family eating a plant-based diet!
We had eggplant and mushrooms last night but they are not staples for us. I’m not crazy about eggplant and my husband can’t eat it because of the seeds.
A big surprise but I’ve never had tofu, I bought some but it is just hanging out in the pantry.
Now that the weather is warming up we will be eating more salads. I’m a soup when it’s cold and salads when it’s hot kind of girl 😉
I’m hoping to demystify the plant-based diet. A lot of my friends are supportive but at a loss for what we eat. I’m glad we can all encourage each other and share ideas.
Hi Holly,
This is a good list – thanks. My family and I are experimenting with a plant-based diet, and your blog has been a huge help – thanks again! We look forward to learning more from your experiences.
It is truly my pleasure Ernie! I so happy to be helpful! I wish you and your family success! Feel free to ask questions, I may not have an answer but someone else might. 🙂
Thanks, Holly! I’m printing this. Great way to get going again! (And, yes! I agree with whomever mentioned Cumin!) It’s good to have this, then add my “staple” herbs and spices.
What a great list! I want to learn so much more from you. I am not familiar with a lot of the grains. Maybe I can come over some day and taste some of them. I do enjoy Chia and hemp seeds (just got a big bag from Costco…great to throw on a salad to bump up the protein).
Definitely Cara! That is one of the things I’m doing with the Food Demo! You should come! I’m sending a reminder out in the next few days.
I’m so glad I found this site. All this info really helps. I just watched Forks over Knives and want to transition to a plant based diet for my entire family. I have a teen age son that is already fussing about it. I’m not going to give up, I want my family to eat healthy. Thank you again for the great information.
Hi Isabel, I hope you and your family are transitioning well to a plant-based diet. Don’t get discouraged, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. 🙂