Plant Based Diet Grocery List + Recipes to Try

Plant Based Diet Grocery List – Want to try a plant based diet, but not sure where to start? This list of pantry, fridge, and freezer staples will make it easy to get started so an easy meatless meal is always at your fingertips!

Keeping staple ingredients on hand is the key to quick and easy meals. My list below is quite long. You certainly don’t need to stock them all, all of the time! I definitely don’t have room for that (I wish I did!) and I’m sure you don’t either.

Most of them are interchangeable within each category (nuts, beans, plant based milks, etc) so just make sure you have one or two on hand and rotate them when you run out so you don’t get bored.

If you’re not sure if this way of eating is right for you, you can read all about the details of a plant based diet here.

Legumes

~ healthy plant based protein, inexpensive, and versatile

• Chickpeas
• Black Beans
• Kidney Beans (red and white)
• Pinto Beans
• Black Eyed Peas
• Lentils (brown/green and red)
• Soy Products (firm tofu, silken tofu, tempeh, edamame) (be sure to choose organic)

I usually keep canned beans on hand for convenience. Be sure to drain them and rinse them well before using. If you like to cook your beans from scratch, by all means, buy them dried…they are cheaper that way. Lentils I typically buy dried as they don’t need to be soaked or take as long. 

Recipes to try: Sloppy Lentil Sandwiches, Slow Cooker Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili, Bell Pepper & Chickpea Tacos, Kidney Bean & Kale Burger, Creamy Lemon Ziti, Baked Red Lentil Quinoa Fritters, Cajun Black Eyed Peas Pasta

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

~ full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

Any and all fruits and veggies are a great choice!

Fresh Vegetables (some of our faves)

• Onions
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Bell Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula, romaine, green/red leaf, chard)
• Asparagus
• Brussels sprouts
• Zucchini
• Winter Squash (butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, pumpkin)
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Green Beans
• Tomatoes
• Radishes
• Potatoes (sweet, Russet, yellow, red)

Recipes to Try: Quinoa with Garden Vegetables, Oven Roasted Rainbow Carrots, Spicy Tomato Juice, Massaged Kale and Quinoa Salad, Creamy Dairy Free Potato Soup

Fresh Fruit (some of our faves)

• Apples
• Oranges
• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
• Plums
• Pears
• Grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Bananas
• Grapes
• Melon (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew)
• Lemons and Limes
• Peaches and Nectarines
• Avocados

Recipes to try: Fresh Peach Salsa, Superfood Smoothie, Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lentils and Grapes

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Frozen Fruits

• Mixed Fruit
• Wild Blueberries
• Cherries
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Peaches

Recipes to try: Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie, Post Workout Pineapple Smoothie

Frozen Vegetables

• Mixed Vegetables 
• Spinach
• Corn
• Green Peas
• Green Beans
• Cauliflower Rice
• Hash brown Potatoes

Recipes to try: Easy Thai Green Curry Vegetables, Vegan Butternut Squash Soup with Corn, Breakfast Hash Browns and Veggie Skillet, Velvety Green Vegetable Soup

Canned Fruits and Vegetables

• Tomato products (crushed, diced, sauce, paste, fire-roasted)
• Roasted red peppers
• Artichoke hearts
• Pumpkin purée (pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling)
• Pineapple chunks

Recipes to try: Easy Minestrone Soup, Mediterranean Pasta w/ Roasted Red Peppers & Artichokes, Southwest Pumpkin Risotto, Millet Black Bean Patties w/ Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Dried Fruits

• Dates
• Figs
• Raisins
• Apricots
• Cherries
• Assorted berries (blueberries, cranberries)
• Sun-dried tomatoes

Recipes to try: Vegan Date Bread, Sunflower Fig Balls, Vegan Kolaczki Cookies w/ Almond Apricot Jam, Cherry Chocolate Walnut Truffles, Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, Blueberry Almond Granola, Sun Dried Tomato Spread

Grains

~ high in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals

• Rolled oats
• Quinoa
• Rice (brown, white, Jasmine, Arborio, wild)
• Barley
• Couscous
• Ancient grains (amaranth, bulgur, millet, farro)
• Cornmeal
• Breadcrumbs (regular and Panko, gluten free if desired)
• Pasta (spaghetti, bow ties, macaroni, penne, rotini, large shells, etc)
• Asian noodles (soba, ramen, udon, etc)
• Bread (whole wheat, sprouted, rye)
• Tortillas (flour, corn) (multiple sizes)

Recipes to try: Black Bean Salsa Burgers, Lentil Quinoa Salad, Roasted Veggie & Brown Rice Bowl, Creamy Leek and Wild Rice Soup, Meatless Stuffed Pepper Soup, Baked Zucchini Amaranth Patties, Lemon Millet w/ Chickpeas & Dill, Farro & Arugula Salad, Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Muffins, Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta, Quick Homemade Vegetable Ramen Soup

Raw Nuts/Seeds

~ great source of healthy fats

• Cashews
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Peanuts
• Pistachios
• Hazelnuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Flax seeds
• Chia seeds
• Hemp seeds

Recipes to try: Spiced Rosemary Roasted Nuts, Mixed Greens Almond & Pepita Pesto, Flax & Walnut Zucchini Muffins, Classic Vegan Toffee Bars, Chunky Monkey Oatmeal, Cranberry Pistachio Cookies, Crunchy Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Banana Black Sesame Scones, Homemade Raspberry Pineapple Chia Seed Jam, Hemp Tofu Burger

Nut/Seed Butters

• Organic natural peanut butter
• Raw almond butter
• Cashew butter
• Tahini
• Sunflower Seed Butter

Dairy Alternatives

~ Try experimenting to find your favorite

Recipes to try: Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Bread, Sweet Potato Almond Soup, Gingerbread Cashew Butter, Citrus Tahini Dressing

• Milks: Rice (my fave for cereal), Soy, Almond (my go-to for smoothies), Cashew, Oat (great in coffee), Hemp, Coconut – canned (full fat and light)
• Yogurts: Soy, Almond, Coconut (Silk Almondmilk Yogurts are my fave)
• Vegan Butter (Earth Balance and Miyoko’s are good brands)
• Vegan Cheese (shreds/slices, cream cheese) (Definitely NOT a necessity, but nice to have every once in awhile)
• Vegan Ice Cream (Obviously not a necessity, but a delicious treat) (Cashew milk and Oat milk varieties are my fave)

Recipes to try: Harvest Oat Pumpkin Latte, Strawberry Rhubarb Coconut Milk Popsicles, Vegan Carrot Cake, Strawberry Beet Smoothie, Peaches and Cream Dairy Free Pancakes

Condiments, Vinegars & Oils

• Coconut Aminos (or tamari or soy sauce)
• Liquid smoke
• Worcestershire sauce (Annie’s and The Wizard’s are both vegan)
• Miso Paste (I prefer the Mellow White Miso Paste)
• Vegan Mayo (I like Just Mayo and Follow Your Heart Vegenaise)
• Hot sauce (or Sriracha)
• Salsa
• Thai Red Curry Paste
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Balsamic vinegar
• Rice wine vinegar
• Red and White wine vinegar
• Fresh Lemon and Lime Juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Cooking spray 

Recipes to try: Creamy Sesame Soy Asian Dressing, Sloppy Chickpea BBQ Sandwiches, Thai-Inspired Homemade Trail Mix, Easy Vegetable Fried Rice, Creamy Balsamic Summer Pasta Salad

Dried Spices and Herbs

~ easy, affordable way to add FLAVOR

The sky is the limit here. These are just a few of our favorites.

• Basil
• Chili Powder
• Cinnamon
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Cumin
• Dill
• Garlic Powder
• Ginger
• Italian Seasoning
• Nutmeg
• Onion Powder
• Oregano
• Paprika and Smoked Paprika
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme
• Turmeric
• Yellow Curry Powder
• And of course, salt and pepper!

Recipes to try: Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies, Creamy Cumin Ranch Dressing, Pumpkin Lentil Chili, Spicy Summer Corn Chowder, Roasted Carrot & White Bean Spread, French Onion Dip w/ Dill, Spiced Chickpea Stew, Coconut Curry Soup with Sweet Potato Noodles

Sweeteners

*While regular refined sugar is considered plant based, it is not always vegan. Some non-organic sugars are processed with bone char. If excluding all animal products is important to you, opt for organic only when using cane sugar, powdered sugar, or brown sugar.

• Pure maple syrup
• Molasses 
• Coconut Sugar
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Organic Brown Rice Syrup
• Organic Powdered Sugar

Recipes to try: Peanut Butter Pancakes with Maple Peanut Butter Syrup, Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal, Brown Rice Crispy Treats w/ Strawberries, Soft Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Frosting, Coconut Clementine Mini Loaf Cakes, Vegan Apple Crisp

Flours

• Whole wheat
• White whole wheat
• Spelt
• Buckwheat
• Almond
• Brown rice
• Oat
• 1:1 Gluten Free Flour Blend
• Chickpea (a.k.a Garbanzo Bean)

Recipes to try: Healthy Whole Wheat Flax Pancakes, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars, Apple Cinnamon Bread, Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes, Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, Strawberry Glazed Chocolate Vegan Donuts, Easy Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread, Veggie Potato Fritters

Baking Staples

• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Arrowroot powder
• Cornstarch
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Dairy free chocolate chips
• Pure vanilla extract
• Unsweetened shredded coconut
• Unsweetened applesauce

Recipes to try: Vegan Vanilla Pudding, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pineapple Coconut Muffins

Other Kitchen Staples

• Coffee 
• Tea
• Nutritional Yeast – look for one fortified with vitamin B12
• Low Sodium Vegetable Broth or Vegan Bouillon Cubes
• Coconut Water – great for replenishing electrolytes, try it in smoothies!

Recipes to try: Coffee Granola, Vegan Cheese Sauce, Spinach & Berry Coconut Water Smoothie

Would you add anything to this Plant Based Diet Grocery List?