One of the most common questions I get asked as a whole-food vegan, besides where I get my protein from, is what kind of foods do vegans eat. There is a huge misconception out there that we just eat rabbit food, aka salads. While salads are both healthy and nutritious, they are a part, not the whole, of what vegans eat. One would find it increasingly difficult to live on fruits and vegetables without the satisfying additions of grains, legumes and starchy vegetables. This is what fills us up and creates satiety. This is one reason some fail at a vegan diet. It’s very difficult to eat just fruits and vegetables enough to maintain the typical 2,000 calorie a day diet. The fiber content alone would fill you up long before enough calories were consumed. And then you’d be hungry again within an hour or two. Do not make this same mistake when transitioning to a whole foods vegan diet. Not eating enough food can lead to fatigue and sluggishness, feelings of deprivation, cravings, and even binges. This is not what you want. Be sure to eat plenty of carbohydrates and starchy foods, they are not the enemy. Unfortunately, good carbs and bad carbs get lumped together under one heading. Refined sugar and highly processed foods are not the same as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains! Even a white potato is nutritionally healthy. It’s all the stuff that comes with the potato that demonizes it such as bacon bits, sour cream, cheese etc. And let’s not forget how the potato is typically consumed here in the US, as french fries. Talk about bad news for the humble spud! Deep fried potatoes are not healthy!
This is a list of whole food vegan items. I’d like to also cover what is excluded from a healthy vegan diet: meat (any animal flesh), seafood (any marine flesh or byproduct), eggs, dairy milk (goat and sheep milk as well), dairy cheese (cow, sheep or goat), honey and gelatin. Basically, if it came from something that had a mother or a face, then a vegan does not consume it
You might ask yourself, but what do I do with the other food I have already at home? Most people transition gradually into this lifestyle. My husband and I were more the exception to the rule, we went vegan overnight. We spend an entire Labor Day weekend watching documentaries on health, the environment and the animals. That Monday, we cleaned out our whole kitchen. We either donated items to food shelters or gave it to friends and neighbors. However, if you are like most, you’ll want to gradually incorporate more of these items into your kitchen while phasing out the other foods. Having said that, do not let this process take too long. One month is plenty of time and an ideal goal for the transition. Pace yourself, this is a marathon not a sprint. Change seems to stay if it’s made over weeks, not days. I highly recommend picking one day of the week to plan the week ahead. My favorite day is Sunday. This is when I do my weekly meal planning. Planning helps to prevent the “cheat days” because you’re starving and there’s no food prepared at home, so why not go to that fast food place? Failure to plan is a plan to fail! I also do my batch cooking on Sundays for the week. I typically use an electric pressure cooker (love my Instant Pot) or a slow cooker depending on the recipe. This really helps, especially in the summer when I don’t want to heat up my kitchen with Arizona temperatures soaring into the 110F plus zone. This is a list of whole food vegan items. I’d like to also cover what is excluded from a healthy vegan diet: meat (any animal flesh), seafood (any marine flesh or byproduct), eggs, dairy milk (also included in this category is goat and sheep milk), dairy cheese (cow, sheep or goat), honey and gelatin. Basically, if it came from something that had a mother or a face, then vegans don’t consume it. A whole food vegan diet can be very inexpensive. Some of the most budget friendly items in the grocery store are listed below. Dried beans, legumes and grains are especially inexpensive. The more processed a food is, the more costly it tends to be because someone has to pay for the processing. For a family of two, one only has to spend $150/week or less to have plenty of food in the kitchen. Some of the best places to buy vegan foods are: Trader Joe’s, Costco, Target, Walmart, local farmer’s markets, Whole Foods, Aldi and specialty stores where ethnic foods are abundant such as Indian or Asian markets. One can even get store to door delivery in certain areas of the US. And of course, let us not forget about online food shopping on Amazon and Thrive market. The most important thing you can do for your health, the environment and the animals is to transition to a whole food vegan diet. Remember to keep meals simple and allow yourself a few weeks to change over completely. Congratulations on your decision to change your lifestyle in such a positive way. All the best on your vegan journey! **NOTE: If you can buy organic and non-GMO, do so. Keep in mind that it is not required however. All of these items are healthy and nutritious.**
Pantry Items
Legumes
garbanzo/chickpeas
Lentils
Red
Yellow
Black
Green
Brown
Black beans
Navy beans
Pinto
Soy beans
Kidney beans
Lima beans
Split peas
Black-eyed peas
Grains
Rice
Brown
White
Black or forbidden
Wild
Couscous
Barley
Bulgar
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH)
White
Red
Black
Tricolored
Polenta
Pastas (ensure these are all vegan, many contain eggs)
Spaghetti
Linguini
Orecchiette
Macaroni
Conchiglie (shells)
Fettuccine
Whole wheat ramen
Gnocchi
Potato
Cauliflower
Farfalle (bows)
Orzo
Fusilli
Penne
Ziti
Capellini
Lasagna
Soba noodles
Mung bean
Lentil
Chickpea
Spices
Nutritional yeast (not Brewer’s yeast)
Black salt: kala namak
Sea salt
Peppercorns for grinding in a pepper mill (black pepper)
Garlic salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Smoked paprika
Cumin
Turmeric
Taco seasoning
White pepper
Dill
Red pepper flakes
Taco seasoning
Dehydrated onion
Dried parsley
Basil
Sage
Rosemary
Thyme
Dried bay leaves
Oregano
Chili powder
Cayenne
Smoked salt
Old Bay seasoning
Mustard
Nutmeg
Bay leaves
Curry
Ginger
Condiments
Vinegar
ACV
Rice
Balsamic
White wine
Red wine
Ketchup
Mustard
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Sriracha
Hot sauce
Tamari/soy sauce
Coconut aminos
Liquid aminos
Horseradish
Mirin
Worcestershire sauce (make sure it’s vegan)
Liquid smoke
Pickles
Pickle relish
Canned and packaged goods
Beans
Lentils
Soup/stew/chili
Vegetable broth
Vegetable stock
Other
Cooking wine
Shelf stable plant milks
Soy
Almond
Hemp
Oat
Rice
Hazelnut
Cashew
Pea
Garlic
Potatoes (keep in a cool, dry place and store in a paper bag out of sunlight)
Tomatoes
Low fat pasta sauce
Oatmeal
Refrigerated Items
Plant milks (see above)
Fruits
Berries
Blue
Black
Strawberry
Raspberry
Apples
Oranges
Mangoes
Kiwi
Pineapple
Grapes
Pear
Banana
Citrus
Lemon
Lime
Grapefruit
Cherries
Plums
Peaches
Nectarines
Melons
Watermelon
Honeydew
Cantaloupe
Vegetables
Onions
Red
Yellow
Sweet
White
Green onions or spring onions
Celery
Spinach
Kale
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Broccolini
Carrots
Brussels sprouts
Peas
Corn
Green beans
Potatoes
Russet
Purple and blue
Japanese sweet
Fingerling
Yukon gold
Red
Cabbage
Asparagus
Collard greens
Bok choy
Peppers
Red
Yellow
Green
Orange
Swiss chard
Mustard greens
Rainbow chard
Parsley
Mushrooms
Cremini
Button
Shiitake
Oyster
Portobello
Cucumber
Zucchini
Radish
Lettuce
Butter
Romaine
Radicchio
Arugula
Red leaf
Other
Tofu
Tempeh
Seitan
Soy curls (I prefer the Butler brand)
Breads
Whole wheat
Rye
Pumpernickel
Multi grain
Tortillas
Wheat
Corn
Spelt
Low fat salad dressing that is oil free
Flax seeds (preferably whole to be ground up before each daily use)
Low fat, oil free hummus
Miso paste
Maple syrup
Agave syrup
Dates
Freezer Items
Leftovers
Frozen fruit
Frozen vegetables
Tofu (yes, it can be frozen in the original packaging for up to 6 months)
Purposely omitted from this list: oils (of ANY kind), avocados, nuts, most seeds, olives. These are very high fat plant foods. And contrary to popular belief, oils are not healthy foods https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGGQxJLuVjg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_o4YBQPKtQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrKdDbOazuA
The only place oils should be used is topically, on the skin. Avocados, nuts, seeds and olives should only be eaten as a small part of a recipe, not to be bought and kept at home as this can be too much of a temptation for most.
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