Looking for a Vegan 101 Grocery List

Definitely Veganomicon and I must nth http://www.theppk.com/. V'con has not just a pantry list, but explanations on how to cook various vegetables, grains, etc. that you may be unfamiliar with (for when you're like, wtf do I do with quinoa?!). Basic pantry items I'd start with would be a large selection of high-quality herbs and spices that align with your favorite types/styles of food/cooking. Once you've set that up, you can ensure you'll be able to make at least one of your favorite types of cuisine every night with whatever produce and protein you have available. Using this approach, not a day goes by where I'm not able to whip up Ethiopian, Indian, Mediterranean, Moroccan, Thai, Chinese, etc. using only what I already have on hand. I would not recommend shelling out beaucoup bucks for store-bought fake meats or cheeses unless you are just dying to have something analogous to the original; it is an expensive habit and the products themselves are often... underwhelming. Soy yogurt is pretty good, though. I've been vegan for about 10 years, and this is my (admittedly exhaustive) pantry list. I eat like a queen every night unless I'm feeling lazy, in which case it's couscous, kale, and grilled tofu all the way. I don't eat faux meat/cheese/etc. unless I'm at a restaurant because why bother when there's all this other delicious stuff to eat instead? Hopefully this list helps give you an idea of some things you might like to keep on hand, cuisines you love, etc. ---- FLOURS: vital wheat gluten, all-purpose flour, chickpea/besan flour, panko breadcrumbs, regular breadcrumbs, tempura mix, flaxseed meal (bonus: 1 Tbsp VWG + 1 cup AP = bread flour!) NUTS: raw cashews, roasted unsalted peanuts, pecans or walnuts if I'm feeling fancy SPICES:   baking supplies baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, almond extract, agar agar powder, arrowroot powder, cornstarch, Penzey's cinnamon, Vietnamese cinnamon, shredded coconut, Ener-G egg replacer, powdered sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, palm sugar, cocoa powder, rolled oats   dried aromatics garlic powder, onion powder, freeze-dried shallots, ginger powder   seeds (whole & ground) whole cumin seed, cumin powder, amchur/green mango powder, whole green cardamom pods, garam masala powder, azafran (saffron substitute), Sichuan peppercorns, whole Tellicherry black peppercorns, whole fenugreek seed, whole yellow mustard seed, ground yellow mustard, whole black mustard seed, star anise pieces, turmeric powder, Chinese five-spice powder, shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice powder), whole coriander seed, coriander powder   leafy herbs thyme powder, thyme leaf, sweet basil, parsley flakes, bay leaves, sage powder, Herbes de Provence, Mediterranean Greek oregano, Mexican oregano   boullions & stocks Bill's Best Chik'Nish, Telma mushroom, Telma vegetable   spicy stuff berbere powder, Sambar powder, Madras curry powder, sweet curry powder, hot curry powder, cayenne powder, Hungarian sweet and half-sharp paprika, Spanish smoked paprika, whole dried Thai chilis, whole dried Chile Japones, whole New Mexico chilis, crushed red pepper flakes, chipotle chili powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, regular chili powder, wasabi powder   salty/savory stuff hickory smoked salt, Ozark Fried Chicken Seasoning, Goya Adobo, Vulcan's Fire Salt, sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan pink sea salt, MSG, seaweed (dashi kombu, wakame, nori), Carne Asada seasoning, Southwestern seasoning, Cajun spice, Gravy Master, Kitchen Bouquet, nutritional yeast, porcini mushroom powder BEANS & LEGUMES: pinto beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, brown lentils, red lentils, beluga lentils, lentils de Puy, chana dal, split peas STARCHES:   rice jasmine, sushi, basmati   pasta penne, rotini, spaghetti, angel hair, macaroni elbows, lo mein, thick and thin rice noodles, somen, ramen   other Israeli couscous, regular couscous, quinoa, pearled barley LIQUIDS: Kecap Manis, Kikkoman soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, vegetarian fish sauce, mirin, sushi/sweetened rice vinegar, regular/unsweetened rice vinegar, black rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, coconut milk, olive oil, coconut oil, canola oil, toasted sesame oil, chili oil FRIDGE: Better Than Boullion stock in vegetable and no-chicken style, chili paste, chili-garlic paste, black bean paste, vegetarian Worchestershire sauce, maple syrup, instant dry yeast, red and green curry pastes, Soy Curls Have fun shopping!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156924264X/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ is awesome and contains a great grocery list (disclosure, I acquired the book while interning at the publishing company in 2008) and the authors also run (ran?) the excellent vegan blog http://www.theppk.com. Also, when I was first getting into meatless (not strictly vegan) eating, I learned a lot from an old copy of http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563057115/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ that I found somewhere.

Kathy Palatsky's http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/ blog is my favorite source of vegan recipes by a factor too large to compute. The recipes are outstanding and beautifully, exhaustively photographed. Everything is fresh and colorful and delicious, which I find a very welcome change from other vegan recipe sources which often seem sort of punitive and brown, even if tasty and healthy. Anyway, here's her http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/08/kathys-vegan-essentials-shopping-list.html. One of the best things about her recipes is that she leans toward the "whole foods" side of veganism, and does not use a lot of meat analogues -- once in a while she'll use tempeh bacon, but usually just produce, seeds, nuts, and grains.

Good for you! I am also a non-vegan who loves to do vegan cooking. You're off to a good start with your current list. I'd also get the following: - Miso paste - Vegetable stock - Vital wheat gluten - Dried beans/legumes of ALL kinds - Nuts, ESPECIALLY raw cashews (useful for vegan baking, faux "cream", etc.) - Asceptically-packaged nut/grain milks (so you have 'em on hand when you need 'em) - Flax seeds (also useful for vegan baking) - Chia seeds (ditto!) - Some form of solid non-butter fat (Smart Balance, Crisco, whatevs)

Just to chime in late: I bought the Veganomicon linked above on the recommendations of this thread. Got it Friday, made two dishes over the weekend (yellow pepper&corn bisque and cashew/pineapple stirfry), both are delicious and the rest of the book looks great. Strongly recommend!

Divined by Radio presents an awesome, comprehensive list I keep a lot fewer things on hand, but cook 95% of my meals at home and spend way less than$100/mth doing it. My biweekly or as needed list Red lentils for thickening Brown, green, or other lentils for substance Whole wheat toasted pearl couscous Brown basmati rice Black, kidney, or pinto beans Lb of tomatoes 3lb onion 2 bunches kale Bag of carrots Head of cabbage Lb of zucchini or squash Condiments: Aminos (for umami), sesame oil, chili oil, siriacha, nutritional yeast ,rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil You can make tons of awesome stuff with this list, supplement as desired with fancier vegetables, mushrooms, and various soy based protein.

Its really going to depend on what you like to eat. Some vegans adhere to a more american diet, replacing their favorites with processed substitutions. Some vegans eat more whole foods. Some vegans get right into ethnic eats. In all 3 cases, your pantry would look vastly different. Experiment with what you like first, then build a list on that. My fav blog for trying recipes currently is: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/ Things I use a lot of include: canned chickpeas, coconut oil, coconut milk, cashews. Real whole sea salt is important too. That's about it... I guess also my spices pretty much fly off the shelf and need replacing often. Everything else is perishable. Oh and please stay away from soy as much as possible, it can wreak havoc on your digestive system and hormones.

Also an omnivore, but we always have a few cans of coconut milk in the pantry because it is pathetically easy to whip up a quick, delicious curry-type dish with some sweet potatoes and/or winter squash, some greens, and some coconut milk.

Beans are really important to a vegetarian/vegan diet. Canned beans are more likely to murder your digestive system. Buy dried beans - super cheap - soak them overnight, and then boil them for about an hour and a half. I have a super sensitive stomach, and even I can eat beans prepared in that way. Stock up on a variety of grains. White rice, brown rice, quinoa, cornmeal, etc. Beans+grains=vegan meal. Not low-carb, but healthy. Good olive oil is important for flavor. Coconut milk is important for vegan baking, and you can also use it to make soups, sauces, and other things. Low fat coconut milk does the trick ninety-nine percent of the time.