So you have contemplated the vegetarian lifestyle.
You go to the supermarket and stand in the aisle wondering what on earth you should buy to stock your pantry. A Vegetarian Grocery List would help you a lot, wouldn’t it? It certainly helps me.
Well let me share with you the items which are a staple in my pantry. From these items I am able to provide a variety of vegetarian meals for myself and my family.
I will also mention briefly some of the ways I used the items. And when I say briefly, I really mean briefly, because there are sooo many more ways that I utilize these items.
Let’s go shopping
Do you go to the grocery store weekly or monthly?
You know what? It doesn’t even matter. Just ensure that you don’t run out of these grocery items.
Okay, here goes.
Peas and Beans
Lentils
This is such a versatile bean. It cooks very quickly and if soaked for a few hours before, the cooking process is even faster. Lentils make delicious stews and soups.
Chick Peas (Garbanzo)
Makes a delicious curry. It is also nice to mash it and put in your pita sandwich.
Split Peas
Both the green and yellow is a staple in the pantry. The green one makes lovely soup. The yellow one makes delicious dahl.
Red Kidney Beans
Another lovely stew ingredient. It also combines well with rice. Rice and Red Kidney beans or rice and peas as is it sometimes called, is popular in Caribbean menus.
Black Beans
A work horse of beans. Stew it, make soup, burgers, black bean salads……..very versatile indeed
Broad Beans
Simply stewing with few seasonings (onion, garlic, thyme) releases the delicious buttery flavour of broad beans.
Seeds
Flax seeds
Added to smoothies. As a matter of fact, add it to just about anything you can to increase your intake of omega-3. Add it to your cereal, your muffin or cookie batter, your porridge. You can also use it as an *egg replacer*.
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Chia Seeds
Make chia pudding. It is easy, delicious and nutritious.
Sunflower Seed
Add to smoothies and fruit salad.
Pumpkin Seed
Apart from the obvious smoothies, you can add these seeds to your granola. Better still, you can just roast it and eat it as a snack.
Sesame Seed
If you are a fan of homemade tahini, you will definitely need these seeds. If you decide to go with store bought tahini, go ahead and sprinkle the sesame seeds over your fruit salad or add to you nuts and seeds trail mix.
Nuts
Almond
Finds itself in many recipes……… chopped, whole or slivers. And of course we cannot forget our homemade almond milk.
Cashew
Bought so that we can prepare the lovely cashew recipes such as cashew cheese. Unfortunately they are always consumed before the recipes are tried. You can eat them raw or just roast them for about ten minutes in the oven. When they are roasted they go even faster. Cashew also makes delicious milk.
Pecans
I tend to chop these up and use in recipes that require nuts but you can just eat them as is.
Walnut
Great brain food. I use them in a similar way as pecans.
Peanut
We’ll place peanuts in this category even though it is a legume and not actually a nut.
A small handful of roasted peanuts and I am good to go. I also use it to make delicious homemade peanut butter which is a staple ingredient in my (pumpkin punch).
Oils
Olive oil
Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil is what I buy.
Coconut oil
I also buy extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil.
Grains
Old Fashion Oats
Used to make porridge, granola, overnight oats and used as a holding ingredient in the various nut/bean loaves and patties.
Brown Rice
This is a quick and easy compliment to any entree.
This is a protein rich grain which can be used in many recipes. It can also be used similarly to brown rice but cooks faster.
Whole wheat flour
You definitely need this for your baking.
Whole wheat pasta
This needs no explanation, does it?
Root Vegetables
Potatoes
Baked, boiled, mashed, scalloped, potato salad, shepherd’s pie. There are so many ways to utilize this staple.
Beets
There are many ways to use beets but I prefer to slice them and cook them alone. You can cook them with other vegetables as well if you don’t mind the overpowering red colour which everything will have.
Sweet potato
Touted as one of the most nutritious foods ever. It is enjoyed anyway, whether it is baked, boiled or fried.
Carrots
Mostly chopped up in soups and stews. Lovely in salads.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Spinach
This is one of, if not the most, easy to use greens. You can use it in your smoothies, you can put it in your raw salads or you can toss it in just about anything you are cooking.
A Caribbean specialty. I normally steam it with onions, garlic and tomatoes.
Pak Choi
I prepare it in a similar way to callaloo.
Other vegetables
Some of these actually correctly belong to the fruit family but we will still go ahead and list them here
Tomatoes
I like tomatoes in so many things. Many recipes call for them. Most times I like to just slice them and eat them. They are delicious.
Pumpkin
To tell you the truth, I drink more pumpkin than I eat. I do make pumpkin soup but most of the pumpkin that comes into my house every week goes into making pumpkin punch. Pumpkin punch with peanut butter is a favourite in my home.
Cucumber
Cool and refreshing. Used in salads or used to make juice.
Frozen vegetables
I always need to have frozen vegetables on hand. I have to grab for them often especially when I am preparing, my quick, “I did not plan to cook today” meals.
Seasonings
Onion
Can’t do without this at all. For almost every meal preparation, the onion comes into play.
Garlic
Another must have in the kitchen
Scallion
I should really try planting this for myself but for now scallion is bought on every grocery shopping trip.
Thyme
Lovely aromatic herb. I always put it in my soup when I am cooking. I also use it when I am cooking rice.
Assorted spices and seasonings
You know those bottles with the various spices? I normally keep a variety of them in stock.
Fruits
Any fresh fruit in season
Fruits are delicious, nutritious foods that are a joy to eat on any occasion. Provides lots of healthy vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals chemicals necessary for optimum health
Bananas
Tends to find its way in almost every smoothie. It is a very good natural sweetener and is an ingredient of many desserts. Ever tried banana bread or banana ice cream?
Prunes
Prunes are dried plums. They add flavour and nutrition. I just eat them as is because they are delicious and highly nutritious. My shopping list is probably not the best place to mention this but If needed, prunes are a great help in relieving constipation.
Raisins
I use these for so many things. I put them in my cereal, my salads, my muffins, cookies, bread….. or I toss a handful in my mouth and enjoy. Raisins are very good as a natural sweetener.
Frozen fruits
It is so convenient to have frozen fruits on hand. You always have fruit available for your recipes and smoothies. And you don’t have to worry about spoilage. I also have my frozen fruits as snacks.
Other
Honey
My go to sweetener especially when I am trying to cut down on the refined sugars. In addition it is a food that has both nutritional and medicinal values. Talk about an all-rounder.
Coconut milk
Apart from just being a substitute for dairy milk, coconut milk gives a lovely flavour to stews, curries and porridge.
Tofu
Very easy to prepare protein food that can be used in many recipes.
Bread
I don’t think I need to say anything at all here.
Mushroom
I just recently started to include mushrooms in my shopping list. There are a hosts of very delicious recipes using mushroom as a meat alternative.
Happy cooking
Well there you have it.
With your pantry now well stocked, you can try lots and lots of delicious vegetarian recipes.
Enjoy your healthy and delicious meals and I would love to know what you think about this list.
Are there other staples you would add to your pantry?
Please let me know in the comments section below.