Inspired by a recent post I read on “The Kind Life” blog regarding Alicia’s top 20 ingredients (http://thekindlife.com/blog/post/alicia-silverstone-20-vegan-essential-kitchen-ingredients) I decided to place my top 25 grocery/pantry needs:

1. Earth Balance Products: Buttery Sticks or Tub Butters/Margarines and their new cheese puffs!
2. Organic Soy Milk or Almond: Chocolate, Vanilla, or Plain (I rarely use unsweetened)
3. Cashews (Raw)
4. Daiya: The havarti blocks are a god send but all of them are great.
5. Galaxy Foods Vegan Parmesan (It is the best parm substitute, Parma brand doesn’t taste anything like actual cheese)
6. Tofutti Products: I love their sour cream, sliced american cheese, and cream cheese. They are a great go to brand even for ice creams.
7. American Flatbread Company: Vegan Harvest Pizza
8. Tofurky: Their sliced deli Meats, crumbles like chorizo for tacos, and their grill friendly brats are amazing! You will forget they are fake. The deli meats have a weird odor in the package but on a sandwich it goes away. The chorizo will stain so handle carefully but it tastes just like taco meat.
9. Miso Mayo: Dill flavor.
10. Veganaise: It tastes like a cross between mayo and deviled eggs.
11. Canola and Olive Oils
12. 365 Brand Vegan Chocolate Chips: Just like Tollhouses but no milk!
13. Flaxseeds: I buy them in a bulk bag and place them in the freezer.
14. Nutritional Yeast: You will learn this helps cheesify anything.
15. Canned Coconut Milk
16. Whole Foods Vegan Sugar
17. Beans: black, lentil, navy, garbanzo, and canneloni
18. Canned Pumpkin or Squash
19. Whole Wheat Pasta
20. Farro, Quinoa, or Couscous
21. Rao’s Tomato Basil Sauce
22. Herbs/Spices: Kosher Salt, Basil, Thyme, Garlic, and Sage Fresh
23. Potatoes: All kinds from sweet to purple to russet.
24. Kale or Greens
25. Canned and Fresh Tomatoes

I shop at my local grocery store for most items but the hard to find things like Daiya and Nutritional Yeast I go to two places: Whole Foods or VeganEssentials.com. Vegan Essentials delivers but requires you to cold ship perishables so check their shipping schedule (right now it is Tuesdays) and the extra cost for the cold packs!

Happy Shopping and Happier Munching!