I have done this in the past where I have listed some staple items that I use but today a friend from elementary school said she was struggling with being vegan and had turned to salad so I wanted to make up a list for her of things in my fridge/pantry that I think are definite “go to’s” for me in a house with omnivore husband, 14 year old, 10 year old, and a vegan baby. So here it goes my updated list:

List of Vegan Products Everyone Should Have in their Fridge or Pantry or Try:

1. The Obvious fruits, veggies, pasta, and grains always on hand. I keep a lot of different types of grains and mix them together in the steamer (brown rice, couscous, quinoa, amaranth, etc)
2. Beyond Meat Chicken (http://beyondmeat.com/)
3. Beyond Meat burgers (always add standard topping before trying likes cheese ketchup mustard lettuce tomato, otherwise the taste is a little off, never expect a perfect meaty burger, its not meat and doesn’t have blood in it)
4. Beyond Meat Fiesty Crumbles (taco meat)
5. Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (for pasta sauce or lasagna)
6. Bulger Wheat (this is perfect to put in chili or pasta sauce for a meaty texture and will take on the flavor of the sauce)
7. Colgin Liquid Smoke (it’s a small bottle of liquid but gives a meaty smoky flavor with just a few drops to Seitan)
8. Seitan (I use various kinds but will not eat it without liquid smoke and maple syrup, this gives the taste of a ham flavor)
9. Gardein Fishless Filets (Literally identical to those Gordon’s battered fish filets) (http://www.gardein.com )
10. Gardein Chicken Strips 7 grain (perfect with honey or Beefree Honee)
11. Gardein Chicken Sliders (easy to microwave and taste the same)
12. Gardein Chickenless Patties or Whole Foods 365 Chickenless patties
13. Whole Foods 365 Chickenless Nuggets
14. Gardein brand everything is also available at Yardhouse and you should def try it.
15. Chao Cheese in any flavor is great, I use creamy for grilled cheese
16. Earth Balance Butter Products
17. Hazelnut Milk for cereal (I use Pacific Foods)
18. Soy milk for cooking creamy Sauces
19. Daiya Cheeses for cooking, do not eat anything except the block Havarti and Gouda raw, they don’t taste right.
20. Firm Tofu and Chickpeas mashed together with seasoning (garlic etc) makes a great ricotta for lasagna or you can buy Tofutti brand
21. Tofutti or Daiya Cream Cheese or Sour Creams ( http://www.tofutti.com/ )
22. Tofutti American slices for sandwiches and grilled cheese
23. American Flatbread Company Vegan Harvest Pizza is great (www.americanflatbread.com )
24. Go Veggie! Vegan Parmesan (small purple container, is the only kind I will use none are even close to this)
25. Amy’s brand meals frozen
26. Dr. McDougall’s dry soups, Asian noodle containers, and oatmeals
27. Vega Protein Powders
28. Orgain Vegan Protein Nutritional Shakes
29. Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix with one can of pumpkin makes brownies, same with cake mixes just check for milk
30. Kirkland (Costco) semi sweet chocolate chips are vegan
31. Earth Balance Puffs are like Pirate’s booty, they also have cheese popcorn like Smartfood
32. Look on PETA for “accidentally vegan products” as well
33. Just Mayo is amazing. I really love the knew chipotle and siracha flavors and put it on vegan fish tacos with the gardein fish like a chipotle sauce would go on)
34. Vegan Pesto is sold at Whole Foods in the section with olives and mozzarella and I can’t remember the brand but it is a black container with a brown natural wrap and a heart on it, it has regular pesto too and other sauces.
35. Victoria Brand Vegan Cream Sauces and Marinara
36. Rao’s marinara
37. Whole Foods Premade Pizza Dough
38. FoMu Ice Creams (based in Allston but sell at some Whole Foods)
39. Cashew Cream Sauces
40. Pacific Foods Cashew Based Soups or any soups that are vegan are good
41. Earth Balance Boxed Mac n Cheese is amazing just like Kraft
42. Look at veganessentials.com for help too, I love them, shipping is expensive but they have everything first. Otherwise my go to for specialty stuff is Whole Foods but I can get a lot at Market Basket, Stop and Shop, Shaws, etc.
43. So Delicious Brand Ice Creams, milks, etc.
44. I also eat that pudding with the Panda on it by Zen products. Chocolate only, vanilla had a weird chemical smell I didn’t like and separated after a few days.
45. I also like the Tofurkey Beer Brats they are amazing and I will also grab the sliced sandwich meats if they have cheese and such on the sandwich too.
46. I do Field Roast for the holidays with the pastry wrap and stuffing with cranberries and such inside.
47. Vegg for cooking without eggs in pretty much every format except scrambled. It even smells like egg.
48. I also love the pasta products from Explore Asian. They have Black bean and soy and all are filled with extra protein but taste just like traditional pasta.

I think that is most. I just added some that I forgot too. Eat up! Food is love.