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:
- 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)
- Beyond Meat Chicken (http://beyondmeat.com/)
- 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)
- Beyond Meat Fiesty Crumbles (taco meat)
- Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles (for pasta sauce or lasagna)
- 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)
- Colgin Liquid Smoke (it’s a small bottle of liquid but gives a meaty smoky flavor with just a few drops to Seitan)
- Seitan (I use various kinds but will not eat it without liquid smoke and maple syrup, this gives the taste of a ham flavor)
- Gardein Fishless Filets (Literally identical to those Gordon’s battered fish filets) (http://www.gardein.com )
- Gardein Chicken Strips 7 grain (perfect with honey or Beefree Honee)
- Gardein Chicken Sliders (easy to microwave and taste the same)
- Gardein Chickenless Patties or Whole Foods 365 Chickenless patties
- Whole Foods 365 Chickenless Nuggets
- Gardein brand everything is also available at Yardhouse and you should def try it.
- Chao Cheese in any flavor is great, I use creamy for grilled cheese
- Earth Balance Butter Products
- Hazelnut Milk for cereal (I use Pacific Foods)
- Soy milk for cooking creamy Sauces
- Daiya Cheeses for cooking, do not eat anything except the block Havarti and Gouda raw, they don’t taste right.
- Firm Tofu and Chickpeas mashed together with seasoning (garlic etc) makes a great ricotta for lasagna or you can buy Tofutti brand
- Tofutti or Daiya Cream Cheese or Sour Creams ( http://www.tofutti.com/ )
- Tofutti American slices for sandwiches and grilled cheese
- American Flatbread Company Vegan Harvest Pizza is great (www.americanflatbread.com )
- Go Veggie! Vegan Parmesan (small purple container, is the only kind I will use none are even close to this)
- Amy’s brand meals frozen
- Dr. McDougall’s dry soups, Asian noodle containers, and oatmeals
- Vega Protein Powders
- Orgain Vegan Protein Nutritional Shakes
- Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix with one can of pumpkin makes brownies, same with cake mixes just check for milk
- Kirkland (Costco) semi sweet chocolate chips are vegan
- Earth Balance Puffs are like Pirate’s booty, they also have cheese popcorn like Smartfood
- Look on PETA for “accidentally vegan products” as well
- 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)
- 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.
- Victoria Brand Vegan Cream Sauces and Marinara
- Rao’s marinara
- Whole Foods Premade Pizza Dough
- FoMu Ice Creams (based in Allston but sell at some Whole Foods)
- Cashew Cream Sauces
- Pacific Foods Cashew Based Soups or any soups that are vegan are good
- Earth Balance Boxed Mac n Cheese is amazing just like Kraft
- 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.
- So Delicious Brand Ice Creams, milks, etc.
- 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.
- 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.
- I do Field Roast for the holidays with the pastry wrap and stuffing with cranberries and such inside.
- Vegg for cooking without eggs in pretty much every format except scrambled. It even smells like egg.
- 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.
I made a quick salad with (4) glass and plastic containers out for sorting. layer of kale, layer of spring greens, layer of berries, layer of mango. I then took out the avocados and placed them in a separate bowl, diced with lemon, salt, and pepper. Then took out a measuring cup. I needed 1 cup of cereal in bags for my breakfast. I keep a container of all my cereals mixed together. I think it is more fun than just one type of cereal. I scooped (1) cup portions into biodegradable zipper sandwich bags that I got at Whole Foods a few months back. I keep a cereal bowl at work and then packed myself some extra hazelnut milk and salad dressing. I then cut slices of the bread in half and put a thin layer of Earth Balance on each using the same knife from the avocados. I put the bread in the same type of bags as the cereal. Done. 4 days, 8 meals. I keep reusable utensils and dishes at work that I rinse and wash out in the bathroom. So I was all set. We have a kitchen downstairs too for more complicated cleaning. 
So it really is that easy. If you want a little something more add a rice cup or frozen dairy free gluten free Amy’s burrito to your lunch. I keep Weight Watchers Red Beans and Rice cups in my office just to throw on top of salads. It is easy, vegan, and fills me up. With just 10-15 minutes of planning you have your whole week of healthy yummy food ready. It is also cost effective. Better than $10 at Panera Bread each day or $5.00 for breakfast at Dunkin Donuts! Enjoy! ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Food is Love. The Hippie Gypsy.
The Hippie Gypsy 