What are the best healthy vegan pantry staples? Here I have put together a great well rounded list of all the vegan pantry staples that women will benefit from!
In this blog post, I will be covering all the important vegan pantry staples and how you can buy them in the cheapest way possible to make sure you always have the necessities you need!
Below is all the best vegan pantry staples that you need on your vegan grocery list
BEST VEGAN PANTRY STAPLES
Grains /Legumes
Quinoa
Quinoa is a great healthy vegan pantry staple because it is one of the top vegan protein sources. When I say top I mean this because one cup of quinoa contains 8 grams of protein.
It is also high in FIBER, fiber is important for your gut health because it helps regulate things like blood sugar and your gut NEEDS FIBER to keep everything running smoothly.
Your health will improve and your gut will love you for swapping out the many meals that contain rice for quinoa as a healthier substitute.
For all those with fitness goals or just improving your overall gut health, you can add quinoa to your vegan grocery list.
Now let’s get to the important stuff! Money, quinoa is one of the foods that are SUPER EXPENSIVE especially compared to the price of rice.
However, I have found ways for you to to cut down the costs of quinoa and one is by buying it in larger quantities.
Aksoy Quinoa is available on amazon
Here on amazon is a very good price for 5kg of quinoa that would be hard to beat especially when shopping instore.
Lentils
Lentils have loads of benefits, they are high in protein and are a great source of fiber.
Lentils also contain an essential amino acid could lysine that can help prevent you having cold sore outbreaks.
If you’re having skin issues such as acne, it is worth considering implementing some fiber-rich foods like lentils into your diet as the benefits to your gut can trickle down to resolving skin conditions.
Lentils are reasonably priced in supermarkets and grocery stores, it is better to buy them dry as you can also purchase lentils in tins.
If you are looking to purchase lentils online due to convenience, they are available on amazon.
Old India lentils are available on amazon
Chickpeas
Chickpeas are available in most stores
Chickpeas are a very good vegan staple because they provide many benefits to your gut as they are rich in fiber and high in magnesium. Chickpeas are also a great source of protein and there are a load of different ways you can put your chickpeas to use:
- Making humous (chickpeas are the main ingredient in humous)
- Using chickpeas to cook with in stir fries, stews, soups, and salads
Chickpeas are pretty accessible to buy and it shouldn’t be hard to find them in your local store as reasonable price. You can buy them dry and stock up or you can actually purchase them already soaked in tins. Tins can sometimes allow you the flexibility of not being organised and spontaneously cooking where dry chickpeas are required to be soaked for 8-12 hours, It is completeply up to you.
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are great pantry food staples because you will find as a vegan you’ll need a variety of legumes to keep things interesting in your diet rather than e.g just consuming lentils with every recipe.
Kidney beans can be added to multiple recipes and are another great source of fiber and protein.
Kidney beans are available in most supermarkets and stores.
Pasta
Pasta can be a really good vegan Pantry staple because you can get such a variety of different types of pasta. You can choose between many types of pasta such as chickpea pasta, lentil pasta, green pea pasta, and buckwheat pasta.
The vegan pastas chickpea and lentil can provide a HIGH amount of protein to your meals which is great for anyone trying to achieve fitness goals and grow muscle mass e.g their glutes. It is also a great alternative to the regular wheat pasta. Swapping out the regular pasta for one of these protein pasta can make a great impact for those on a weight loss journey.
These pasta again can be expensive to buy in health stores, however, I have found some alternatives to make it cheaper.
If you like in the UK Aldi actually sells chickpea pasta and other vegan pasta for about £1 which is insanely cheap compared to health stores.
I have found a great bundle on amazon that provide are super tasty, high in protein and cooks in under ten minutes (boil for 4-6minutes).
Green lentil vegan protein pasta is available in a pack of 6 on amazon
Seeds
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are known as a superfood and it is no surprise as to how they gained that title. They work really well in your gut as a prebiotic and they are high in fiber which allows your body to flush out any waste from your diet more regulatory, which then has a domino of health benefits.
Chia seeds are used in a variety of meals such as:
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Egg replacements in pancakes, cake, etc;
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In smoothies as a healthy add on
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The famous chia puddings
You can find chia seeds in most of your local stores and supermarkets. You can also buy chia seeds for a good price on amazon and below I have found a good price and bulk is respected brand.
Bulk chia seeds are available on amazon
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are similar to chia seeds in that they are both rich in omega-3 fatty acids which is great for your skin. It is considered to bean ‘anti aging’ ingredient because consuming fatty acids is essential in maintaining the plumpness and general health of our skin.
Flaxseeds are present in a lot of vegan recipes:
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Egg replacement in baking such as ‘waffles, cakes, pancakes, etc;
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A marvelous add-on to smoothies, smoothie bowls, etc;
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Also, they taste good when mixed with other healthy snacks such as granola and flapjacks
You can buy flaxseeds in your local stores and supermarkets or you can purchase them for pretty equal price on amazon. It comes down to which ever is more convenience to you.
Here we have a decent size bag of flaxseeds that will last you a long time and is a really good price.
Linwoods flaxseeds are available on amazon
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds seem like a random staple and are often overlooked however they are high in fiber, magnesium, and antioxidants and also are used in natural home remedies to get rid of parasites. Now even if you do not wish to do a parasite cleanse on your gut, it would be beneficial to include pumpkin seeds in your smoothies or dishes.
Unlike chia seeds and flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds might not be available in all local stores and supermarkets however you can purchase on amazon or go to the larger supermarkets.
Pumpkin seeds are available on amazon
Buckwheat Flour
Buckwheat flour has probiotic qualities and your gut will absolutely love this superfood.
Buckwheat flour is very versatile and can be used to make cakes, pancakes, biscuits, and other baking recipes. You can of course purchase buckwheat pasta as shown above which is made from buckwheat flour.
Buckwheat itself has a distinctive taste, unlike the other flours however it is easily handled with the right mixture of ingredients and you do get used to the flavor due to the great health effects of buckwheat.
Incorporating buckwheat in recipes such as banana bread, and vegan pancakes with cinnamon or bananas added to the recipes. Basically adding anything sweet to the buckwheat can completely disguise the earthy flavor it would otherwise have.
This buckwheat flour is nice and it is a decent size (1kg) as you can get through flour quickly. The Doves farm buckwheat flour is available on amazon.
Doves farm buckwheat flour is available on amazon
Plant Based Milk
Oat Milk
Oat milk has a long shelf life, you can keep oat milk for up to 2 months unopened. Oat milk is a must have vegan staple because it can be used in a range of different ways and it also has a decent amount of protein. Oat milk is also great to use in hot drinks as it is one of the thicker plant-based milks.
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Breakfast: pancakes, cereal, granola, etc;
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Baking recipes
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Smoothies and hot beverages
Oat milk is definitely more expensive when brought individually rather than in bulk. I would definitely advise you to buy your plant based milks in bulk (packs of 6) as they come in handy and this will save you money!
Below I have found oatly on amazon in a pack of 6 there works out cheaper per carton (almost half the price) than in store.
Oatly milk is available on amazon
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Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is a great option because it doesn’t spike your glucose levels as much as oat milk does and therefore is preferred when it comes to consuming in large quantities. This just means if you baking with milk, oat milk is great but if your consume smoothies daily, you may wish you use coconut milk.
Coconut milk can be so delicious and there are loads of different brands. I would DEFINITELY recommend buying these in bulk because my goodness, they can be pricey in stores. When they are on offer in your local supermarket, I would advertise stocking up because they are long life.
Here are some coconut milk you can buy on amazon that works out cheaper then buying in supermarkets per carton.
Plenish coconut milk is available on amazon
Baking
Oats
Oats are a GREAT vegan pantry staple because these go with everything. You can make vegan pancakes with oats.
Oats can be a great source of protein and help fuel you for the day. Oats are also so versatile:
- Pancakes
- Flapjacks, protein bars, protein balls
- Homemade granola
- Baking etc;
Oats are available in most stores and supermarkets and are pretty cheap.
Agave
Agave is a delicious staple that you become very fond of as a vegan because it can be added to a lot of different recipes and dishes. It is similar to honey, you can buy dark agave and light agave.
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Added to pancakes as a topping
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Included in cake recipes etc; to sweeten up
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Added a breakfast or dessert topping e.g porridge
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Used to sweeten and bind ingredients in granola recipes, flapjack recipes, or protein balls/ protein bars recipes
Agave is available on amazon
Cinnaman
Cinnamon is a great ingredient to have plenty of in the house because it can help you reduce the amount of sugar you have as it works as good replacement.
Cinnamon can be added to everything, you can use it when baking and cooking. A lot of vegans like myself rely on cinnamon to give vegan pancakes and cakes some extra flavor.
This is quite cheap and best brought in a big bag rather than in the supermarket in those tiny little jars. You can find the cinnamon in bags on amazon or perhaps in your local convenience shop/ market.
Cinnamon is available on amazon
Baking Soda
Baking soda is an important staple in a vegan pantry because it can be used in a lot of different vegan recipes. Baking soda can prevent baked goods or even pancakes from coming out dense as it helps create air and bubble to keep foods light and fluffy.
This is used in such small quantities at a time that I actually would just suggest purchasing it at a supermarket because usually it will probably last you a while and be is cheap.
Dates
Terrasoul Medjool dates are available on amazon
Dates are really great for your health and so high in fiber, they can clean you out with ease. Dates are also really good at supporting liver functions which has a domino effect of benefits to the rest of your body.
Dates are also sweet and really help cure your sweet craving and dates are great to add some sweetness to different recipes.
Oils
Olivie Oil
You’ll want to have olive oil handy for any salad dressings and dip recipes that often require olive. This will keep for a very long time and be very versatile. This is available in pretty much every store so should be easy for you to purchase.
Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil is actually a staple that is used in a lot of different vegan baking recipes. It can help create a binding effect and you’ll find some of the popular vegan cake mixes require you to add vegetable oil to it.
Of course, vegetable oil is also useful when it comes to cooking as you’ll be able to fry and air fry different foods easily e.g potato wedges, mushrooms, etc;