Vegan Pantry Only Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to stock a pantry for a plant-based diet? ›

Your focus should be on whole foods such as fresh (or frozen) vegetables and fruit, protein sources that include legumes (lentils, peas, and beans), whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Long-lasting pantry staples include a variety of beans, chickpeas, spinach, coconut milk, tomatoes, olives, and corn.

Healthful foods that are high in protein, fiber, or both tend to be filling. Rich sources of protein for vegans include foods such as soybeans, pulses, and some nuts and seeds. Oats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruit are all good sources of fiber.

Most packaged pasta—including spaghetti, rotini, and any other type—is 100 percent vegan. To know for sure, simply check the ingredients on your package! Sometimes, you might see “egg” listed as an ingredient in “fresh” pastas, so avoid those—but generally, pasta contains no animal-derived ingredients.

It's usually straightforward to tell whether a bread is vegan. You can easily distinguish vegan from non-vegan bread by looking at the ingredient list. Bread containing eggs, honey, royal jelly, gelatin, or dairy-based ingredients like milk, butter, buttermilk, whey, or casein isn't considered vegan.

Vegetables: fresh or frozen, nutrient packed vegetables are the base of the vegan diet food pyramid. Leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, squash, bell peppers, cucumbers…the more, the merrier!

By simply swapping meat and processed vegan alternatives for more whole food equivalents, such as lentils and chickpeas (great in curries or stews), cooking becomes more cost-effective without sacrificing flavour.

Eat a protein serving with each meal to keep you feeling full. Great vegan and vegetarian protein sources are beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, quinoa, lentils, whole grains, and starchy vegetables. As long as you focus on whole foods (rich in nutrients) and avoid processed foods and oils, it will be hard to overeat.

Is honey vegan friendly? ›

Because honey is made by living bees, it is technically not vegan, so most vegans exclude it from their diet. You can try plant-based alternatives like agave, maple syrup, and date syrup. Veganism is a way of living that aims to minimize animal exploitation and cruelty.

A meatless diet can be healthy, but vegetarians -- especially vegans -- need to make sure they're getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics warns of the risk of vitamin B12 deficiencies in vegetarians and vegans. Vitamin B12 is found naturally only in animal products.

You could start by removing meat or dairy one day a week and go from there. Or you could try changing one meal at a time, having vegan breakfasts during your first week, adding a vegan lunch during week two and so on.

With good planning and an understanding of what makes up a healthy, balanced vegan diet, you can get all the nutrients your body needs. If you do not plan your diet properly, you could miss out on essential nutrients, such as calcium, iron, vitamin B12, iodine and selenium.