Here I have a list of basic foods that you will almost always find in any vegan/vegetarian cooks home, and most, probably in yours as well. They are common, easily found items that are good to keep on hand. A few items might be new to you, yet are easy to find and a staple in most vegetarian/vegan kitchens.

You don't have to go out and buy special foods unless you feel so inclined. As I mentioned before the easiest way to feed a vegan, or vegetarian for that matter, is just to serve them more of the regular "side dishes" .... potatoes, rice, vegetables, salad, etc..... It would actually even be healthier for everyone to give up the "meat" and just have the "side dishes"!

But when keeping a vegan/vegetarian home, or you want to make the feel more at home with you..... most of these items will be appreciated. These are also the basic ingredients found in my recipe section. (I am not including everything on the list.. items like salt, pepper, flour, corn starch etc... I would assume most homes would have them.)

This ist is a good basic list. There you will see easily found basic foods, as I said, just to keep on hand. You can also find hundreds of vegan ready prepared foods, canned, frozen, boxed, etc... and other options at health food stores, etc... that anyone would love, that I don't have listed as basic...

I don't say "vegan" before every item, yet it is assumed that it is. What I mean is... a lot of these items can be found to contain meat or animal products, whether it is a spaghetti sauce, margarine, or even vegetarian sausage. Labels generally need to be read, no matter what the item is, to be sure it does not contain a non-vegan ingredient.

On the "substitutions page" I have noted my personal recomendations for brands to buy.

"Nonviolence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages." Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931)
"People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times."  Isaac Bashevis Singer
"Since an animal's natural life is a gift from God, it follows that God's right is violated when the natural life of his creatures is perverted. Those who, in contrast, opt for the welfarist approach to intensive farming are inevitably involved in speculating how far such and such may or may not suffer in what are plainly unnatural conditions. But unless animals are judged to have some right to their natural life, from what standpoint can we judge abnormalities, mutilations or adjustments? Confining a de-beaked hen in a battery cage is more than a moral crime; it is a living sign of our failure to recognize the blessing of God in creation." -Rev. Dr. Andrew Linzey from Christianity and the Rights of Animals, 1988

Other reasons and issues to think about when purchasing any product whether for vegans or not... That it is organically grown. Made using the most environmentally sound agricultural methods possible. That employs fair labor practices. Locally grown has presidence over items shipped in. Avoid packaged foods, plastics, artificial ingredients, G.M.O.s... What political associations does this food product represent? Example: Canada supporting the seal hunt... etc... A lot of vegans consider these factors heavily too when buying anything, so it, of course, is always appreciated to find out what else is really important to a vegan or anyone else for that matter, if you really want to be considerate of their ideals.

Nutritional Yeast Fortified Yeast is considered by many to be the most valuable supplement available. It is a complete protein and contains more protein than meat. Yeast is an excellent source of B-vitamins including B12 and it contains the glucose tolerance factor that helps in the regulation of blood sugar. It is a single-celled fungi present in the air around us and on fruits and grains - it converts various types of sugar to alcohol. The earliest recorded use was in 1550 BC in Egypt. Nutritional yeast is grown on mineral enriched molasses. At the end of the growth period, the culture is pasteurized to kill the yeast. You never want to use a live yeast (i.e. baking yeast) as a food supplement because the live yeast continues to grow in the intestine and actually uses up the vitamin B in the body instead of replenishing the supply. (Brewer's yeast is nutritionally the same but as a by-product of the beer-brewing industry it has a characteristic bitter hops flavor.) Nutritional yeast contains 18 amino acids (forming the complete protein) and 15 minerals. Being rich in the B-complex vitamins, it is vital in many ways and particularly good for stress reduction. The B-complex vitamins help make nutritional yeast such a valuable supplement, especially to the vegetarian. It is one of the rare vegetarian sources of B12. One element of yeast is the trace mineral chromium, also known as the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). This is necessary to regulate blood sugar and is important for diabetics and people with a tendency toward low blood sugar. RETURN

QUICK LIST
ITEMS to KEEP ON HAND

Bacos (or other bacon like bits)

Balsamic vinegar (great for a salad dressing)

Braggs Liquid Aminos (Made from soybeans, a concentrated protein, flavor enhancer, great for salads, sauces, etc...found in small bottles at health food stores)

Canned or dried Beans/ garbonzo, kidney, black, red...

Canned spaghetti sauce

Canned vegetarian/vegan Baked beans and refried beans

Canola oil

Fruits

Garlic

Garlic salt

Jam/ Jelly

Juices

Lemon juice

Meat analogs... burger, tofurky, whatever...

Mustard

Nutritional Yeast (A MAJOR product for vegans and vegetarians. A nutty/cheesy flavor Sprinkle on salads, popcorn, casseroles, pizza, sauces.... Found in all health food stores, bulk section) (NOT BREWERS YEAST!) (See side bar for more information)

Nuts/seeds

Olive Oil (For basic cooking and salads)

Pasta

Peanut Butter

Pickles

Popcorn

Ramin soup (Nissin brand, oriental flavor)

Rice

Salad makings

Soy Milk (sweetened for cereals and plain for sauces) See side for more information.

Soy Sauce

Spices

Spike or Vegit seasoned salt

VEGAN Sugar (unrefined) Like "Sugar in the Raw", Turbinado, or a brown rice syrup, unbleached cane sugar, etc....

Tahini (sesame seed paste) Used to make hummus, a great bread spread! or just buy some hummus....)

Tofu Firm and silken (See side for more information)

Tomatoes

Tortillas

Vegan bread (Most authentic / old fashioned French/Italian bread is vegan..) (Avoid honey as an ingredient.)

Vegan Margarine

Vegetable Broth powder

Vegetables: Potatoes, Mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, spinach, kale, etc… Edamame (soybeans)

Vegemite or Marmite:It’s a food spread extracted from brewers yeast that has a very unique hard-to-describe flavor. Frequently used as a topping on bread or toast, it has a salty taste that is quite strong, so – “spread thinly”Also adds flavor to soups, and gravies"

WhiteVinegar

Soy Milk is made by soaking soybeans, cooking and blending the soybeans, and finally straining off the soy milk. Soy milk can be used for drink, on cereal, and in cooking. There are several options for "milk" substitutes, including Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Almond Milk, etc... Some are sweetened and some are plain, some are chocolate, vanilla etc... so personal tastes and preferences are the main key for choosing a milk alternative. Don't expect it to taste like cows milk. It is a product that can be used in places some people traditionally use cows milk, It is not made to taste like it. If you don't know which one to choose, when cooking use the plain unsweetened, where there is ONLY soybeans and water on the ingredients. Any other ingredients, even when it says unsweetend, can alter the taste in the final product. Nutritional Value of Soymilk Plain, unfortified soymilk is an excellent source of high-quality protein, B-vitamins and iron. Some brands of soymilk are fortified with vitamins and minerals and are good sources of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B-12. Soymilk is free of the milk sugar lactose and is a good choice for people who are lactose intolerant. Also, it is a good alternative for those who are allergic to cow's milk. Children can enjoy homemade or commercially prepared soymilk after the age of 1 year. Infants under 1 year of age should be fed breast milk, commercially prepared infant formula or commercial soymilk infant formula. RETURN

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