Stocking a Fresh Vegetarian Pantry
Shopping Tips: What Fresh Foods Should Vegetarians Buy?
Keeping a well-stocked refrigerator can make meal preparation much faster and easier. Reduce stress with this handy shopping guide.
Pull up your cart and grab your list, it's time for some meatless shopping.
The Basics
- Bring a list to help you
- stay on budget
- help you remember to pick up new items
- Shop around the perimeter of the store (produce, frozen, dairy/refrigerated, breads) to keep your vegetarian diet healthy. Just because your favourite junk food is vegan doesn't mean it should become a staple!
Produce
- Try to purchase in-season produce for the best flavour and price: check out seasonal cooking for inspiration
- Choose a wide variety of produce to ensures your body gets the nutrients it needs. There should be a rainbow of colours in your cart!
- Seek out the Organic or Vegetarian section, generally hidden within the produce. Check out quick meal ideas here – pre-marinated tofu cutlets, vegetarian/vegan versions of sausage, cold cuts, cheese, and stir-fries.
- To reduce food prep time, choose some pre-cut veggies. These can be prepared in-store or at the manufacturer.
- Broaden your horizons! Choose new fruits and vegetables often. They help create flavourful, filling recipes, and also make great snacks.
- If you have the right climate, try planting your own vegetable garden or herb garden to ensure a fresh supply.
Dairy, Eggs, and Alternatives
If you are ovo-lacto vegetarian this section is likely familiar to you already; however, vegans might not think to look here. Many stores now stock soy and plant beverages right beside the milk products. Perishable soy drinks are usually found here; soy yogurt increasingly so.
- Eggs. For ovo-lacto vegetarians, eggs provide bioavailable iron. Try a brand of eggs from hens fed a flax-based feed: these eggs are high in omega-3 fats. Organic eggs are more humanely produced.
- "Milk" Beverages. Non milk-drinkers who are concerned about calcium should choose fortified soy or other plant-based beverages. Per cup, they should should contain about 300 mg calcium, and ideally provide vitamin A and vitamin D as well. Choose a variety with as little added sguar as possible.
- Organic plain yogurt or soy yogurt
- Soy creamer for coffee
- Non-dairy margarine (may require a trip to the specialty store, unfortunately), margarine, or butter. If buying margarine, ensure the label reads “non-hydrogenated” to avoid excess saturated and trans fats. Many margarines have added casein or whey protein (from milk).
- Ice cream – dairy, soy, rice, hemp....so many flavours, so little time!
Notes about dairy:
- Milk products fortified with omega-3 fats usually use fish as a source.
- Choose yogurt, sour, cream, cream cheese, and other dairy products that are free from gelatin, which is not vegetarian.
- Organic milk products can only be certified as such if the cows (or goats, as the case may be) are fed no animal by-products, no unnecessary hormones, and are given space more comparable to their natural environment
Part two: Frozen foods, breads, and legumes, OH my!
The copyright of the article Stocking a Fresh Vegetarian Pantry in Vegetarian Cuisine is owned by Jill Harris. Permission to republish Stocking a Fresh Vegetarian Pantry must be granted by the author in writing.
