Dry Goods for a Meat-Free Pantry
Stocking a Vegetarian Pantry with Frozen Food, Legumes, and Breads
Mar 29, 2007
Want to learn how to fill the fridge with fresh vegetarian foods by "shopping the perimeter?"
Vegetarian and Vegan Shopping: Getting Good Nutrition, Saving Money, and Having Fun
- Shop the store perimeter to get the most nutritional power from your diet and to keep more green in your wallet. Then fill the rest of your cart with these healthy dried goods.
- Choose a rainbow of fruits and veggies. Bright colours pack a nutritional punch.
- Trust beans, nuts and nut butters, whole grains, and meat analogs to provide protein.
- Experiment. Vegetarian cooking is an excuse to try to new recipes and have fun doing it.
Frozen Foods and Meat Sections
Meat section? Frozen vegetarian entrees are increasingly being placed next to their meaty counterparts in these sections – a definite sign they are becoming more acceptable even to those who do eat meat.
Keep frozen foods in the deep freeze for emergencies, late-night snacks, a rushed family dinner, or unexpected guests. Stock up on:
- Frozen veggie burgers. Look for brands low in saturated fat and check to ensure no animal products were used. Sometimes vegetable-based burgers contain both soy protein and animal protein together.
- Frozen soy and wheat gluten cutlets (both high in protein)
- Tasty new snacks like frozen burritos and taquitos (rolled tacos)
- Frozen vegetarian (and even vegan!) pizzas
- Healthy frozen vegetables (do not contain added fat or salt)
- Frozen fruits to add to desserts, smoothies, and as snacks
Breads
- Choose whole grain varieties - they pack more fibre and protein than white breads.
- Hearty artisan or multi-grain / multi-seed breads are a fabulous change for dipping in soups and stews
- Choose interesting breads for punchy, fun sandwiches.
Beans (Legumes)
Legumes such as beans and lentils can form the base of many vegetarian meals – everything from a casual lunch of vegetables and hummus dip to a hearty vegetarian chili. Bean-based meals are faster to throw together than you'd think.
Why eat beans?
- Beans are high in protein and fibre; use them to replace meat in stews and other savoury dishes.
- They make easy one-dish meals or casseroles.
- They're fast and easy to prepare, and cut down on cleanup time.
- They're healthy: dried beans don't contain added preservatives or salt. Look for canned varieties with as few ingredients as possible – ideally only beans, water, and salt for the best flavour. Organic varieties are a good place to look.
- They're cheap: cook beans from dried if you're on a tight budget (dried beans are cheaper than canned), if you have ample time to cook them, or if you're an organized cook who freezes things for later. Canned beans are faster to prepare than dried beans - simply rinse and use. They are still relatively inexpensive.
- They're diverse. Choose a variety of beans – beginners might like to start with red and white kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas (garbanzos), and lentils.
Dried Goods
While the perimeter of the store offers some of the best, cheapest and healthiest choices, you may need to foray into the middle isles too. Don't stick to one type of grain, nut, or sauce - branch out and try different flavours. Choose dry or bulk foods like:
- Brown rice
- Couscous, quinoa (keen-wa), barley, kasha, or other whole grains. Many have more protein than rice and a wider variety of textures and tastes.
- Whole grain pasta
- Canned tomatoes; organic have the best flavour but are usually more expensive
- Tomato sauce – for pasta dishes and stews
- Salsa
- Peanut butter and other nut butters. A healthy vegetarian diet can include up to 40% calories from fat - don't shy away from nuts.
- Tahini (the staple of hummus and rich vegan sauces)
- Oatmeal, low-sugar cereal, or low-fat granola for quick breakfasts.
- Vegetarian soup base or bouillon – these are now available in natural varieties (no MSG) as well as in vegetarian versions of chicken and beef flavour.
Specialty Foods
You might have to hunt around for these gourmet or speciality foods.
- Ground flaxseed – a source of omega-3 fats, lignans, and protein
- Flax oil or a combination oil that contains vegan DHA (an omega-3)
- Specialty meat analogs, ranging from vegetarian sausage, cold cuts, and bacon, to protein powder
- Vitamins – vegans who do not routinely consume fortified foods require vitamin B12 supplementation
- Vegan margarine – most brands of margarine found at the grocery store contain trans fat and/or milk ingredients such as casein or whey
