OK, some practical blog posts are needed around here I reckon!

One of the blocks to people going vegan is that they can’t possibly imagine what vegans eat. They can’t imagine how you’d shop for ‘vegan food,’ or what their kitchen cupboards and fridges would be full of if they were vegan.

Well, we ALL know by now that vegans eat a vast array of delicious and indulgent meals, but what does that look like in its raw material form? As individual ingredients in the kitchen?

I figured it might be helpful if I shared the food that is in my kitchen in an average week.

You could also add to (or edit from) this post and use it as a sort of weird shopping list with pictures.

Now I’ve written many times on how eating plant-based is inexpensive, and it is.

My budget is such that I buy a few specialist items (like Biona Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour, a Coyo or two), and I always try and buy organic grains and organic fruit and veg that are in the ‘dirty dozen,’ but these slightly dearer prices are easily offset by bulk bags of dried black-eyed peas, beans and lentils, and cans of chick peas and sweet corn etc. You’ll see from my pics that I get a ton of stuff from budget supermarkets, and lots of it from the world food aisle.

I buy enough fresh greens and fruit to last a few days, and shop again when these run out. I have hardly any freezer space, so I can’t buy frozen fruit and veggies, so it’s fresh (preferably), dried or canned.

Please note: This is what I have in my kitchen RIGHT NOW, and it’s pretty much stuff I always have. I haven’t gone out to buy anything especially for this post to make it look like I have lots of fab stuff. I actually did a weekly shop earlier tonight and ATE some of the foods I was meaning to photograph. So you see, it really couldn’t be any more honest. I like to keep it real. And my tummy full.

Here goes:

 

Grains

Porridge oats

Brown rice

Quinoa

Brown rice noodles

Wholewheat couscous

Whole wheat pasta

 

Dried beans and lentils

(None of these are organic! I actually get pretty much ALL of these from the world food aisle. The lentils and black eyed peas come in HUGE 2kg bags)

Dried red kidney beans

Dried black-eyed peas

Split peas

Red lentils

Green lentils

Puy lentils

 

Flours

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flour

Whole spelt flour

Wholemeal flour

Cornflour

 

Baking items

Bicarbonate of soda

Baking powder

Xanthan gum (works perfectly in place of eggs)

Madagascan vanilla flavouring

 

Non-dairy milk

Several cartons of organic soy milk

 

Cans

Several cans organic chopped tomatoes

Organic red kidney beans

Several cans sweet corn

Several cans chick peas – these particular cans are REALLY economical!

Baked beans (spot the Brit!)

 

Breads

Cranks Wholemeal Loaf

Wholemeal Pitta

 

Herbs (dried)

Basil

Oregano

Rosemary

Thyme

Sage

Parsley

Bay leaves

Kaffir lime leaves

Tarragon (I’ll be honest, I think I’ve only used this once)

 

Spices

Behold the utter chaos rustic poetry that is my ‘spice rack.’ Again, most of these spices I get from the world food aisle in the supermarket.

It contains:

Cumin

Coriander

Cardamom (MY FAVOURITE! I know this is irrelevant, but just sayin’)

Paprika

Turmeric

Fenugreek

Garlic powder

Mild chilli powder

Sumac

Cloves

Allspice

Cinnamon

Cayenne pepper

Nutmeg

Black peppercorns

 

Nuts

Brazils

Walnuts

Almonds

 

Seeds

Flax seeds (a must)

Sesame seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

 

Fresh Veg

Kale

Broccoli

Celery

Tomatoes

Rocket

Onions & garlic

Spring onions

Sweet red pepper

Turnips (bit random I know – they’re for a couscous dish tomorrow 🙂 )

 

Fresh Fruit

I’ll let my fruit bowl speak for itself!

 

I’ll be buying as many berries as I can get my hands on tomorrow though –

Strawberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

And there really should be some apples in there as well.

 

Sweet things

Agave nectar

Maple syrup

Raspberry jam

Brown rice syrup

 

Condiments & Miscellaneous

Sea salt

Tahini

Rice Cakes

Pure (non-dairy spread)

Humous

Dijon mustard

Organic passata

Balsamic vinegar

Brown rice vinegar

Apple cider vinegar

‘Regular’ vinegar (mine is Sarsons)

Nori seaweed sheets

Wakame flakes

Dried Shiitake mushrooms

Wasabi powder

Soy sauce

Tabasco

Fresh ginger

Fresh lemons

Homemade kimchi. Here’s how to make it.

Some Berber spice mix

Umeboshi plums (to ward off sniffles!)

Some banana bread I made yesterday

Alright I’ll admit it –

Some salted crinkle crisps. Shutup.

 

WHEW! That’s IT. That’s the entirety of the edible content of my kitch!

Is there something you think I should always have on hand that I haven’t mentioned?

Let me know!