Vegan pantry "Essentials"

Vegan beginners often find themselves clueless when it comes to the question of what essentials to be kept in the pantry to whip up delicious wholesome meals while at the same time not compromising on the most necessary nutrition. To answer your question here I have compiled a condensed list of the vegan pantry essentials to get you through the vegan journey in a delicious and nutritious way. You will also find that these essentials will be more than enough to create those dishes right from scratch in the comfort of your own kitchen.

So now let’s dive into it:

Fruits and Veggies: This category turns up to be more than obvious because vegans most certainly eat fruits and veggies. Now veggies are loaded with a high amount of nutrients and minerals and adding them into your meals will up the nutritional value multiple times. Not only that, but a meal with veggies results in a more wholesome fulfilling meal. So always keep some fresh veggies (if available) in your pantry to whip up a meal with. Or just go for the frozen and canned versions. They serve quite helpful when you’re on the rush.

Fruits most certainly serve a healthy snacking. Whether you use them in smoothies or you’re on the rush, just grab a fruit or that smoothie to indulge in a healthier version of a snack and to keep you full. However one should always choose fruits based on the season. That way you won’t have to burn a hole in your pocket.

Rice: Next up on the list is the whole grains like- rice (white or brown), quinoa, millets, barley, and oats (regular or steel-cut or rolled). But these are only some to name and when combined with a soup or a curry, these make the most fulfilling of a meal. Just get your hands at these and start experimenting with different combinations.

Legumes and lentils: There is a wide range in this category of legumes and lentils. Loaded with the necessary fiber, proteins, and antioxidants; these are just too versatile to be put to use. You can never go wrong with these. Trust me. Now a tip: if you’re a fan of using the canned products, make sure you drain out the contents and wash thoroughly with enough water to get rid of the extra salt or compounds.

Nuts and seeds: There are almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds. Just too many to list. And what’s more important is that these are powerhouses to the omega3 fats; thus making them a healthy alternative for fats.

Who needs oil to get fatty when you can go nutty!

Dried fruits: Dates, figs, raisins, cranberries- get your hands at these dried fruits and you will never go hungry. A handful of these will power you up and serve a good on-the-go snacking. And not just for snacking purposes you can even make desserts or add into your smoothies and granola for the natural sweetness. After all, it's nature's candy.

Milk: A huge collection of plant-based milk is a sure win-win. From proteinous soy milk and oat milk to the creamy coconut milk and almond milk. There are so many at your disposal. Also, you can always hunt for new ideas to put these into your soups or curries. That’ll make them tastier and way creamier.

Spices: Jazz up your bland meals with spices. Experiment with the wide range of spices to add delicious flavors that’ll make you go mouth smacking. Keep some like- turmeric, red chili powder, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, garam masala, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. With spices at your aid, you can make dishes in the Indian or Thai way.

Bonus Tip: Stock up on bullion cubes and vinegar as well to take your cooking game a notch higher.

And there you have it my list of vegan pantry essentials. Have your pantry stocked up with these goodies and you are good to go.

Plus, you are always free to choose to add or delete pieces of stuff to create your very own list of vegan pantry essentials. Customize to your liking and make yourself wholesome and satiating meals every time.

Happy cooking😀!