There are hundreds of vegan foods easily available in supermarkets, greengrocers, bakeries and other shops around Australia. This guide concentrates on which groceries to buy to prepare your own delicious, healthy, plant-based meals.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it's a good starting point for buying ingredients for a healthy, vegan lifestyle. Vegan cooking should include lots of vegetables, nuts, beans and healthy fats, and should not consist of eating the same meals you ate as a non-vegan, minus the meat. There are many fantastic plant-based substitutes that most meat eaters aren't aware of, so do your research, find some good recipes and get cooking!
Fresh vegetables should make up the majority of your diet, and can be eaten raw, boiled, stir-fried, blanched, deep fried or baked. Don't be afraid to experiment with spices, or combine with legumes and grains for a more wholesome meal. Select the veg you most like to eat.
Examples: Asparagus Avocado Beans Beetroot Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Capsicum Carrot Cauliflower Celery Collard greens Corn Cucumber Herbs Kale Leeks Mushrooms Onion Parsnip Potatoes Pumpkin Romaine lettuce Spinach Squash Sweet potatoes Swiss chard Tomato Zucchini
Like the vegetables, choose whichever fruit you most enjoy--just make sure you buy a wide variety and check what's in season. You can buy fruits to be eaten on their own or used in other recipes, like banana bread.
Examples: Apples Bananas Berries Figs Grapefruit Grapes Jackfruit Kiwi fruit Lemon Lime Mandarins Mangoes Melons Nectarines Oranges Peaches Pear Pineapple
These foods are a very important part of your diet, providing protein, and keeping you full. They can be purchased dried, raw or tinned, and have a variety of uses in the vegan kitchen.
Examples: Almonds Barley Black beans Brazil nuts Broad beans Buckwheat Cannellini beans Cashews Chia seeds Chickpeas Couscous Hazelnuts Hemp seeds Kidney beans Lentils Lima beans Linseeds Mung beans Oats Pasta Peanuts Poppy seeds Pumpkin seeds Quinoa Rice Sesame seeds Soybeans Split peas Sunflower seeds Walnuts Wheat germ
This category includes meat alternatives, soy-based products like tofu, or entirely plant-based alternatives like coconut yogurt. These can be used exactly as you would their non-vegan equivalents. Limit your intake of highly processed alternatives like TVP.
Examples: Coconut and soy yogurt Jackfruit Seitan Soy, coconut, almond and rice milk Tempeh Tofu Tofurky, facon, TVP Vegan butter Vegan cheese, like the Tofutti range Vegan sausages, burger patties, and fake meats
Buying frozen foods is an easy way to save money, enjoy out of season snacks, and have quick meals at the ready. Frozen berries are a great addition to smoothies, or you can pick up a frozen vegan pizza for a weekend treat.
Examples: Berries and fruit Beans Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Corn Edamame Mixed vegetables Peas Spinach Stir fry mixes Vegan frozen meals Vegan pizzas Vegie burgers
Sandwiches are a great lunch option, and can be filled with hummus, olives, salad ingredients and meat substitutes. Many brands of supermarket bread are 'accidentally vegan' like some of the Helgas and Mighty Soft selection, as well as some of the Original Mission and Mountain Bread wraps.
Examples: Barley Buckwheat Couscous Oats Pasta Rice Sourdough Wheat germ
Vegan baking is fun, easy, and tasty. You will be able to use some of the things you already have in your pantry, like flour and sugar, but there are some extra things you'll need to buy. Make sure you check out our Egg Substitute Guide.
Examples: Flour Arrowroot Baking powder Baking soda Cacao nibs Cacao powder Cocoa Coconut, sunflower and olive oil Desiccated coconut Dried yeast Egg replacement powder Shortening Sugar Vegan chocolate chips Xantham gum
There are some other ingredients that are highly recommended for the vegan chef. Rather than just cutting out meat and dairy, vegans should be sure to add new ingredients too. For example, try using nutritional yeast to make a vegan cheese sauce.
Examples: Miso paste Apple cider vinegar Coconut cream Dried fruit Falafels Hummus Nutritional yeast Olives Peanut butter Sundried tomatoes Tahini Tamari Tomato Paste
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