Whole-food plant-based staple ingredients
Whole-food plant-based cooking (and vegan cooking in general) uses many staple ingredients that may be new or unfamiliar. We’ve put together this list of the most commonly used shelf-stable ingredients.
This is pretty comprehensive, so it's long, but try not to get overwhelmed. If you’re just beginning to transition your diet, we recommend taking it slow and purchasing only one or two new staple ingredients each week. You can substitute the conventional alternatives you already have on hand for almost everything else in the meantime. For specific notes and photos of an ingredient, click the black icon next to an ingredient name in any recipe or Groceries list.
Bulk ingredients
- Almonds, raw
- Beans, dried or canned
- Black, pinto, cannellini, and garbanzo beans
- BPA-free cans are best
- Cashews, raw
- Dates, dried
- Flour, brown rice
- Flour, whole wheat
- Lentils, dried
- Brown or green
- Millet
- Nutritional yeast
- Oats, rolled (not instant)
- Pumpkin seeds, raw shelled
- Quinoa
- Rice, brown
- Sesame seeds, brown
- Sunflower seeds, raw
- Walnuts, raw
Storing nuts and seeds in your fridge or freezer will help prevent the oils from going rancid and keep them fresh longer, especially if you live in a hot and humid environment.
Dried spices and herbs
- Basil
- Bay leaf
- Black pepper (we recommend using whole black peppercorns and a pepper grinder)
- Cayenne powder
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon powder
- Cumin powder
- Curry powder
- Dill
- Garlic powder
- Mustard powder
- Onion powder
- Oregano, dried
- Paprika, smoked
- Red chili flakes
- Thyme, dried
- Turmeric powder
Packaged ingredients
- Artichoke hearts, jarred (packed in water)
- Baking powder (aluminum-free)
- Baking soda (aluminum-free)
- Bread, 100% whole wheat or sprouted grain
- Coconut aminos
- Corn kernels, frozen
- Hot sauce (no sugar or oil)
- Maple syrup (100% pure)
- Miso (look for this in the refrigerated section)
- white or yellow
- Mustard, dijon
- Non-dairy milk, unsweetened
- any variety
- Nut or seed butter (no added salt or sugar)
- Peas, frozen
- Sauerkraut (fermented with salt, not vinegar)
- Soy sauce or tamari (low sodium)
- Tahini
- Tapioca flour (AKA tapioca starch)
- Tomato paste
- Tomatoes, canned
- diced or crushed are most commonly used
- Vegetable broth or stock (low or no sodium)
- Vinegar, apple cider (unfiltered)
- Vinegar, brown rice (not “seasoned”)
- Vinegar, ume plum (the only ingredients should be ume plum, shiso, and salt)
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce