We are serial grocery shoppers. We go to the grocery store basically every or every other day to get fresh stuff for our meals because we love to use fresh veggies. But let’s be honest, it’s nice to have staples already in your cupboard. Then we can get creative when we don’t want to head to the store. So let’s take a look at fourteen items that we always like to have.

Cupboard

Beans

Beans are great. Super versatile. Can be spiced up. Lots of protein. Plus, there’s so many different types. Our favorites include black beans, kidney beans, and white beans.

Possible recipes: chili, anything Mexican… tacos, burritos, soup… breakfast scrambles

Rice

Another resourceful item! I personally like minute rice because I suck at cooking normal rice well.

Possible recipes: plain, fried rice, mexi rice, rice in soup, rice pudding

Quinoa

Quinoa is my absolute best way to add complete proteins to recipes.

Possible recipes:  salads, soups, use instead of rice

Noodles

Pasta is my favorite way to get rid of leftovers/older veggies. We are digging the chickpea-based noodles in order to sneak more protein into our diet.

Possible recipes: tomato sauce, pesto sauce, cream sauce, minestrone

Tomato Paste

I recently started buying tomato paste in order to make my own pasta sauces because 1) less plastic waste, 2) more versatile

Possible recipes: chili, marinara, jambalaya, pizza sauce

Olive Oil

Vital when cooking without animal fats…

Possible recipes: everything cooking-wise, don’t forget salad dressing!

Onion

Onions add flavor to many recipes if you don’t have anything else. Use cooked or uncooked. My personal preference is the red onion.

Possible recipes: literally everything, pasta, caramelized onions, in salsa/guac… like I said, everything

Oatmeal

Can’t forget breakfast.. oatmeal is an easy/dependable way to get some good energy in the morning. Not to mention how painless it is on the wallet when you buy in bulk…

Possible recipes: brown sugar, apples and cinnamon, oatmeal cookies

Corn Starch

While it’s good to have other baking items/spices, we found ourselves using corn starch more and more as we use plant-based products. It’s a great way to thicken.

Possible recipes: pasta sauces, asian orange sauce… basically any sauces

Potatoes

Being from Idaho, we can’t leave potatoes off the list. These veggies craft so many of our favorite side dishes and everything from breakfast to dinner and everything in between. Bonus: sweet potatoes

Possible recipes: mashed potatoes, hash browns, curry, fries, gnocchi

Refrigerator

Almond Milk

Well… any nut milk of your choice. We prefer Unsweetened Almond milk because it can be sweet or savory.

Possible recipes: cream based sauces, soups, hot drinks, curry

Tortillas

We just really love making tacos…

Possible recipes: tacos, breakfast burritos, gyros

Better Than Bouillon: Veggie

I found this stuff thanks to the recommendation of a Whole Foods staff member. It’s a super flavorful way to make vegetable stock. Plus, it comes very concentrated in a little jar, so you don’t have to buy as much (there’s like 38 servings in there), and you can recycle/reuse the jar.

Possible recipes: soups, pastas, everything

Extra non-plant items: Eggs

I know. I know. This isn’t eggs-actly plant-based, but it’s really the only animal product we have yet to cut out of our diet. They are a relatively cheap and simple way to get more protein in a part-time plant-based diet.

Possible recipes: breakfast burritos, sunny-side up, fried rice, baking

While many recipes require additional ingredients, this is a good base for when you move, you’re out of everything, or if you are shifting towards a plant-based diet. Not to mention that they are all very reasonably priced items. We can go to the store and grab a good amount of these items for $30 each, especially when buying items in bulk when possible. So make sure to add these items to your next grocery list.

Your Part-Time Plant Eater,

AJ