Vegan Food Shopping

If you are new to being vegetarian or vegan, going to the grocery store can be a daunting experience. I personally am vegan and usually only eat whole food. If you are transitioning and/or eliminating animal products check out the freezer aisle as there are likely frozen vegetable options for fish, chicken and hamburger. These options can supplement your cravings as you move to a plant based lifestyle.

Do your research! Get the up-to-date "Clean 15" and "Dirty Dozen". You can simply Google the list as there are many resources. Check out the Active Vegetarian We want to know what is heavy in pesticides and when we should choose organic produce.

Source: Active Vegetarian 

Secondly, shop for your produce first. This is just personal preference, as I will get inspired in the produce section and then I can visit some of the other aisle for seasoning and what-not to add to my dishes. This helps me get out of the store quicker, as I am not, for example, revisiting the spice aisle.

Rice and beans can be your reliable "go to" not only for healthy meals but on your budget. I try to stay out of the middle aisles, as they have tempting "healthy" options that aren't really healthy. I stick to produce, rice, dry beans, canned roasted tomatoes and other canned vegetables and soups. Many vegetarians are heavy in pastas, breads and noodles, be careful and balance your meals so that you are heavier on the vegetables. If you do this you will have more meals that are nutritious, low in salt and tasty.

Try something new! As you spend more time in produce you will see items that maybe you haven't had before. Have you cooked a kohlrabi? I will buy something that I have no idea as to how to prepare and take it as an opportunity to try something new and learn in the process.

Salads are also a good "go to". If you have one large salad a day it is a great way to not only get fresh vegetables in your routine but it’s also easy on your budget. You can mix it up with different ingredients and never get bored. If I have leftover stir fry or vegetables fajitas I will throw that into my salad the next day, add garbanzo or black beans, quinoa or rice and you can always make your salads different.

Happy shopping!

The Dirty Girl