14 Vegan Staples to Always Keep in Your Kitchen

"You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."

–Jane Goodall

Hundreds of thousands of people this month are going plant-based to start the new year off right. But how do you even begin? What are you supposed to eat without meat, dairy, eggs, or honey? Never fear, for with the ingredients listed below, you will always have what you need to make any meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!

1. Tofu

There are so many different ways to use tofu that I could never fully do this magical food justice. Because of its bland taste and absorbent texture, it's the perfect blank slate for any kind of meal you'd want to prepare; it will meld with and enhance whatever other flavors you use. Because of this, I like to have tofu almost every day as a high-protein, high-calorie addition to meals to help keep me full longer.

Unfortunately, many people have been taught to fear tofu and other soy products for fear of ingesting estrogen, but this is a blatant lie concocted by the animal agriculture industry. (Plus, if you really are afraid of soy, you should know that the vast majority of soy grown in the world is fed to farm animals. So, whether you like it or not, you're getting those nutrients and phytoestrogen from soybeans.) Animal products, dairy in particular, have actual mammalian estrogen, just like what's found in humans, which is cause for concern; this is a contributor to many health problems experienced by westerners, especially reproductive organ cancers.

My favorite uses for tofu:

1. Chopped and baked (plain or with seasoning) as a topper on pasta, rice bowls, in stir-fries – use firm/extra firm tofu

2. Crumbled and sauteed in a tofu scramble w/ veggies & mushrooms – use firm/extra firm tofu

3. Blended into a chocolate pudding (recipe here) – use silken tofu

2. Liquid sweetener (agave, maple syrup, date paste, etc.)

This probably is an unexpected entry on the list, but sometimes you just need a little sweetness in your life. These are often used as a great replacement for honey, agave nectar in particular, in any dish or drink. However, these can also be used in any situation where you might need to sweeten things up a bit: tea, baked goods, smoothies, and more!

My favorite uses for liquid sweeteners:

1. Baking cookies, doughnuts, cakes, etc.

2. Just a splash in a hot cup of tea

3. Date paste in oatmeal or as a sweet dip for fruit/veggies

3. Nutritional yeast

Known as "vegan crack," nutritional yeast is a staple you'll often see in vegan pantries and in vegan dishes. It's commonly used in cheese-style recipes because of its nutty, cheese-like flavor. Instead of buying bags and bags of expensive plant-based cheese substitutes, you can use a sprinkle of nooch instead.

My favorite uses for nutritional yeast:

1. Sprinkled over a big plate of pasta

2. Mixed into a cheesy alfredo-style sauce

3. Tossed in a warm vegetable soup

4. Vegetable broth

Vegetable broth is a common substitute for oil when sauteing foods oil-free, as well as a great ingredient to substitute for water to give any of your meals more flavor. But if you want to be super healthy, look for ones with no oils and no added sugars, or you can save food scraps (peels, about-to-go-bad veggies, stems, etc.) and boil them to create a homemade broth.

My favorite uses for vegetable broth:

1. Cooking anything savory without oil (use a few splashes of broth instead of coating a pan in grease)

2. As a base in any good soup

3. Blended with some soaked cashews and nooch to make a yummy alfredo sauce

5. Frozen vegetables

This may be the most important staple on this list, besides tofu of course. It's important to get your daily doses of vegetables, but it can be a pain to always buy fresh produce that you then have to wash, peel, chop, and cook as necessary. With frozen vegetables, all the hassle is gone, allowing you to easily add wholesome ingredients to your meals whenever you want.

My favorite uses for frozen vegetables:

1. Stir-fries & soups

2. Heated up & topped with teriyaki sauce/miso as a meal on its own

3. A healthy addition to any meal you make

6. Plant milk

Some people may not call this essential, but I guess that depends on your diet. Since I enjoy having oatmeal for breakfast, I usually pour a small amount of almond milk on top. Also, I enjoy baking, so milk is a common ingredient I need. In today's society, milk is just something we always seem to have around and find a use for. You never know when you might need it.

My favorite uses for plant milk:

1. Poured over a bowl of oatmeal/cereal

2. Hot chocolate & smoothies

3. Baking almost anything

7. Various seasonings

Without herbs and spices, all of the other foods on this list would be obsolete because they are what gives those staples their flavor. You should always keep a core set of spices in your pantry that can work in your favorite meals. For me, that's garlic powder, onion powder, dill, turmeric, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

My favorite uses for herbs & spices:

1. Seasoning baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked "fries," or any other way you can eat potatoes

2. Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice always go in my daily bowl of oatmeal

3. Adding flavor to sauteed vegetables (and basically anything else) for a clean, healthy meal

8. Potatoes

Potatoes are like the tofu of the vegetable world: a blank canvas to create a beautiful painting. You can fry them, bake them, boil them, mash them, and so much more. They are hearty and healthy, calorically-dense and incredibly filling. A few small potatoes are a meal all on their own.

My favorite uses for potatoes:

1. Chopped into steak fries and baked with garlic powder, onion powder, dill, turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper

2. Baked in the microwave for ~10 minutes, topped with melty plant-based butter and a sprinkle of Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning

3. Cut into bite-size pieces and boiled in a delicious vegetable-and-bean soup

9. Grain of choice (rice, quinoa, pasta, etc.)

Grains are like the glue that keeps meals together. They are the plain, unassuming ingredients that don't look like much but really help fill out a meal. Whole grains have essential nutrients for us and should be part of your daily diet (and they're just super tasty!).

My favorite uses for grains:

1. Pasta! Anything with pasta!

2. A rice/farro bowl with mixed vegetables, beans, tofu, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds

3. Instead of oatmeal, a chilled bowl of quinoa mixed with peanut butter, cinnamon, maple syrup, and apples is a great breakfast

10. Canned goods (beans, tomatoes, etc.)

Beans are one of those high-protein foods that new vegans cling to upon transition, fearing they'll become protein deficient. Though that's not a real concern, legumes are a very essential element in any wholesome meal. They add the protein you need, as well as the calories to help keep you full longer. Plus, they're just a yummy addition in any dish. Canned vegetables are also great to have on hand. Personally, my favorite is crushed tomatoes; they add such a wonderful flavor and texture to homemade soup, chili, and pasta sauce.

My favorite uses for canned goods:

1. Crushed tomatoes in soup & chili

2. Beans in almost any dish: soups, chilis, stir-fries, pastas, bowls, etc.

3. Same uses as frozen vegetables

11. Onions & garlic

These two are used in basically every homemade savory meal, so I paired them together. Together, they add so much flavor and texture to a dish, turning a good meal into a great one.

My favorite uses for onions & garlic:

1. Mixed into a tofu scramble with red bell peppers & mushrooms

2. Soups & chilis

3. Any good stir-fry

12. Oats

I eat oats almost every day in my breakfast. Not only can they be used for a hearty bowl of oatmeal, but you can also blend them with some plant milk and staple #13 to make pancakes! No more need for those expensive boxes of pancake mix.

My favorite uses for oats:

1. Can you tell yet that I really enjoy oatmeal? No?

2. Ground into flour for any baking needs

3. Mixed with bananas & plant milk for pancakes

13. Bananas

Mashed bananas are a common substitute for eggs in baking, a much cheaper and healthier alternative. They're also great to have around for snacking whenever you get hungry and don't feel like preparing anything. Fresh fruit is also an important food group that we all probably need to eat more of. When you have them around instead of typical junk foods, you'll have no choice but to reach for the banana instead of the chocolate bar.

My favorite uses for bananas:

1. 1/3 banana mashed to replace 1 egg in baking recipes

2. On-the-go snack or breakfast

3. Mixed with plant milk & oat flour for pancakes

14. Nut/seed butter

I saved the best for last! Peanut butter is one of those foods I end up eating almost every single day, though you can always swap it for almond, cashew, sunflower seed, hazelnut, or any other nut/seed butter of your choice. It's got those healthy fats people are always talking about, but it is also one of the most delicious foods ever.

My favorite uses for nut/seed butter:

1. Served with apples for a delicious breakfast or snack

2. Mixed into oatmeal or spread on top of toast

3. PB-chocolate smoothies

be conscious, be kind, be vegan

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Further Reading

"A Vegan Introvert's Guide to the Grocery Store"

"How to Be Vegan When You Don't Have Time to Be Vegan"

"Is Veganism Healthy?"