Vegan plant based family - what is in our kitchen
When parenting as a vegan, I lean to plant based whole foods (with a very few vegan-friendly refined exceptions). So my kitchen has lots of whole plant foods such as grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds. I embrace the plant based diet to support my personal health along with the health of other people and the planet. This diet also becomes naturally cruelty-free. It is also quite an affordable way to shop and meal prep on a budget. I go further with this goal by usually avoiding palm oil. That is my personal preference.
My avoidance of palm oil
Let’s address the palm oil issue for a moment. Some (or many vegans) may still eat products that contain palm oil because it does not contain animal products. I personally find the palm-oil-free goal to be quite easy when sticking with healthier natural foods. I am not here to condemn people who use palm oil. It is a complicated issue. Some products are labelled as including ‘sustainably sourced palm oil.’ The decision usually doesn’t even arise for me unless I am tempted by the vegan pastries in the freezer section. These are clearly not the healthiest option but they usually have ‘sustainable palm oil.’ The supermarkets have palm in lots of their breads. I generally get my bread from elsewhere. So here’s my situation. I won’t say I will never consume palm oil for the rest of my life. Such a statement would simplify the issue a lot. It would also be slightly unrealistic. But, as you will see from the foods I so actually use, it just doesn’t even become a question when I build my shopping lists.
Vegan Mostly WFPB
What do I mean by ‘vegan mostly whole food plant based?’ I am not completely oil-free. I also enjoy a few treats like a cashew cheese (it’s cheap but can last weeks) and vegan dark chocolate. That being said, I could make a wild guess and say 95% of my diet would be very whole foods. I feel better when eating lots of fruits and vegetables. I’m also not afraid of carbs. I’m more likely to choose tofu over beans when given the choice. But I keep most commons sorts of whole legumes around for diversity.
I recently realised how fast my olive oil bottle was running out. That sign helped me to realise I needed to cut back on the refined oils. I had phases of completely avoiding oil. That diet was a challenge because foods stuck to my pan and eventually I just really wanted small amounts.
Almost sustainable
Here is the other thing to keep in mind. I try to implement zero-waste options in my kitchen when possible, accessible and affordable. However, I do buy foods in plastic. This happens more now because the current neighbourhood does not have a bulk store. My previous area had co-op stores that featured bulk sections at competitive prices. Then, not only did I need to move into this other area, but I also avoided the physical stores for a while because of the pandemic-related rules of the time.
Shopping in isolation
I have also commented on where my foods came from. Having been in a slightly isolated location during a lockdown, I relied on the internet for a lot of my shopping. There is a silver lining. I experienced how plant based foods can be affordable and accessible in more locations these days. Some neighbourhoods have physical stores that offer all the best whole food plant based delights. Other areas may rely on delivery services at selected times of the week. In that situation, it can work but one should be organised. I learned to plan shopping lists more carefully because it could be days until the next click and collect or doorstep arrival.
The result
So here’s what I do. We have plenty of food. It is a priority because I need energy and I want to feed a diversity of plants for my family. Some foods are cheaper than others. It balances out on average. Lots of these foods can last months in the cupboard or freezer. It’s all good.
This list is a good impression of the foods I keep in my kitchen. It’s not absolutely everything. That sort of list would go on a long time. But it thoroughly shows how a vegan plant based household can store plenty of nutritious nourishing food.
Pantry
Coffee beans
I recently bought a large bulk bag of coffee beans. Lots of those whole beans are now stored in jars in the cupboard.
Grains (and similar)
I use whole grains when possible because they are meant to be healthier options.
Quinoa is used like a grain even though it is a seed. Dry quinoa can be stored in the pantry. Image: Unsplash.
Quinoa - seed but like a grain
I sometimes use quinoa. It serves the same purpose as a grain. A spare bag of quinoa is sitting on a shelf.
Brown and wild rice - actual grains
Whole grain rice is a basic necessity in any kitchen. I have some old compostable bags of brown and black rice in the pantry. They came in an online order from The Source Bulk Foods weeks ago. We only sometimes eat rice. A bit goes a long way. I probably use rice less because it takes longer to cook. However, I have been more organised with the meal/ingredient prepping in the past week. So I did cook some rice. There’s even more dry rice for me to use later.
Brown rice noodles
These are ideal for a vegan Pad Thai. I might cook that eventually. Those noodles are sitting patiently in my pantry. I sometimes order them from Amazon.
Wholemeal couscous
There should be a little bit of couscous left in the cupboard. Although this carb is convenient when cooked quickly, I don’t usually prefer this one. It’s just not my favourite texture. It’s not bad though.
Other noodles
My current favourite is sweet potato noodles. The supermarket has a brand that offers thinner noodles. When shopping on Amazon, I found a brand that provides thicker sweet potato noodles. In my experience, thick noodles generally hold together easier.
Wholemeal pasta
A good few packs of dried wholemeal pastas are now stored in my pantry. The supermarkets have affordable wholemeal spaghetti and short pasta. Zero-waste pasta would be fun I don’t even know of a bulk store that sells whole wheat pastas. So yes, I get packets from Woolworths and Coles.
Oats
Good old humble oats. They almost go in the breakfast section. But I also use them to make burgers and desserts. I would use lots of oats in any budget, limited or generous.
I keep plenty of oats in my kitchen cupboard, just like these ones. Image: Unsplash.
Cans and jars of tomato
I rely on long life tomatoes so much. I cook with passata, tinned whole peeled tomatoes and diced tomato. I also now use tomato paste. These preserved ingredients are low-cost basics.
Legumes/Pulses
My pantry now holds kilos upon kilos of dry beans, lentils and split peas.
Lentils
There are red lentils and green lentils. The red ones can cook nice and mushy into a dahl or soup. Green lentils can also serve that purpose but they can also act like a bolognese.
Split peas
Some green split peas are left over from winter. They will go into a soup eventually. There’s no hurry.
Beans
My favourite are white beans, black beans and red kidney beans. At the moment, I usually soak the beans and then boil them in a pot on the stove. Cooked beans expand to become a greater quantity than dry beans. So then I can freeze spares for later.
I have an abundance of cannellini beans. They were the easiest option for bulk quantity of white beans. I cook them into a version of breakfast beans. In winter, they can be included in vegan minestrone soup. As far as I have seen, any white beans can blend well into a creamy meal.
The black beans a must-have in my kitchen because they can be used for whole food plant based burgers in addition to Mexican-style meals.
Red kidney beans are an occasional preference in my household. They are a classic for Mexican chilli. I want to experiment with using these big red beans in WFPB burger patties because I have so many of them.
Spare soy milk
That’s the magic of plant based milk. It’s usually made to be long-life on the shelf. Sure, I chill some so it’s ready to enjoy. But I can store extra cartons of soy milk in the pantry. The last thing I want is to run out of soy milk. Luckily, I can order more of the drink from supermarkets or elsewhere online. Anyway, I have a simple row of these cartons in my cupboard.
Breakfast foods
I try to stick with healthy cereals like puffed rice (ideally brown) and other puffed grains. That being said, Weet-Bix are my comfort food. I will sometimes eat a bowl of those wheat biscuits with soy milk and maple syrup. I feel proud to have chosen the organic variety. According to the box, this cereal has “low sugar.” It’s more of an occasional treat breakfast for me.
Dried fruits
Dates are crucial for my family. I would like to generally keep a few kilograms of dates at all times. I try to avoid the brands that add ‘vegetable oil’ because I don’t know if that would contain palm oil or not. Dates are super affordable. They can be used for bliss balls or a slice that’s from the same ingredients. That’s an easy healthy snack for an energy boost.
Dates are an affordable whole food plant based sweetener. Image: Unsplash.
Nuts and seeds
I feel more keen to get nuts and seeds from the bulk store, even if I have to order them online. Nuts are so expensive that I currently buy small quantities at a time. If those and the seeds are priced well enough, I am glad to choose the plastic-free foods.
Some of my seeds are in bulk sized bags as a better deal. I have a spare kilo bag of chia seeds in the pantry. It should go into the fridge soon to stay fresh. We generally add chia seeds into smoothies. I might stir some into the porridge towards the end of the cooking process.
I also bought kilo bags of sesame seeds online because they are relatively cheap. Those tiny seeds can get sprinkled onto almost any food. They can bring texture to a stir fry and add a hint of crunch for a smoothie bowl.
When I use pumpkin, I like to keep the seeds and dry them out for later. After getting rinsed, they just go into the oven on low heat for a short amount of time. There should be some of these in my pantry. I should remember to eat them more often.
Nut butters and tahini
We multiple types of peanut butter. The supermarkets now have organic varieties at decent prices. I have jars from both major supermarkets. One brand has runny peanut oil at the top from settling and the other doesn’t. So I now actually have a separate jar where I poured the oil out of a peanut butter jar.
I have more tahini than I need. A couple of jars. That’s because we almost got into a situation where I would have to pack a nut-free lunch box. Then our needs changed and I no longer need to do that. I only really use tahini to make hummus. There are other ways to use tahini (including salad dresings) but I don’t usually experiment with all that. . So those tahini jars are happily sitting in the pantry until the need may arise.
Chickpea flour
This ingredient is pretty cheap when conventional but can add up more when organic. I have just enough leftover chickpea flour to hopefully make vegan fritters. Hopefully more besan flour will be added to an upcoming online order.
Textured Vegetable Protein
TVP. Don’t knock it until you have tried it. I very occasionally use this stuff because it sort of feels like mince. But I usually prefer unprocessed plant proteins. If in doubt, add flavourings when rehydrating the food.
Dry herbs, spices and seasonings
This category is probably common for most households. I keep a simple curry powder because it’s easy. When I use dry herbs, I use basic mixed herbs because it’s cheap. There are a few other herbs and spices too. We have salt but I use it sparingly at a pinch. There’s a pepper grinder. I wonder if the pepper kernels were even replaced since 2019. Maybe.
Oil
This one is controversial but I’m honest. There’s the olive oil. I also have a bottle of canola oil that’s really just for emergencies. I can’t remember using it at all.
Vegetables in the cupboards
Some veggies will stay more fresh when stored in the cupboards.
Potatoes
I’m currently storing my potatoes at the bottom of the pantry. They are the only fresh food that is stored in there. I hope that is a comfortable place for them. I buy potatoes in bulk as they are quite essential. My potatoes will get made into homemade oven baked hot chips (fries),
A collection of sweet potatoes accumulated in my cupboard. I need to use them in a recipe or a few. I might actually use a plant based meal guide for quick inspiration. Sweet potatoes are meant to be highly nutritious. They are not my favourite potato. The flavour is too intense for me. Growing up, I used to refuse the sweet potatoes. I’m adding them into my diet but it takes conscious effort.
Onions
Basic onions are essential. I like to keep a good bunch of brown and red onions in the cupboard. I got lots of them in clearance packs a while ago and then struggled to use them up. A few went soft. Right now, there’s the perfect amount. Here’s the life lesson. If I somehow acquire a surplus of onions, I would chop and freeze them. That’s not necessary right now though as there’s just enough.
Onions are a good basic food to stock up on. Image: Unsplash.
Fridge
I refrigerate all sorts of foods - fresh produce, long life products, naturally chilled foods and leftover meals.
Tofu
I have been keeping more and more tofu in the fridge. I aim to have three big blocks of tofu in every week or two. It usually lives in my fridge. In the past, I have occasionally stored pieces of tofu in the freezer. I might do that again if there’s space.
Fruit
Some fruits are known to cope better in the fridge. Others might also get refrigerated if I have a large quantity. I recently ordered three kilograms of oranges on a relatively decent bulk deal. Then the supermarket had organic oranges on clearance for half price. I might keep a few of those fruits out on a table but would chill most to be careful.
Here’s a helpful hint. I blend oranges with water or in green drinks instead of using orange juice. This trick will hopefully add more valuable fibre.
I’m also now keeping melon in the fridge. That’s in season now. The current melons lasted around a week before I cut them into chunks. I stored pieces of watermelon and rockmelon in jars to be enjoyed at any time.
I refrigerate lots of oranges. Image: Unsplash.
Vegetables
My veggie supply is a bit less varied than other times because I’m waiting a couple of days before a box of mixed produce will arrive. It’s also because I bought a some foods in bulk so there’s more of those for now. However, I follow the version of plant based diet that emphasises diversity of plants. Luckily, my diet can be diversified with other food groups too.
Leafy greens
I take my kale very seriously. Those dark leafy plants need a whole shelf on the fridge. The ‘leaves shelf’ is sometimes shared with celery but those stems can be expensive when organic. I’m off and on with celery. But I always have dark leaves.
Spinach is another favourite. My most recent supply of spinach was used up. I’m not in a hurry to buy more fresh spinach because I’m using up the kale. But I’m hoping to add more of those little leaves when I’m caught up with the current foods.
Cabbage
I bought a whole organic cabbage from online because the price was close to the cost of a cabbage from the supermarket. That’s a good deal. That big veggie arrived today. It’s in the draw of the fridge. That will last for lots of stir fries, coleslaw and sandwiches. Big win.
Carrots
I store my carrots in water so they can last longer in the fridge. It seems to work. If there are lots of carrots, they can go into a big container of water. If I just have a few they might fit whole or as carrot sticks in jars. That’s a compact alternative as jars can fit neatly in the door of the fridge.
Broccoli
A head or two of broccoli should be essential for the week. I have been more regularly using broccoli when buying mixed produce boxes. It’s probably important for staying healthy. I like to give my child raw broccoli florets to snack on. In contrast, I have to more consciously remind myself to eat that food. The solution - adding natural healthy flavours.
I freeze chunks of broccoli, just like these. Image: Unsplash.
Green onions
A bit of green onion is left from recent weeks. I occasionally buy it for some variety. But I usually forget to add it into a dish. I will try to chop this and somehow include it in my cooking. Then I will probably wait a while before buying any more of this onion.
Pea pods
These crunchy vegetables have kept well, in a small sealed container and refrigerated, for more than a week. I am grateful for the current fridge because it maintains freshness better than the last one (apart from one time when things froze). I will probably heat these pea pods and mix them with leftover noodles.
Turmeric and ginger
Honestly, I had my turmeric and ginger in the cupboard for maybe a week or two. They look edible. However, I don’t even know why I chose that storage method. I will try a version of this idea from Burke’s Backyard. These root vegetables could go into some baking paper or foil in the fridge tonight. I feel unsure about aluminium foil.
Mushrooms
Ah, mushies. Those fabulous fungi may be a category all of their own. A handful of mushrooms are sitting in my fridge. I might add them with breaky beans sometime. I would like to keep more quantities and varieties of mushrooms because they apparently offer great health benefits.
Herbs
I often feel nervous about herbs because they can look completely fine and then turn yellow the next day. That’s my inexperienced perception of those plants. But I love to cook with herbs and to see them growing. I got a generous bunch of coriander around a week and a half ago. I put some of it in a jar and filled maybe a third of the jar with water. That experiment went into the refrigerator. The rest of the coriander went into the freezer to keep for a while. But after more than a week, I’m happy to say I still have some fresh herbs in my fridge.
Chilled soy milk
Soy is my dairy-free plant based milk of choice. Of course, I allow space in the refrigerator for a carton or a few of soy milk. I get the So Good Regular because it’s fortified and an affordable price. When we’re going through so much plant milk in every week, I can’t get too luxurious.
I don’t add any milk to my coffee so that sort of taste doesn’t factor into the choice of brand. I have been drinking black coffee at home for months because it stays hot for longer and almost can’t go wrong.
Lots of meal prep and left over foods
I have a small separate fridge that houses the various prepped foods when I’m organised enough. The fridge currently has porridge, potato leek soup, noodles, plain red kidney beans, Mexican chilli, cooked mixed rice (brown and black), a baked sweet potato, vegan plant based ‘cheesy’ sauce and homemade salsa.
We eat a lot. That sort of collection will feed my family over a few days. When that runs out, I can then either cook more meals or send foods from the freezers to the fridge to gradually defrost them.
Sauces and flavourings
I keep a few basic sauces - tomato sauce (aka ketchup), barbecue sauce, sweet chilli sauce and vegan mayo. There’s also an important essential - tamari. I now make my own flavourings for meals. Before going vegan, I previously bought jars of pre-made sauces for stir-fries and curries. Now I create homemade versions that can be free from sugar and additives. But yes, a bit of vegan mayo can be fun. Mix it with other flavours to have an instant flavoured creamy sauce. A tub of white miso paste now sits in my refrigerator. It is recommended for creating plant based ‘cheese’ and sauces. I don’t always keep miso paste around but recently bought some for a bit of experimentation.
Special treats - vegan cheeses
I happily splurge on a vegan plant based cheese or two if they can last through the fortnight. When other foods are so affordable, these special treats are more justified. The creamy feeling is so good. Soft cashew cheese goes well with Vegemite and avocado. I now find better quality vegan cheese online that can be delivered along with essentials.
Freezer
Ground coffee
After grinding coffee (I use a French press plunger), I freeze the ground coffee to keep it fresh.
Bread
A loaf of sliced bread can keep for much longer in the freezer. I have some old rye bread. It’s very dense so I’m taking a while to eat it. We also have wholemeal bread.
Frozen vegetables
Simple frozen peas are a versatile basic food. Image: Unsplash.
Peas
In my opinion, every kitchen should always have a minimum of one bag of frozen peas. They are extremely affordable. They boost the vegetable content of so many meals. I chuck them into homemade pasta sauce. Peas could also be used in pesto, puree, soup, veggie pies… peas are good.
Frozen corn
This is an occasional thing in my household. I would rather always use fresh corn cobs. But frozen corn is convenient when throwing together a quick Mexican meal or fried rice. A bag of corn would last a while in my freezer.
Mixed veg
Here’s a hack. For a super cheap stir fry, use the ‘Winter Veg’ bag. It has big chunks of vegetables. As far as I am aware, it’s probably cheaper than the marketed ‘stir fry veg’ packets in the freezer section of the supermarket. I usually have enough fresh veggies for my stir fries. But I happily keep a packet of winter veg just in case.
Pre-frozen chopped spinach
Rather occasionally, I like to buy a little pack of chopped spinach from the freezer section. I have some now. It can wait until I run out of greens and need something instantly. Here’s a hack. I do find that the very finely chopped spinach can get ‘hidden’ into a child-friendly meal. Sure, there are ways to break down fresh leaves into a similar consistency. And, if lucky, the fresh versions would hopefully be plastic-free. But frozen spinach is just so good for emergencies.
Freezing veggies from fresh
I freeze my fresh vegetables if I have too much of something. Just weeks ago, I got a lot of broccoli. Organic versions were on special in the fridge section of the supermarket. Then I probably got more broccoli in a produce box. I usually take a week to get through one head of broccoli. So I cut the florets and froze them. Should I have blanched them first? I don’t know. They should go well in an eventual soup.
Carrots are another good one to freeze from fresh if necessary. There are ways to keep carrots in the fridge for weeks. But I guess they would last for months in the freezer.
Freeze some broccoli. Why not? Image: Unsplash.
Frozen fruit
Fruits are essential. Store-bought frozen fruits can be convenient and good quality. I buy lots of frozen fruit in bulk. We add it into smoothies and make berry sauces. I also freeze chunks of ripe banana for smoothies and nice cream.
Mixed berries
These are a classic for smoothies. It’s probably inspired by the takeaway smoothies.
Raspberries
A bag of raspberries can become handy for making sugar-free compote or for snacking.
Blueberries
Frozen blueberries can be cooked into baked treats. I have done that occasionally - including blueberry banana oat muffins and other desserts. I would combine blueberries with other berries for smoothies.
Mango
Mix with frozen banana for a nice cream or add cubes of mango into a smoothie. Some people add mango into green drinks. I sometimes do that but I lean to other fruits for that purpose.
Pineapple
I like to cut a whole pineapple and freeze the chunks. Those pieces become a refreshing ingredient in green ‘smoothies.’ In warmer weather, the frozen pineapple could get blended into a healthy frappe.
Pineapple freezes pretty well. Image: Unsplash.
Orange Peels
Some of my orange peels are now kept in the freezer. When I later could set up a jug of water, those peels will flavour the beverage. There are ways to dry orange peels. I have a dehydrator and did try to make dried orange peel once. It didn’t work so well. I might try that in the future. But right now, some peels are frozen.
Other frozen high protein/iron foods
Tempeh
I sometimes have tempeh in the freezer because it is frozen when delivered. I suppose refrigerated tempeh could go into the freezer before the expiration date. It defrosts really well in the fridge.
Seitan
My family’s newest favourite savoury treat is Suzy Spoon’s Shredded Seitan. It’s a fun versatile source of extra protein. I like to simply have it in a wrap. The one pack will probably sit in the freezer until we want some comfort food. Then I would let it soften in the fridge before heating up portions over a number of days.
Cooked beans (legumes/pulses)
I feel enthusiastic about the bulk batches of home-cooked beans. They can soak in water overnight and then boil in a pot (with plenty of rinsing before and after each step). I make a lot more than I will need for the week. Then extra beans can be stored in the freezer to save time in the future. A jar of beans will generally take a day to defrost in the fridge.
Prepped homemade meals and leftovers
The meal-prep and leftover meals can end up in the freezer. I do this sometimes but there isn’t a lot of space after everything else goes into my two freezers. I might freeze soup, curry or Mexican chilli. I’m fussy about what can get reheated and how. But a meal prep is a traditional thing to put in a freezer.
Outside
Would the outdoor count as part of the kitchen? I store more herbs in pots at the deck right outside the back door. I would love to keep them in the house. But they get more sunlight outside. There are also lots of other things that could take up space in the kitchen instead. But as I literally step barely metres from the kitchen to grab herbs when cooking, I think it counts.
Fresh herbs - growing
Rosemary
This plant has coped pretty well. I love adding rosemary to my roasted vegetables. There is an abundance of this herb in a pot.
Parsley
My parsley plant struggled to endure the recent weather. I left it out to get more water when the rain came. But the heavy rainfall and storms continued and now the parsley looks exhausted. I hope to trim it and then see if it may recover. Honestly, I don’t use the parsley as often as before. I used it to function as a leafy green soon after moving house when I ran out of other actual leafy vegetables.
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