Eating a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be difficult. All it takes is a little preparation. Today I’m sharing my Plant-Based Kitchen Staples aka the basic food and equipment I keep in my kitchen that makes eating plant-based diet easy (even as a college student!)
Scroll to the bottom for a FREE printable list of my Plant-Based Kitchen Staples OR read through the post to see what I actually DO with all the food and kitchen gadgets.
Like I talked about in THIS post and THIS post, the plant-based diet consists of several main food groups. Namely, fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. These are exactly the foods I keep around my kitchen.
I ALWAYS have bananas. I eat at least one a day. While they do ripen quickly, it’s so easy to cut them up and freeze them, making the perfect dessert!
I also buy fresh and frozen berries. I eat these as snacks throughout the day, use them as an oatmeal topper, or mix in with overnight oats.
Grapes are my bffs. They are great portable snacks and last longer in the fridge than other fruits.
Another staple fruit is dates. Since I only sweeten my recipes with fruit, raw dates, date sugar, and date syrup are my go-tos for anything sweet.
During the warmer months, I keep raw spinach and mixed greens for salads. Red onion, carrots, bell peppers, and beets also make the list as salad toppers.
Broccoli and cauliflower are weekly vegetables for me. Other common veggies include green beans, zucchini, and eggplant.
From the frozen section I buy spinach and a carrot/pea blend.
The grain I eat the most is oats. I buy a large tub of rolled oats from the store which will last a week or two. Occasionally I eat rice or quinoa.
For baking, I mainly use oat flour, but occasionally, I use other flours like buckwheat flour too.
For easy meals I love canned beans — chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, bean blends — I love them all. Another easy option is frozen edamame.
I also buy bags of dry brown lentils and cook up a pot to eat throughout the week.
Both nuts and nut butter are good to keep around for a quick breakfast option or a filling snack. I keep raw pecans, cashews, walnuts, and almonds in the freezer. I also make a delicious mixed nut butter and buy natural peanut butter from the store.
Flaxseeds are so healthy that I try to eat them every day. I also like chia seeds.
Sooo not technically a food, but still important. I drink almond milk, coffee, and tea. Plus tons of water — hydration is essential!
This could end up as a really long list, but the goal here is to make plant-based eating easier, so I’ll keep it to just the essentials.
I have a non-stick pan for cooking most foods. Plus a pot to cook beans. And a couple baking sheets for roasting vegetables, and, you know, baking.
You also might want a colander or strainer of some sort for both steaming foods and rinsing beans or veggies.
A cutting board is a must for chopping fruits and veg. Plus a good chef’s knife for larger, harder foods and a pairing knife for smaller, softer foods.
A couple key gadgets are measuring cups, a can opener, a spatula or two, and PLENTY of containers to store all your delicious creations.
Some equipment is not necessary for a plant-based diet, but nice if you want some ‘specialty’ foods. I love using my food processor or blender to make nut butters (like THIS or THIS), nice cream (like THIS), sauces, or various baked goods (like THIS). Some things are just better when they are homemade!
If you made it all the way to the end, you’re the best! If you just scrolled down to see this printable, you’re still the best :)
Click the link below access this free list — print away friends!
a daughter of the Lord who eats lots of plants. I’m glad you’re here! On The Plant-Based Catholic I bring you nutritious, plant-based (vegan) recipes, explore the relationship between food and faith, and share my unique lifestyle.
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