If you’re new to eating plant-based or have trouble picking out nourishing foods at the grocery store, you’ve come to the right place. The first step to eating healthy food is buying it. But what do you buy? Don’t worry, today I’m sharing my easy, healthy grocery list.
One of my favorite activities is grocery shopping. Some people think of it as a chore, but I love it. Discovering foods I’ve never tried before is my form of adventure. No matter what, I always go to the store with a healthy grocery list. Why? Because 1) lists are awesome and 2) I’ll never get what I need without planning.
Remember when I talked about the basics of a plant based diet? I talked about the food categories of a plant based lifestyle. These categories are what I base my healthy grocery list on. Just like a plant based diet, it can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. But let’s start simple.
A plant based diet is comprised of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. So a healthy grocery list will be filled with those foods.
Buy as many types of fruits as you like. Don’t worry about buying too much; for the most part, you can freeze any fruit before it starts to go bad (and then you have a stash in case you run out). Fruit makes the perfect snack, dessert, or meal addition. Filled with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, you can’t go wrong.
First check the produce section for good deals on fresh fruit, but don’t be afraid to hit up the frozen section. Often, frozen fruits are much riper than fresh fruits and can be cheaper as well. You’ll get the same nutrient profile because most fruits are flash frozen, preserving all their healthy goodness.
The fruits on my healthy grocery list include:
While not providing the bulk of your calories, vegetables do provide the bulk of your nutrients. There are so many vegetables to choose from, pick some you like and go with that. The rule here is the similar to fruit: buy as much as you want — vegetables are so good for you. Be careful though, fresh vegetables don’t freeze well like fruits. If you’re worried, frozen veggies also pack a nutritional punch.
I love to mix up my veggies each week, but my staples include:
Grains pack in calories and fiber, giving you energy and plant-power. You want to aim to eat three servings a day so if you go grocery shopping every week, make sure to buy at least 21 servings of grains. Unlike fruits and vegetables, dry grains can be stored for months without spoiling so now’s the time to find the bulk section of your grocery store or buy the jumbo container that saves you a couple cents per serving.
Grains can be slightly intimidating if you’re a newbie, but most grains are fairly similar, so once you’ve cooked with one type, you have a leg up with the rest.
I typically stick to rolled oats and quinoa, but there are plenty of other options: whole-wheat pasta, amaranth, buckwheat, and rice (to name a few).
Ah, beans, the delicious protein-packed powerhouses. Beans are so important for your diet: they are filled with fiber, iron, zinc, protein, folate, and potassium. Like grains, we should try to eat three servings a day. So load up.
Unlike grains, beans come in two forms: dry and canned. Speaking only in terms of health, dry beans are the way to go. The only thing in the package is beans. But speaking practically, sometimes we don’t have time to soak the beans overnight and then cook them. That’s where canned beans come in. Canned beans are already cooked, so you can simply heat them up (or just eat them cold) and you’re good to go.
A couple things to watch out for with canned beans. First, canned beans can be packed with added sodium and preservatives, to make them last longer on the shelf. To get the most nutritional bang for your buck, check the label and avoid cans with added ingredients and always buy the lowest sodium version available. Also, when you go to eat the beans, drain and rinse them well to decrease the amount of sodium you actually eat. Second, some cans have a BPA lining — you don’t want this, BPA is toxic. Make sure the can says BPA free.
Beans are a staple in my diet (and they should be in yours too). Here’s what I buy:
I. Love. Nuts. They are so delicious. I have trouble only eating the one-serving-per-day recommendation.
With nuts you theoretically have two choices: nuts or nut butter. But nut butters can be so expensive I suggest you buy raw nuts and make your own nut butters. Not only do you save money, but you get to experiment with flavor combinations and avoid all the extra nonsense (sugar, oil) that companies put in nut butters. If you really don’t have time, stick with nut butters with nuts as the only ingredient.
I always buy raw nuts because most stores only sell nuts roasted in some sort of oil. Raw nuts are super versatile you can turn them into nut butters, roast them, add them to salads, sprinkle them on oatmeal, or just eat ’em.
My favorite nuts to include on my healthy grocery list are:
*Peanuts do not usually come raw because they can be contaminated with mold. The government regulates peanut toxicity very closely, so don’t worry about eating unsafe nuts.
Filled with healthy omega fats, a serving of seeds per day is necessary for optimal health. The bulk section of your grocery store should have plenty of options to choose from. If not, there are plenty of pre-packaged options.
I regularly eat both chia seeds and flax seeds.
While not an integral part of a plant based diet, spices add life and depth to your food. You can create different flavor combinations depending on the food you’re cooking or what your preferences are.
I don’t buy spices on every grocery trip, but when I do, I buy:
When it comes to drinks, you’re best friend is water. Coffee and tea are great alternatives to water if you’re looking for some flavor.
Whew. That was a lot. I know I said this list was going to be easy. And it is! Here’s a quick summary of my healthy grocery list:
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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