Introduction to Cheap Vegan Staples

After visiting a lot of vegan groups online, I discovered that a lot of people that are new to being vegan needed help knowing what cheap staple foods are best on a vegan diet. Sometimes you need food that’s going to last a while. I decided to compile a list to share with new vegans! I hope this list helps you out. Feel free to leave a comment below if you know of any more cheap vegan staples. 🙂

Here’s a list of 22-must have cheap vegan staples to help you get through the week!

Nutritional Yeast.
Nutritional yeast isn’t just great for that extra nutrition you need – it’s also good for homemade cheese sauces or as a topping for meals and snacks! Click here for 5 ways to use nutrition yeast.

Rice.
Brown rice is better for nutrients! You can use rice as a side dish or as a meal. You can use rice in soups, stews, or even in stir-fries. Get creative and add things to your rice! Lemon rice, broccoli rice, the possibilities are endless. Rice is on the cheap vegan staples list because it has a very long shelf life.

Large bag of Quinoa.
Make sure to always wash your Quinoa! Just like rice, quinoa can be used as a side dish or as a meal and paired with many things! Just like rice, Quinoa has a very long shelf life and had to be added the cheap vegan staples list!

Pasta in Variety! *
Short pasta, long pasta, spiral pasta, whole wheat pasta, veggie pasta, rice pasta, etc. You can use pasta as a meal or as a side dish mixed with sauce and/or vegetables. Pasta has a decent shelf life but not as long as rice or quinoa.

Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions.
When it comes to potatoes, sweet potatoes are better for nutrients! Potatoes, carrots, and onions can be used for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner. Always have these three on hand!! You can use these in many recipes, or even eat them by themselves. although I wouldn’t recommend eating the onions alone! Haha. These are good to add to salads, stews, meals, or even eat alone with some dip! *You can also use them to make cheese sauce! Here are two cheese sauce recipes one & two.

Large Bag of Precut Broccoli and/or Cauliflower.
Freeze half the bag to make them last longer!

Large Bag of Kale and/or Spinach.
Add a paper towel into the bags to absorb moisture, and change the paper towels once they get damp! This will help the kale and spinach last longer!

Lots of lentils.
Lentils are super easy to cook, and can be used in many meals for many things!! Always have lentils on hand.

Spices.
Spices are the key if you want extra flavor to your meals. Always make sure to have your favorite spices on hand. My go-to spices are garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, paprika, chili powder, parsley, rosemary, cumin, and turmeric.

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Beans. Beans. Beans.
You can use beans in many meals to help add some extra protein, bulk, or color to your meals. Have boring rice? Dress it up by adding in some beans with some spices and maybe a little sauce or dressing! Having a variety of beans helps when you want to make different types of meals as well!

Cabbage, Squash, and Zucchini.
These can be used in many meals and cut in many ways. I usually keep 2-3 of each on hand to have as a side or mix with pasta, potatoes, soups, or stews!

Tofu.
Tofu is great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can scramble, season, marinate, bake, or even fry it. Tofu is often thought of as bland and unappetizing by many people. This is usually because it hasn’t been prepared correctly. When correctly prepared, Tofu can be an incredibly delicious and versatile component of any dish. Tofu is an excellent source of protein for plant-based and vegan diets, containing all nine essential amino acids. It is also rich in iron, calcium, and other minerals. Check out my whole guide about Tofu for beginners! Tofu had to be added to the cheap vegan staples list.

Vegan Mayo, Vegan Ranch, Soy Sauce, Hot Sauce, and Just Sauces in General!
Adding sauces to your meals helps add or change the flavor and keep your meals interesting! *Always make sure to check the ingredients! Sauces are the ultimate cheap vegan staples.

Oats.
If you’re an oat fan, oats can be used in many recipes and meals! You can use oats to make DIY desserts or even just eat them for breakfast with some fruit.

Bread and/or Tortillas.
These two can be used in many ways, such as toast, sandwiches, wraps, burritos, chips, etc.

Peanut Butter.
Peanut butter can be used to make sandwiches or as an added ingredient for dips, smoothies, and desserts. You also use peanut butter as a topping for cut bananas or celery. *You can even just eat it alone!

Cornstarch, Breadcrumbs, and Flour.
These three can be used to help make special recipes like cakes, pancakes, waffles, fried or crispy breaded tofu, or even as a thickener for gravy, dressings, and sauces.

Canned Vegetables, Canned Beans, Frozen Fruits, and Raw Vegetables.
These come in handy when your raw fruits and vegetables go bad or end up being used up before your next payday! Always have some of these on hand. I usually keep bags of berries, bananas, peppers, broccoli, and beans in my freezer. I always have canned diced tomatoes, mixed vegetables, peas, chickpeas, black beans, navy beans, and kidney beans in my pantry. These are cheap vegan staples that last a long time.

Seeds and Nuts.
Flax, chia, and hemp. These three seeds all have amazing health benefits! You can also use these in many recipes as toppings and as thickeners. Having a large bag of mixed nuts on hand will also serve as a great snack or food topper!

Oil.
Vegetable oil, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil. Oils are very helpful in small quantities for seasoning, making sauces, dressing, baking, frying, or even adding to curries, soups, or stews for flavor.

Plant-Based Milk.
Having plant-based milk on hand is amazing for adding flavor to recipes, drinking alone, or using it for cereal, shakes, and smoothies.

Vegetable Stock or Bouillon Base/Cubes.
Homemade vegetable stock is easy to make, but if you don’t have time vegetable stock or bouillon base/cubes do the trick. These come in handy to add flavor to your soups or to help you make that gravy or sauce you’re trying to make!

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post! I hope you found it informative and helpful. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. I appreciate your input and will do my best to respond to all comments. If you know someone who could benefit from this information, please share this post with them! 🙂