Vegan Essentials for your kitchen

As a vegan, people often ask me, "what are you eating?".
The belief that vegans always eat the same food and/or starve is still there! I can understand that it seems challenging and restrictive when you don’t know much about this kind of lifestyle.

So here is a list of essential foods to have in your kitchen when you are vegan! They might help you find your way through different recipes.

✧ Beans
These are an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins. There are several varieties, such as black beans, chickpeas, and lentils. Plus, they are very cheap and can be stored for a long time. It’s easy to always have some in your pantry!

✧ Cereals
Quinoa, oat, corn, barley, rye, rice, and buckwheat are all forms of cereals. There are so many varieties that there is no way to get tired of eating them! Cereals are a great source of carbohydrates, providing the energy the body needs to function. Again, they can be stored for a long time. No excuse for not always having it on hand!

✧ Nuts & Seeds
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanut, and almond butter, etc.) and seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc.) can be used in so many meals! Whether to eat them as a snack, in a salad, in a vinaigrette, or as a spread, they allow you to discover new recipes such as vegan cheese to replace real cheese!

✧ Spices & Condiments
Spices such as basil, oregano, paprika, chili, cumin, coriander, thyme, etc. will give a great taste to your meals! Condiments like miso, vegetable broths, soy sauce, and mustard will also make your recipes delicious.

✧ Soy
There are now a ton of vegan soy recipes! Soybeans are found in the form of tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, and edamame beans. Rich in proteins, fibers, and vitamins, it is THE protein to consume in a vegan diet.

✧ Vegetable milks
It’s now very easy to change cow's milk for vegetable milk. Indeed, several vegetable milks are available on the market. Oat, almond, soy, cashew, coconut, rice milk, and probably even more varieties! I invite you to try them all to find the one you like the most.

✧ Nutritional yeast
This vegan food will make you forget your cravings for cheese! Nutritional yeast is sold in powder or flake form. It literally tastes like cheese and nuts and makes all recipes creamy and delicious. Plus, this food is rich in vitamin B12 and proteins!

I hope this article will help you create your vegan kitchen with ease!

By Katia Bricka

Writter at RAW Nutritional