Transitioning to a vegan diet can be intimidating initially, but with practice and planning, it gets easier. Begin your vegan journey by replacing non-vegan food with plant-based alternatives gradually or all at once. Prepare a weekly meal plan encompassing all nutrients and experiment with vegan dairy alternatives to adjust your taste buds. Regularly checking ingredients for animal products while shopping is crucial, and a pantry essential list can aid in this. Despite common misconception, protein deficiency is rare in vegans; focusing on fibre intake is more important. Free vegan meal plans and shopping lists such as this vegan food list for beginners can offer inspiration.
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If you are reading this I imagine it is because you are starting or thinking about starting to follow a vegan diet. Firstly, congratulations, you won't regret it! Secondly, I know that it seems daunting right now but if I can do it then you can too! In a couple of weeks you will be much more familiar with food that is and isn't vegan and the foods that you need to include in your diet to ensure that you are meeting all your nutritional requirements and staying healthy. A well balanced vegan diet is full of whole grains, whole foods, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables so remember this when you are grocery shopping. The health benefits of a plant-based diet are really quite something and as long as you stick to fresh, unprocessed ingredients on the whole, you will be living a much healthier way of life.
Over time your taste buds will change and you will get used to the taste of vegan dairy alternatives such as the vegan cheese and milk. In the meantime I would recommend that new vegans experiment with trying as many different types and brands as you can until you find one that you like. I couldn't find a milk substitute that I liked for ages until I combined Oatly Barista milk with Koko coconut milk. I still mix the two but I do enjoy oat milk and also soya milk on their own now.
There are two ways of approaching the start of Veganuary, you can go cold turkey or gradually do it. Personally, I don't like food waste but I do think that cold turkey is the best way to approach this (excuse the phrase!) I would donate any non vegan food to friends and family or put it on a food sharing website such as Olio so that it isn't wasted. I would find at the beginning of my vegan journey that having non vegan food like chocolate around the house would be too much of a temptation so it was better for me to be rid of it.
Secondly, I would make a meal plan for each week. Make sure that it is a comprehensive so that you have breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks so that you aren't left hungry and wondering what to eat. This is also the best way to ensure that your diet remains balanced, with enough fruit and vegetables, leafy greens, vitamins, carbohydrates and healthy fats and essential fatty acids. One worry is that vegans won't get enough protein so make sure that you research alternative plant-based protein sources and sources of essential amino acids. Protein deficiency is very rare though, and personally I would be more concerned about how much fibre you include in your diet.
If you would like inspiration for a meal plan, don't worry, I have help for you at hand. Every Sunday I send out a comprehensive family friendly vegan meal plan that you can follow or take ideas from. This is completely FREE to you so why not sign up…
Starting a vegan kitchen does not mean buying everything at once. Use the button below to create a realistic first shopping list based on your budget, cooking habits and the meals you want to make.
Finally, I would recommend doing a nice food shop, based upon your meal plan with lots of tasty foods suitable for your new way of life. You will find that food shopping takes a little longer at first as you are checking ingredients for animal products but rest assured you will soon get used to the foods that are vegan safe.
To help you along with this and to try to ensure that you are following a balanced diet in these first few weeks I have put together a vegan grocery list - basically a pantry essentials list that you will likely want to put together yourself anyway - but I have done this vegan shopping list for you. Don't go and buy the whole lot at once, just use the vegan food list as inspiration for things that you are able to buy and for putting together a meal plan.
Either way, if you are just here for the free printable, you can get it here…
Vegan Food List for Beginners
For those of you who don't like to print pretty PDF files, here is the vegan food list for beginners so you can just copy and paste.
Fruits and veggies
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Grapes
- Berries
- Avocados
- Kiwi
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Plums
- Mango
- Pineapple
- Melon
- Tomatoes
- Apricots
- Dried fruits
Veggies
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Courgette
- Mushrooms
- Peppers
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Green beans
- Lettuce
- Aubergine
- Sweet potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Spinach
- Kale
- Potatoes
- Fresh herbs
Non Dairy Products & Egg Free
- Dairy free milk - soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk etc
- Dairy free yoghurt
- Dairy free spread / butter
- Dairy free cheese
- Dairy free cream
- Chia seeds
- Ground flaxseeds
- Protein powder
- Meat substitutes
Spices & extras
- Dried herbs - basil, oregano, bay leaves
- Paprika, curry powder, turmeric,cInnamon, cumin,
- Garlic
- Ginger,
- Chillis
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Jams
- Apple cider vinegar
- White, red and rice vinegar
- Coconut aminos
- Nutritional yeast
- Marmite
No paprika? Don't worry! This post will help you!
Grains
- Rice - white rice, brown rice, wild rice
- Ouinoa
- Polenta
- Wholegrain pasta
- Noodles
- Bread - sliced, bagels, pittas, tortilla, naan
- Plain flour
- Wholewheat flour
- Bread flour
- Chickpea flour
- Almond flour
- Oats
Beans and Legumes
- Baked beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils (red &green)
- Chickpeas
- Black beans
- Split peas
- Barley
- Butter beans
Nuts and Seeds
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Brazil Nuts
- Pecans
- Peanuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- (nut butters and seed butters such as peanut butter / sunflower butter are a great addition too)
Snacks
- Granola bars
- Hummus
- Crisps
- Vegan cookies
- Crackers
- Popcorn
- Dark chocolate
Baking
- Baking powder
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Maple syrup
- Coconut sugar
- Vegan chocolate chips
- Desiccated coconut
- Agave syrup
Drinks
- Coffee
- Tea
- Fruit / herbal tea
- Squash
- Juices
- Vegan hot chocolate powder
- Matcha Chai
Miscellaneous / frozen
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ketchup
- Vegan Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Bread
- Frozen vegetables
- Frozen fruit
- Meat substitutes
- Vegan ice cream
- Ice lollies
- Frozen chips
Let me know in the comments below if you think there is anything glaringly obvious missing from this plant-based foods list. Obviously I couldn't put everything on there but it should give you a good basis at putting together some vegan essentials over a few weeks. It's also a great list for a vegetarian diet too.
I hope that you enjoy your vegan journey, stick around as I have lots more to share with you, including tips, meal plans, recipes and more.
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