Vegan Grocery List For Beginners (Printable PDF)

by Alena
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Our complete vegan grocery list for beginners and seasoned vegans makes your next shopping trip a breeze! It includes everything you need to follow a delicious and healthy plant-based diet. Be sure to get your free printable PDF, too!

If going vegan seems appealing to you but grocery shopping for plant-based food feels overwhelming, you’ve come to the right place!

Buying food at the store can be tedious, especially if you are on a budget or feel overwhelmed with all the sneaky non-vegan ingredients.

Our grocery list can be the key to happy, easy shopping — just print it, circle or highlight the items you need and add whatever else you want to get.

Grab our printable vegan grocery list PDF below and enjoy our shopping tips!

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Vegan food lists

What do vegans eat

Vegans eat from all the plant-based food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Nowadays, there are vegan alternatives for every dairy or meat product, so food swaps are really accessible!

What vegans don’t eat

Vegans don’t any animal-derived products, which include meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and honey.

While these foods seem straightforward and easy to identify as animal products, there are often “hidden” animal ingredients in our food.

Sneaky animal-based ingredients

  • Casein
  • Whey
  • Lanolin
  • Rennet
  • Shellac
  • Lactose
  • Collagen
  • Glycerin
  • Lard

How to build your vegan grocery list

From fresh produce and grains to legumes, nuts, seeds, tasty condiments, baking items, meat and dairy replacements and — last but not least — snacks and treats, you’ll find everything you need.

Be sure to take taste preferences, allergies, budgeting, seasonality and other variables into account when building your own vegan grocery list.

white table with different vegetables such as hot peppers, tomatoes, bell peppers, lime, onion, carrot and cilantropin it

Vegetables

Take seasonality into account and choose those that you already like. Add as many colors as you can to your plate!

Fresh vegetables

  • Cruciferous veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cabbage
  • Leafy greens: spinach, lettuce, arugula, collard greens, swiss chard, romaine
  • Nightshades: eggplant, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes
  • Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, taro, parsnips, beets, carrots
  • Winter squash: pumpkin, butternut, kabocha, acorn
  • Allium vegetables: onions, scallions, garlic, leeks, chives, shallots
  • Mushrooms
  • Asparagus, artichokes, celery
  • Cucumber, avocado
  • Green beans, snow peas, snap peas

Frozen vegetables

Have a few bags of different frozen vegetables on hand in case you’re running out of fresh ones or don’t have the time to go to the store!

They are nutritious and budget-friendly but can contain butter or other non-vegan ingredients, so check the label.

  • Asparagus
  • Baby lima beans
  • Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
  • Corn, winter squash, sweet potato
  • Green beans, peas
  • Mixed vegetables
  • Spinach
  • Hash brown shreds

Canned vegetables

There are few pantry staples that beat the convenience of canned vegetables! They are perfect emergency food — just look at these vegan recipes made from pantry items.

  • Whole or diced tomatoes
  • Tomato paste or sauce
  • Vegetable soup
  • Corn
  • Peas, green beans, carrots
  • Mushrooms
  • Roasted red peppers
  • Artichokes
  • Pumpkin puree
  • Olives, pickled vegetables
  • Sauerkraut, kimchi
  • Sun-dried tomatoes
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Grains

Around 50% of your grain intake should come from whole grains, according to the USDA.

There are low-fiber and high-fiber grains, bread, pasta, and more choices in this section!

  • Brown rice, wild rice, white rice
  • Quinoa, millet, farro
  • Couscous, bulgur
  • Oats: steel-cut, rolled, instant
  • Corn, cornflakes, popcorn kernels
  • Buckwheat, amaranth, teff
  • Wheat, rye or spelt berries, kamut
  • Rice cakes, corn cakes
  • Bread, rolls, tortillas, muffins
  • Cereals like shredded wheat
  • Pasta
  • Flour
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Legumes

Legumes are high in plant-based protein, fiber, complex carbs, and many minerals. Use them for hummus, Mexican recipes, burgers, and more!

If you have time to cook your own beans or lentils from scratch, then this will drastically lower your grocery bills! Always have some canned beans in your cupboard, too.

  • Kidney beans
  • Black beans
  • Cannellini and white beans
  • Navy, pinto, fava beans
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Chickpeas
  • Lima beans
  • Split peas, yellow and green
  • Lentils: green, brown, red, yellow
  • Bean soups or chili
  • Baked beans
  • Flour made from chickpeas, mung beans, soy

Soy products

Soy’s uses are practically endless, as you can see in our soy guide and silken tofu recipe collection. Plus, soy is really nutritious!

white speckled bowl on a table with some thinly sliced applepin it

Fruits

Fruit provides you with a good amount of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and rotating different types offers you a large range of phytonutrients.

Fruit can be added to oatmeal or porridge, breakfast cereal, smoothies, salads, in baking, or used as a simple snack.

Fresh fruit

Focus on what’s in season and what you like the most! Here are some common choices, both local and exotic (depending on where you live).

  • Apples, pears
  • Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
  • Grapes
  • Figs
  • Kiwi
  • Pomegranate
  • Bananas, mangoes, pineapple
  • Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit
  • Watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe
  • Nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries
  • Passionfruit, dragon fruit, lychee, guava, jackfruit

Frozen fruit

Before fruits are frozen, they’re picked when they are really ripe. Frozen fruit helps reduce food waste, extends shelf life and is super handy!

This not only adds more variety to your diet during the winter months, but it also offers a nice texture to any smoothie.

  • Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
  • Cherries
  • Mangoes
  • Pineapple
  • Peaches
  • Mixed fruit

Dried fruit

Due to the way they are processed, dried fruits have a lower amount of water – which makes them taste really sweet! This also means that they are shelf-stable and higher in calories.

Use them as a wholesome sweetener and check out your recipes below for examples!

  • Dates
  • Figs
  • Mulberries
  • Raisins
  • Prunes
  • Cranberries
  • Goji berries
  • Apricots 
  • Mangoes, pineapple
  • Apple or banana chips

Canned fruit

Most canned fruit comes with quite a bit of added sugar, so don’t rely in them too much.

However, some canned fruit products (e.g. apple sauce) are easy to find added sugar-free.

  • Apple sauce
  • Diced pears, pineapples, mangoes
  • Whole or halved peaches
  • Fruit cocktail
  • Mandarin oranges
white table with individual little bowls containing almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and hemp seedspin it

Nuts & seeds

Nuts and seeds are great sources of protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins — which makes them awesome little powerhouses!

These healthy fats are great for topping your salads or bowls, adding to oatmeal or smoothies, or making into milk or coffee creamer!

  • Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews, macadamia, Brazil nuts, pistachios, pine nuts
  • Seeds: chia, hemp, flax, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower
  • Nut Butter: almond, cashew, peanut, macadamia, coconut
  • Seed Butter: tahini, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed 
close up of a glass jar with dairy-free homemade almond yogurt being poured from a spoonpin it

Condiments

Make your food taste fantastic with this huge selection of vegan-friendly condiments! Stock up on some basic pantry spices, get a couple of sauces, or make them yourself (recipes below.)

Herbs & spices

  • Italian herb mix, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, rosemary
  • Salt, black salt (tastes like eggs!)
  • Pepper, red pepper, cayenne
  • Garlic & onion powder
  • Paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder
  • Ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry powder
  • Parsley, cilantro, dill
  • Sage, saffron, bay leaves
  • Cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla
  • Cloves, celery seed, anise, nutmeg
  • Mixes like cajun, chipotle, garam masala

Dips & sauces

  • Soy sauce, tamari, miso
  • Ketchup, mustard
  • BBQ sauce, cocktail sauce
  • Relish
  • Hot sauce, sriracha
  • Salsa, sweet chili sauce
  • Hummus, guacamole
  • Vegan mayo (i.e. Veganaise)
  • Vegan salad dressings
  • Dairy-free cheese sauce mixes
  • Gravy 

Vegan flavorings

  • Vinegar: balsamic, white, apple cider, rice
  • Oil: olive, sesame, canola, peanut, coconut, flax
  • Vegetable stock or broth
  • Liquid smoke
  • Bottled lemon juice
  • Capers
  • Curry paste
  • Sambal oelek
  • Harissa
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Vegemite 
  • Seaweed: kombu, wakame, nori
mixing whole wheat flour with the rest of the ingredients to create healthy vegan hamburger buns in a white bowlpin it

Baking & cooking items

  • Vegan sugar: brown, coconut, beet, cane
  • Syrup: maple, agave, coconut, date, rice
  • Molasses, bee-free honee
  • Fruit preserves
  • Stevia, xylitol, erythritol
  • Flours: wheat, chickpea, coconut, almond
  • Baking powder & soda, yeast
  • Vegan chocolate chips
  • Coconut shreds or flakes
  • Potato or corn starch
  • Arrowroot powder
  • Waffle, brownie or pancake mixes
  • Pudding mixes
  • Vanilla, peppermint or almond extracts

Dairy replacements

There are so many delicious dairy replacements in stores these days! They don’t always imitate dairy products 100% but with all those different flavors, we’re positive you’ll find something you like.

Common brands include Silk, Daiya, Miyoko, So Delicious, Oatly and Chao.

Try to get fortified plant-based milk alternatives for some extra calcium, B12, iodine and vitamin D in your diet!

  • Dairy-free milk: almond, cashew, oat, rice, hemp, coconut, flax
  • Flavored vegan milk alternatives
  • Dairy-free yogurt: almond, coconut, cashew, oat
  • Vegan sour cream and ranch
  • Dairy-free creamer
  • Vegan cream cheese or ricotta
  • Vegan cheese: shreds, slices, blocks, parmesan
  • Dairy-free ice cream: coconut, cashew, soy, oat
  • Homemade vegan ice cream from frozen fruit or coconut milk
  • Margarine or vegan butter
  • Vegan pudding cups
  • Soy, rice, hemp or pea protein powders

Meat replacements

Apart from using good old beans or tofu to replace meat in your dishes, you can also choose to get some prepared vegan meat alternatives at the store!

Common brands include Tofurky, Beyond Meat, Gardein, Field Roast, and Boca.

Their composition, flavor, and texture can vary widely, and we encourage you to try a few to find the ones you like the most!

  • Textured vegetable protein
  • Pulled jackfruit
  • Vegan burgers: veggie or legume-based
  • Vegan sausages, hotdogs
  • Vegan nuggets, deli slices
  • Plant-based crumbles, cutlets, beef strips
  • Seitan or wheat gluten
  • Coconut or tempeh bacon
Mockup of three sheets of the vegan on a budget printables

download our printable vegan on a budget sheets

Grab your free PDF and sign up for our newsletter by entering your email below!

Snacks & treats

Welcome to the fun section! Find delicious sweet, crispy, crunchy and creamy goodness here.

The nice thing here is that you don’t have to rely on specifically labeled “vegan” foods – there are many snacks and treats that are “accidentally vegan” by default.

Watch out for less-obvious animal-derived ingredients like whey, gelatine or egg whites!

  • Vegan nut and seed bars
  • Flapjacks or oat bars
  • Dark chocolate or other vegan chocolate
  • Vegan cookies (hello, Oreos!)
  • Crackers and chips
  • Popcorn, pretzels
  • Trailmix
  • Jams, jellies
  • Frozen pizza, waffles, fries, potato wedges
  • Vegan dumplings
  • Vegetable spring rolls, ramen
  • Frozen soft pretzels, puff pastry, croissants

Beverages

Almost all beverages are fully plant-based by default — the most common exception being dairy-based beverages like hot chocolate or cappuccino.

However, juice, wine and beer can all be made using fish bladders during the filtering process. Companies usually don’t let you know about that but some brands have chosen to add a “vegan” label to their products.

Check out this resource for specific vegan beverages or browse Barnivore for a vegan beer, wine and liquor guide.

  • Tea: herbal, hibiscus, ginger, green, black, chai
  • Coffee, cold brew
  • Kombucha
  • Fruit & vegetable juices
  • Smoothies
  • LaCroix, flavored and sparkling waters
  • Most sodas
  • Vegan hot chocolate
  • Vegan wine & beer
brown haired woman holding a paper bag with different vegan groceries such as bread, carrots, banana, apples and leafy greenspin it

Shopping tips

Creating a sensible grocery list is much easier if you know what you’ll be making over the next few days or week!

Check out the following guides to learn more.

Free shopping list PDF

Download a copy of our vegan shopping list and cross out what you don’t want or highlight what you need.

You’ll also find a handy list with common sneaky non-vegan ingredients in everyday food items in the free download!

two printable pages to create a vegan grocery list

download our free printable vegan grocery list

Grab your free PDF and sign up for our newsletter by entering your email below!

Further reading

Which are your must-have items to get at the grocery store? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to Pin this article.

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Alena sitting in a cafe with a bowl of fresh plant-based food and a glass of coffee in front of her

About Alena Handwritten FontAlena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.

47 thoughts on “Vegan Grocery List For Beginners (Printable PDF)”

  1. Are liquid aminos good to add to the shopping list as well? I’m trying to find a healthy alternative to soy sauce.

    Reply
    • Sure Sarah, you can use liquid aminos! They do have less salt than soy sauce. It is just as versatile and we chose soy sauce for this list because it’s the easiest one to get for people. We personally have tamari instead.

      Reply
  2. Thank you! This was oooh so helpful in constructing my grocery list being than I am still fairly new to the vegan lifestyle! Thank you again and again!

    Reply
    • There’s no generic advice here, just go to the grocery store and check the ingredients! Toast can sometimes have butter or milk. Jam can have gelatine but is vegan most of the time :)

      Reply
  3. Great list :) I did want to mention though that, at least in my area, curry paste can contain shrimp paste, so you have to be careful.

    Reply
    • True, Lindsay! Not always a safe bet and we encourage everyone to check the ingredients at least once before buying :) Here in Thailand, where we’re currently staying, there’s shrimp paste in most of them.

      Reply
  4. Thanks. Nice comprehensive varietied list. Currently, in my part of the country , we can easily get local vege or “salads” such as ulam raja, pegaga, petai, cekur, kesum, kantan, etc Jackfruit and coconut are ample & easily available. Just to share….

    Reply
  5. I am a 77yr.old widow and I want vegan recipes; because I am post polio and cannot exercise as I used to. I am in need of good recipes.Thanks Virginia Goad.

    Reply
    • Hi there Virginia,
      thanks for stopping by. Happy to know you’re up for this change! You can search our website for recipes or look on findingvegan.com or forksoverknives.com
      Hope this helps :)

      Reply
  6. Just starting the vegan diet and I’m super excited about it. So glad for articles like this one. Not only a list of food you can have but also information on the benefits from the food.

    Reply
  7. This site is great! I am new to the vegan style. I have been looking at a different site and researching but this helps a lot. It is nice to know that there are substitutes for things that I love to eat like eggs and cheese. I haven’t seen weight loss yet but have lost a few inches in the waist.

    Reply
  8. Honey is not a vegan product ….try agave nectar as a sweetener alternative. Not as thick as honey, but not super runny either.

    Reply
  9. Thank you for this great list! It’s really good information for vegans. Durian is my favorite fruit, it tastes wonderful! I would also add to the list of fruits marang and rambutan

    Reply
  10. Great Article! Please update. When I see the the year 2016 I wonder why u guys haven’t updated it. This has so much info. Great job.

    Reply
    • Thanks Dani and I totally agree we should update it soon – just easier said than done if you have 100+ articles that want to be regularly updated ;)

      Reply
    • Hey Simon, thanks for the feedback! Glad you like the article.
      Our system tells me that you received the email with the downloadable PDF — have you been able to download it by now?
      Let us know so we can assist you!
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  11. This information has been just what I’ve been looking for! I’m quite excited and ready to get started. How do I get the PDF of “36 Thoughts on Ultimate Vegan Grocery List for Beginners?”

    Reply
    • Hi Susan,
      thanks for your comment! I just sent you the free grocery list PDF, hope you like it :)
      Feel free to get in touch if you need any further support.
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  12. Hey Alena,

    Great article! I can see how much work you must have put in that.
    But unfortunately, I can’t open the pdf either..

    Best,
    Christina

    Reply
    • Hi Christina,
      thanks for the lovely feedback! Did you enter your email address so we can send you the downloadable PDF? Which file are you unable to open? I’d love to help! :)
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
    • Hey, there are two forms at the beginning and end of the article which say “download our printable vegan grocery list” together with the printables pictured — are these not displayed to you? Alternatively, you can just join our regular newsletter which opens the door to our Member Area with lots of downloads like this: http://nutriciously.com/newsletter/
      Hope this helps :)

      Reply
  13. What an amazing overview..it makes it so easy to know what you can and can’t have on a vegan diet. Just a quick note about glycerin as I see it quite a lot in gluten free baking recipes. There are actually two types of glycerin… traditionally it’s made with tallow or lard, but now you can get vegetable glycerin as well. This is made from things like olive and coconut oil etc 🙂

    Reply
  14. Great article BUT clicking on the printable PDF just takes me back to the article.
    Is there a link that will open the PDF list only?

    Reply
    • Hi Diana, when clicking on the button “Download for Free” a pop-up should appear where you need to enter your email address! There is where the PDF will be sent :) I can check our system for your address to see whether there has been a problem – you need to confirm your address first before the PDf can be delivered if you are not yet a subscriber.
      Hope this helps!

      Reply
  15. Question; why is Soy Sauce not for Vegans? I thought only animal derived foods were not permitted on a Vegan diet. While searching for a grocery list for new vegans, I’ve come across several sites that have Soy Sauce on their list of condiments and others not.

    Reply
    • Soy sauce is almost always vegan. I have no idea why some people would not include it on their list — perhaps they swap it for Tamari which is pretty much the same but gluten-free. I use soy sauce almost daily and in my of my recipes on this website!

      Reply

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