Like I said, I have been working hard to stay within my budget when it comes to food shopping. If you’re like me, you’re not going to have too much extra money to spend on movies/clothes/fun unfortunately. So, after learning what I can and can’t (or shouldn’t) buy, this is the list of necessities that I always have on hand to cook good, cheap, vegan food:
Spices
Garlic Powder; Onion Powder; Ginger; Paprika; Cayenne; italian seasoning; basil; oregano; curry powder; cinnamon; turmeric; salt; black pepper
Baking
All purpose flour; vegetable shortening; canola oil; raw sugar (or other non-bone char sugar); baking powder; baking soda; vanilla extract; corn starch; cocoa powder; vegan chocolate chips, nutritional yeast
Refridgerator/Condiments
Maple syrup (it doesn’t have to be real. Aunt Jemima’s is good), ketchup, mustard, lemon juice, variety of non-dairy milks (My absolute FAVORITE is Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Almond Milk. It is so freaking delicious, and cheap ^_^) , earth Balance Buttery Spread, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, fruit jam/jelly
Freezer
Frozen broccoli; frozen cauliflour; frozen peas; bread (I keep my bread in the freezer to keep it from getting moldy)
Pantry
Bag of brown or white rice; cans of tomato sauce; tomato paste; diced tomatoes; variety of noodles; dried beans such as kidney, black, or lentils; OR cans of the same beans; chickpeas
Snacks
Raisins; raw or roasted almonds ( I prefer raw for better taste and added nutrients); craisins; crackers; peanut butter; rolled oats; cereal
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Carrots; potatoes; bananas; apples; oranges; tomatoes
Protein
Extra-firm tofu, tofurky deli slices, textured vegetable protein, boca veggie burgers, more tofu
I find that with these foods always on hand, I can make a huge variety of different dishes. I know this list looks intimidating and in no way inspired by a tight budget, but trust me. If you shop in the right store and pick the right brand, this will be sure to stay within your budget. Most of the items that I buy are generic brand: Those are usually cheaper than name brands, so try to go for the generic. It’s just as good for less money. Also, don’t try to buy these all at once. What I like to do is go through my cookbooks and find all the recipes that are easiest to make and that have similar ingredients. For example, if you are looking through the breakfast section and you see that a lot of recipes call for tofu and garlic powder, then buy tofu and garlic powder. This way, you will always have the ingredients on hand to make those recipes.