The Planted Shopping List

If you don’t eat meat, dairy, fish or eggs what do you eat? Here is a list of the abundance of foods a plant-based ‘dieter’ should have stocked in their Planted Kitchen at any one time.

The list is simple, its grown by nature with her life energy. You have to feel better for that don’t you? Time to change your lifestyle and eat life giving foods not life taking.

Now by no means in this the FULL list of foods and pantry staples you should aim to have in your home, it’s just a small selection; after all you have to start somewhere. As you can see, there is plenty to choose from and this isn’t even half of it! We promise you, if you adopt a vegan planted lifestyle diet you will not go hungry.

FRUIT

Fresh is unsurpassed however there is a time and place for frozen fruit which is useful for your morning or recovery smoothies, acai bowls and baking. Oh, and let’s not forget about dried fruit, a sweet little snack which can also be mixed with nuts to make an on the go trail mix.

FRESH

• Apples
• Pears
• Kiwis
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Limes
• Peaches
• Plums
• Nectarines
• Bananas
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Watermelon
• Honeydew
• Cantaloupe
• Apricots
• Grapes
• Mangoes
• Cherries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Papaya
• Mandarins

FROZEN

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Mixed berry blends
• Mango

DRIED

• Raisins
• Currants
• Cranberries
• Apricots
• Medjool dates
• Figs
• Apple slices
• Banana chips
• Goji berries
• Coconut

VEGETABLES

The humble vegetable goes with just about anything, ever added beetroot to a cake or sweet potatoes to a brownie? And what parent hasn’t hidden carrots in a tomato pasta sauce?

Vegetables can be eaten raw in salads, sandwiches, or with dips; think crudités of celery, carrot, cucumber, capsicum, even cauliflower or asparagus spears. Vegetables are fresh meaning they have a short shelf life more so if they are organic so choose a variety of fresh or frozen vegetables to steam, sauté, stir fry and roast.

Frozen vegetables are a great staple and are very versatile; everyone has frozen peas in their freezer, don’t they? Frozen produce can be as nutrient dense as fresh produce because it’s snap frozen at its peak ripeness within hours of picking.

FRESH (raw & cooking)

• Broccoli
• Beetroot
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cauliflower
• Cucumbers
• Peas
• Tomatoes
• Capsicum
• Avocado
• Celeriac
• Broad beans
• Zucchini
• Asparagus
• Garlic

FRESH (cooking)

• Mushrooms
• Squash
• Kale
• Pumpkin
• Sweet Potatoes
• Potatoes
• Turnips
• Onions
• Leek
• Silverbeet

FRESH (leafy greens)

• Baby spinach
• Lettuce (cos, iceberg, romaine)
• Rocket

FROZEN

• Spinach
• Corn
• Peas
• Edamame

GRAINS, BEANS & LEGUMES

If scientific research has confirmed anything, it’s the importance of consuming the three macronutrients; carbohydrates, protein and fats.  We are not carbophobes, we understand the importance of this key macronutrient to help fuel our bodies especially during athletic stressors such as endurance training.

Grain, beans and legumes all freeze well; especially when it comes to beans and legumes because a small amount goes a long way!

GRAINS

• Bread including sourdough
• Tortillas
• English muffins
• Crumpets
• Wraps
• Bagels
• Pitas
• Pasta
• Oats (quick, rolled, or steel-cut)
• Rice; brown, white
• Seitan (wheat gluten)

PSEUDOGRAINS

• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• Millet

BEANS & LEGUMES

• Chickpeas
• Black beans
• Kidney beans
• Cannellini beans
• Lentils (all varieties; brown, red, green)

FATS

Fats are a very important part of a healthy vegan diet including the much talked about omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. Extremely versatile; fats come in all shapes and sizes from avocados, nuts and seeds to liquids for salad dressings. 

HEALTHY FATS

• Avocado
• Coconut milk

OILS

• Coconut oil
• Flax seed oil
• Sesame oil
• Olive oil
• Canola oil
• Sunflower oil
• Hemp oil
• Vegan butter and margarine

NUTS & SEEDS

• Peanut butter
• Nut butters
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Sunflower seeds
• Sunflower seed butter
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chia seeds
• Ground flax seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Tahini

NON-DAIRY PRODUCTS

The ownership of words such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are now not solely identified as being made with dairy; milks are now made of plant ingredients, cheese of nuts and yoghurt of coconut.

Most dairy alternatives are high in protein, calcium and mimic the nutritional profile of its dairy counterpart, even the taste is scarily similar which can at times be a little discerning having you question, are you sure this is vegan? What a wonderful place to be.

MILK

• Soy
• Almond
• Cashew
• Macadamia
• Oat
• Coconut
• Rice
• Hemp
• Flax

YOGURT/CHEESE/BUTTER

• Soy/almond/cashew coconut yogurt
• Butter/margarine
• Cheese shreds/slices
• Cream cheese
• Sour cream

SOY PRODUCTS

• Firm tofu
• Soft/silken tofu
• Smoked/marinated tofu
• Tempeh

PLANTED PANTRY

A selection of condiments, herbs, and spices makes it easy to diversify your meals, pimp them up as we like to say. Buy dried herbs or spices from the bulk section in smaller amounts even if they have a long shelf life; you want to have as fresh as possible.

Pantry staples help our cooking and baking just taste better, they add a greater nutritional profile and can pack quite the punch to your next meal.

SWEETENERS

• Sugars; rapadura, caster, icing, cane
• Agave syrup
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Coconut sugar
• Dark chocolate chips

FLAVOURS, HERBS, & SPICES

• Basil
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Fennel
• Cardamom seeds
• Salt bush
• Wattle seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Ginger
• Turmeric
• Chili flakes
• Cinnamon
• Kala namak black salt
• Salt
• Pepper
• Savoury yeast (otherwise known as nutritional yeast flakes)

CONDIMENTS

• Tamari
• Sriracha
• Mustards
• Vegan mayo
• Vegetable stock
• Vinegar (apple, white, red, balsamic)
• Tamarind

COOKING & BAKING

• Flours including wholegrain
• Bi-carbonate soda
• Baking soda
• Gluten free flours; corn & rice
• Besan flour
• Arrowroot
• Apple cider vinegar
• Coconut oil
• Ground flax seed
• Yeast
• No Egg

FOOD IS SIMPLY DELICIOUS

A plant-based vegan diet consists of foods sourced from plant matter; fruit, vegetables, legumes, beans, soy, nuts and seeds. And yes, this even includes cheese, nut cheese that is. Your plant-based diet includes milk, butter, cheese, bacon, burgers, pizza, pies, lasagne, curries and cakes the only difference is the type you consume are 100% plant-based.

The plant-based alternatives are made using the best produce nature can grow; nuts including macadamia, almonds and cashews, coconut, rice, soy, legumes, potatoes, cauliflower and natural sweeteners such as agave syrup and cacao. The ‘alternative’ to our animal foods are nutrient dense, cruelty free and help promote health and wellbeing.

Planted Life puts great importance on the types of foods we consume, after all food is our fuel. We invest wisely in our food choices, we connect daily with our ingredients and mindfully consume foods that are energy giving not energy taking.