I think the reason the shopping trip was a little more difficult than expected was because I just didn't realize how many items have meat in them! I mean, don't get me wrong, I have been doing my research, but I was still surprised! Take pasta sauce, for instance. You have to check the label, even if it says 3 cheese or veggie, etc, because those sneaky companies will throw in some form of beef! Now, I'm trying to get away from using processed and preserved foods, but it's so nice having some pasta sauce on hand for last minute meals. Plus, we had a HORRIBLE season for tomatoes last year here in Minnesota, so I didn't get a chance to do any canning. Anyways, back to the subject at hand. The supermarket experience. You also need to be careful with soups, because quite a few are made with chicken broth or beef stock, even if they are vegetable soups. Refried beans can also contain lard, so make sure you're checking all of your labels!
My label checking and surprises aside, I was preparing my basic vegetarian pantry. I was picking up essential ingredients that a vegetarian should always have on hand. My list included:
- Pasta
- Beans, lentils (canned or dry, I prefer dry. More economical and are lacking preservatives)
- Whole grains like rice, quinoa, millet, or barley
- TVP (aka textured vegetable protein)
- Canned tomatoes
- Flour
- Sugar (I went with stevia and brown sugar)
- Some form of liquid sweetner such as agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Vanilla extract (this is worth investing in! You really get what you pay for)
- Cocoa powder
- Soy sauce
- Miso
- Tahini
- A few favorite cooking sauces
- Vegetable broth
- Milk alternative (I prefer almond milk)
- Oil (I like canola)
- Vinegar
- Peanut butter
- Nutritional yeast
- Favorite spices
Now this is a list I found online and modified slightly for myself. Hopefully my next shopping trip will be a little easier for me now that I'm a little better stocked and a little better prepared.
I'm still trying to get the hang of this whole blog thing, as you can probably tell by my 2 posts in 2 weeks. I'll get there, and I'll post more. My next post will be about cooking at home, I believe, and trying to incorporate freshly prepared meals at home with a vegetarian lifestyle. Because as I've read, lots of food can be vegetarian, but that doesn't make them healthy. Plus, a part of the reason I made this lifestyle change is for health, and avoiding chemicals, hormones, and preservatives in my foods is beneficial to my health.
Until next time!
K
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