Stocking a Vegan Refrigerator and Freezer

I most definitely do not miss opening up my refrigerator and seeing raw chicken breasts staring back at me. I actually smile at the fact that tofu now resides in the former designated egg spot.

So what should you stock in your refrigerator and freezer for a plant-based diet? Here are some of my suggestions:

Fruits and Vegetables

I think this one goes without saying. For the healthiest plant-based diet, it is best to consume whole foods as much as possible. Buy a wide variety of produce and change it up every week.

Plant-based Milk

As with fruits and veggies, I like to alternate the variety of plant milks I buy as well. My favorites are flax, oat, and soy. 

Because soy is the number one genetically modified crop in the world, always try and buy organic (this goes for tofu as well.)

Proteins

That age old question, how do vegans get their protein. Besides vegetables, grains, beans, and seeds, I like to occasionally use these two favorites for some added protein:

• Tempeh
• Tofu

Condiments

Condiments can add a wide variety of flavors to various foods, so I like to keep these on hand:

• Garlic paste and garlic chili paste
• Go Chu Jang
• Mustard
• Nut butters
• Soy sauce (or tamari or Bragg’s liquid aminos)
• Sriracha
• Strawberry jam (for a quick and easy peanut butter and jam sandwich!)
• Vegan butter

Snacks

Hummus is something we eat on a weekly basis. It’s easy to make and is healthy, especially when you use less oil or omit it all together. I like to use the liquid drained from the chickpeas (aquafaba) in place of oil.

If you don’t have time to make your own hummus, there are plenty of varieties to choose from at the grocery store.

Organic apple sauce without added sugar is a fairly healthy snack, and a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Miscellaneous

In order to keep them fresher for longer, a couple of random things I keep in my refrigerator are ground flax seed and garbanzo flour. I also like to keep pickles and olives in the fridge for a quick snack.

Guilty pleasures

Want to splurge on a good wine or ice cold beer? Just make sure it’s vegan! This is my favorite resource to monitor if liquor is vegan-friendly: http://www.barnivore.com.

For an occasional treat, my favorites are: 

• Eat Pastry vegan cookie dough. If you have never tried it before, don’t. If you do, you will find yourself addicted. Consider yourself warned. 

Because it contains no eggs, it’s safe to eat raw–they even advertise it right there on the packaging! If you choose not to eat the whole container raw, they are quite delicious baked as well.

• B*tchin’ Chipotle Sauce (sorry mom, that’s what it’s called!)

For the same reason as above, I don’t recommend trying this. It is wildly addicting.

Organic with an almond base and made with all natural ingredients, it’s delicious with crackers, chips, raw vegetables, and as a topping on tacos; and in some cases, eaten straight out of the container. 🙈

• Ice cream. There are a lot of really good vegan ice creams available (and some that should just be taken off the market for the sake of our taste buds.) Nada Moo has consistently been my favorite (mint chip being my all-time favorite.) Plus, Nada Moo is organic, non-GMO, fair-trade certified, and they are releasing their new sustainable packaging soon! 🙌

What’s in the freezer?

Beyond Burgers and Chipotle black bean burgers are always on hand in my freezer. (Just remember, these are processed foods, so I recommend only eating them on occasion.)

Open up my freezer and you’ll also see a loaf or two of Dave’s Killer Bread and lots of frozen veggies.

I like to keep a variety of frozen fruits on hand for smoothies as well.

I buy lemons and limes in bulk. It requires some time, but I then zest and juice all of them at once. I place the juice into ice cube trays until they are frozen. I then package all of the zest together and all of the juice cubes together. Each cube is ½ Tablespoon, so whenever I need it, I just pull the zest or juice out of the freezer, and it’s ready to use. It takes a lot of time initially, but it’s a lot cheaper than buying a lime or two here and there; and then you’ll always have them on hand!

What are some random things you keep in your refrigerator or freezer? Post your comments below. And don’t forget to subscribe! 😍