Vegetarian Frugal Housewife

“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.”
~Sitting Bull, Chief of the Lakota Sioux

So many questions that I receive about vegetarianism revolve around what to actually eat. This does not surprise me. As humans we are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to eating. Having lived on a diet of meat and veg, or a diet of rice and beans or whatever we are accustomed to, we fail to realize that there are other (equally viable) ways of cooking and eating.

I get so many folks asking me, “what the heck do vegetarians eat?” And also, “what things should I have in my kitchen if I want to cook more vegetarian foods?” In response to those, sometimes cheeky and sometimes quite earnest, questions I thought I’d offer up a short series on Stocking the Vegetarian Kitchen.

For the first post, a quick glimpse into some, but by no means all, of the things that one might want to have in their vegetarian cupboard of dry goods.

You don’t need to run out and buy ALL of these ingredients the day that you decide to become vegetarian. Juts get them as you need them, for experimenting with new recipes. As you add to your cooking repertoire, you will come to know which items you should keep in stock.

The Vegetarian Dry Cupboard

Grains:

Barley
Brown Rice
Red Rice
Buckwheat
Quinoa
Amaranth
Rolled Oats
Whole Oats

Pastas:

Couscous
Semolina
Rice Noodles
Buckwheat Noodles
Penne (whole wheat)
Elbow Pasta (Whole wheat or corn)
Capellini Spaghetti

Beans (Legumes):

Red Kidney Beans
Green Peas
Black Beans
Lime Beans
Red Lentils
Black or Brown Lentils
Chickpeas

Nuts & Seeds:

Slivered Almonds
Whole Almonds
Flax Seeds
Crushed Walnuts
Peanuts (organic)
Hemp Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflowers Seeds
Pecans
Poppy Seeds
Pine Nuts
Cashews

Dried Fruits & Veg:

Dried red chilis
Cranberries
Raisins or Sultanas
Golden Raisins
Dried Apricot
Blueberries
Dried onion

Canned Goods:

Corn
Peas
Spaghetti Sauce
Beans
Pickles
Apple Sauce
Pineapple Chunks
Coconut Milk
Bamboo Slices
Chopped Garlic

Flours, Etc:

Spelt Flour
Rice Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Corn Meal
Corn Starch
Baking Powder
Baling Soda

Other Ingredients:

Regular TVP
Beef Flavoured TVP
Chicken Flavoured TVP

That should be enough to get you thinking about what lovely, healthy foods you can add to your collection that will shake up the dinner table a bit.

Next up…Stocking up: Spices, Flavours & Sauces for the Veggie Cook