Foods that you keep on a regular basis: your shopping list

[harpy]

Today we had our usual £31 box of organic fruit and veg delivered - contained spuds, tomatoes, red peppers, spinach, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, oranges, apples and some other stuff that I can't remember off hand (ETA onions, carrots, sprouted lentils and pears). It seems quite good value, we probably won't need to buy more veg for the two of us, though I will buy more fruit and OH buys his own lunch at work.

[ems.w]

Just realised that between the two of us (me and my boyfriend) we've spent about £65 on food this week, eeeeek! We've not been vegan that long and have gone vegan and started buying organic at the same time, so food bills have rocketed. Hopefully it'll settle down once we work out what we like and what we want to cook regularly. We're experimenting a lot at the moment and buying a lot of treats, tee hee.

We were exactly the same once we became vegan especially when trying out new food such as certain lentils and veggies weve never had before but honestly it does get cheeper and you find yourself buying lesson once your got a good storage or main products such as beans lentils rice pasta etc.......the only thing we seem to spend a lot on is fake cheeses and icecreams but that maybe due to the fact that were we live its very hard to get hold of them so we buy in bulk........good luck on gettin your shoppin bill down though :)

[ems.w]

Harpy

Thats awsum that you can get organic veg delivered is that from a local farm shop? i never thought of getting that done but im going to look into it i think im not sure if its done round were i live but i really like the idea....

[harpy]

It's a local firm, Ems, but we live in London so I think they get most of the stuff from East Anglia. Elsewhere you can find ones operated by farms - if you look on the Soil Association website they have a list. There are even a couple of vegan organic schemes on the VON website, but obviously you have to live in the right part of the country.

[ems.w]

cheers for that i have a look and hopefully will be able to find somewere :)

[Firestorm]

Bought this lot from Goodness Direct a few weeks ago:
Fry's Braai (Country Herb) Sausages (8) 380g 3.39
Impulse Foods Organic Frozen Plain Tempeh 227g 4.64 - 2 packs
Impulse Foods Organic Frozen Tempeh Smokey Slices 113g 4.94 - 2 packs
Booja-Booja Stuff in a Tub Coconut Hullabaloo 500ml 5.01
Booja-Booja Keep Smiling Vanilla M'Gorilla 500ml 5.01
Booja Booja Stuff in a Tub Pompompous Maple and Pecan 500ml 5.83
Clive's Organic Gluten Free Vegetable Chilli Pie 260g 2.66
Clive's Organic Ready Pot Meal, Thai Veggie Curry 400g 3.29
Biona Organic Lucky Stars 250g 3.49
Granovita Deluxe Banana Soyage 145g 0.59
Bute Island Foods Sheese, Cheshire Style 227g 2.49
Redwood Blue Style Cheezly 190g 1.86
Redwood Cheezly Cheddar Style Slices 100g 1.96
Redwood Organic Tempeh Rashers 120g 5.20 2 packs
Wicken Fen New Recipe Cumberland Sausages 280g 2.29
Taifun Rondo Slice with Fine Herbs 125g 2.99
Conscious Chocolate Cherry Christmas 45g 1.25
Marigold Engevita Nutritional Yeast Flakes 125g 2.60
Postage & Packing 5.83
VAT 4.59
Less voucher value 10.00
Total 62.16

Got this lot from Veggiestuff the week after:

Viana Cowgirl Steak £3.10
Viana Bavarian Burger £2.75
Viana Chikin Fillets £3.10
Viana Seitan £3.10
Viana Tofu Creme Veggie Garden £1.99
Redwood Cheddar with Bacoon Pieces £1.96
Viana Salami £0.80
Radfords Dairy Free Fudge £0.86

Shipping £6.60
Vat £1.49
Total £25.75

Asda This Afternoon:
3 Cartons of Sogood soya - £3.33 - 13 pence off at the moment
1 Carton morinu silken tofu - £1.10
Asda wholewheat tortillas - £0.82
Asda Reduced Fat Salad cream (its actually Vegan) £0.58
1 Pack White Chocolate buttons £0.4 - Cheaper than Tesco by 1 pence (Every penny counts)

Total £6.23

[ems.w]

firestorm thanks for adding your shopping list :)
and a big! thanks for the asda salad cream heads up as i loved 'normal' salad cream and do not like the vegan version i found so i shall be going to asda to buy some lol.....also ive never tried Tempeh is it nice? ive only been vegan a while so theres still loads of 'alternative' food for me to taste.

[Firestorm]

firestorm thanks for adding your shopping list :)
and a big! thanks for the asda salad cream heads up as i loved 'normal' salad cream and do not like the vegan version i found so i shall be going to asda to buy some lol.....also ive never tried Tempeh is it nice? ive only been vegan a while so theres still loads of 'alternative' food for me to taste.

Hi
Tempeh is nice but the best way I would describe it is unusual and it takes time to get used to.
I bought my first pack a year ago from a health food shop (with herbs and stuff in), shoved it in the freezer then forgot in for a couple of months. I then cooked half the pack one Friday for dinner and thought it was weird (it crossed my mind that it might have gone off but that was just the herbs).
I left the rest in the freezer for another couple of months then used it up by using it instead of sausages in a baked bean and sausage casserole (to disguise the taste). The funny thing is as I was eating it the taste slowly started to grow on me so I bought some of the plain stuff next time I went out and found that even nicer.
Its definitely something you should try (it tastes kind of bitter but in a good way) but dont give up on it if you find it weird, the taste will get better in time. The plain stuff is good and the impulse rashers are great (better than Redwoods anyway).

Good luck with trying out different things, the forum is a good place to get good honest opinions on different foods but the best thing you can do it try things and make your own decisions (loads of vegan cook books rave about Seitan, but I've just tried it and cant see whats so great about it).

Sorry for going on for so long!

[ems.w]

Thanks firestorm ive found that about tofu id never tried it till i became vegan and it was a while before i came to just think it was 'ok'....i will get some tempeh and give it a go i think they sell it in holland and barrett were i live... :)

[FruitJunkie]

My List:

Sunflower Seeds
Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Potatoes
Pasta
Tomato Sauce
Canned Pineapple
Red Seedless Grapes
Oranges
Apples
Banana
Bell Peppers
Broccoli
Carrots
Spinach
Onion
Garlic
Chili Peppers
Vinegar
Olive Oil

Spices I always have on hand: Hot Chili Powder, Hot Paprika, Thai Red Curry Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Habanero Powder, Basil, Cumin, Tumeric, Cinnamon, Cajun Seasoning, Ginger, Oregano

I :heart: spices! :p

[vegetarian_cat]

BANANAS !!
Also, dates and dried figs.
Lettuce.
Corn crackers
Oranges or other juicy fruit (Melons in summer or peaches etc.)
MANGOS !!
Chickpeas !
Carob powder
DATES

[fondducoeur]

My list:
hummus
pita
tofu (seasoned/baked as well as fresh)
tempeh
rice
quinoa
tahini
soy sauce
ginger
garlic
fresh fruit
bars (luna, mojo, larabars)
salad fixings

[Susieannah]

Lazy garlic, lazy chilli, lazy ginger, and lazy caramelised onions! They are a godsend!

[maariak]

Gosh, the lists! Here goes:


Orgran Egg Replacement
Self Raising Flour
Plain Flour
Corn Flour
Brown Sugar (organic brand)
Raw Sugar (organic brand)
White Caster Sugar (only when I have my step children who are not vegan nor organic minded >.>)
Vegetable Oil
Peanut Oil
Canola Oil
Oatmeal
Rice Cakes
Ryvita's
Vegan Mint cookies
Vegan Ginger nut cookies
Museli (with as much extras, dried fruit etc)
Quinoa
Four/Three Bean Mix
Chickpeas
Chill beans (Coles brand)
Bread Crumbs
Soy milk
Coconut milk
Banana
Avocado
Green or Red apples (whatever is on special)
Lemon
Berries (Mostly frozen, sometimes canned. Only fresh when I can get then on special)
Tomatoes (2 different types)
Potato
Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkin
Cucumber
Celery
Green Beans
Frozen pea and corn mix
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Mushrooms
Canned Mango Pieces (fresh when in season)
Chillies (a few varieties)
Garlic
Other fruit/vege that is in season.

Spices (Over 20 different flavors)
Rice (Basmati)
Sweet Chilli Sauce
Soy Sauce


I am missing a few things, but the list will get too big.

[stayfocusedxvx]

I'm shopping stores like stop and shop and waldbaums. It's a bummer to shop at grocery stores that are not similar to whole foods though.

my shopping list weekly consists of:

penut butter,
cinn. rasin bagel flats,
tofu,
rye bread and dark rye.
vegetables and fruits,
flax seed,
nuts/seeds
chips,
pita chips,
hummus,
maybe some meatless products,
amy's burrito's,
cookies (ginger snaps/newman o's)

I just went vegan on April 11th after being vegetarian after 2 1/2 years.

post your shopping lists

[Daffodil]

I am never without fresh mushrooms, onions and tomatos and also brown/wild rice. other things I vary.

[Lentils]

Guess what I buy a lot of!

[LouiseAbel]

God, I keep a LOT of food in my house. The things I USE most regularly are probably:

onions
garlic
carrots
broccoli
spinach
apples
sweet potato or potato
some sort of milk
some sort of butter
lentils
rice
quinoa
hummus
salsa
flour
cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, bicarb. etc. for baking
oil (sunflower and olive, usually)
vinegar
chickpeas
tinned tomatoes
baked beans
curry paste
herbs and spices. I have a drawer full of them but the most commonly used are cumin, coriander, paprika, ginger, oregano and rosemary
salt and pepper
Marmite
soya mince

I'll stop there, even though I keep thinking of things I want to add. :tongue_ani:

[LouiseAbel]

Hmm. I don't have an exact price for everything but here is what we got today and the total:

Tofutti cream cheese
Cheezly super-melting mozzarella
Suma passata
Booja Booja chocolate ice cream
Zotter goji berry and sesame soy-chocolate
Zotter 40% cooking chocolate
Provamel 'juice box' style strawberry soy milk
Provamel 'juice box' style banana soy milk
Provamel sweetened soy milk
Organic mushrooms
Wholegrain noodles
Cider vinegar
Suma icing sugar
Green & Blacks cocoa powder
Redwood bacon

I think that's it? It all came to £34, of which £10 or so was chocolate and ice cream.

We got it all from Alligator wholefoods in York. It's an independent wholefoods and organic produce shop.

I love Alligator. <3 Need to stop being lazy and go there more.

[Robinwomb]

I keep a lot of food in my house too! I feel like a food hoarder, and if certain ingredients are missing I just dont feel complete lol

lentils (red, brown variety)
split peas (yellow, green)
dried chickpeas, white beans, black beans, pintos
cans tomato paste, sauce, and diced tomato
cans olives
spagetti (whole wheat or quinoa)
other pasta
millet, buckwheat groats, quinoa, oats, oatbran, steel cut oats
nutritional yeast
wild rice, white basmatti, brown
rice or pea protein powder
wakeme, nori paper
plain popcorn
blackstrap molasses, agave, maple syrup, unrefined fair trade nonbleached sugar
cocoa powder, carob powder, raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, chopped or whole walnut
agar flakes, baking soda and powder, vital wheat gluten, potato and cornstarches, active yeast
teas and coffee
frozen vegetables like green beans, peas, corn, or mixed
frozen berries, frozen orange juice concentrate (use for making spicy orange sauces)
plant milk (usually almond)
flours: spelt, quinoa, buckwheat, rice, cornmeal, others
flaxseeds or ground flaxseed
dried coconut
vegetable broth
unsweetened applesauce
occasionally Ezekiel sprouted bread or tortillas
Earth balance butter
tempeh
olive oil and spray
coconut oil
tons of spices and seasonings
lemon and lime juices
tamari and braggs
liquid smoke
apple cider vinegar
apples, oranges, fresh pineapple, lemons
always two or three leafy greens on hand: kale, collards, spinach...
lettuce
always bell peppers of different colors
tomatoes
zuchini
mushrooms
onions always
potatoes
carrots always
celery
brussel sprouts
sprouts (brocoli, radish etc)
sometimes bananas or squashes
snow peas or snap peas

I think I named everything I have lol.

[LouiseAbel]

You can get quinoa spaghetti?! What's the brand you get? I want some! :) (I love your list, by the way. I bet if I completed mine it'd be even longer than that, haha). :-)

[Lentils]

As my silly post earlier suggested I do actually eat a tonne of lentils, but as well as a big sack of lentils I've always got:

spices (too many to list, basically every spice used in Indian cooking as well as various others)
rice (basmati, brown, generic long grain)
pasta
potatoes
onions
dried beans (white, black, kidney, pinto)
green beans
flour (white and wholemeal)
olive oil
lemon juice
coconut milk
bananas
apples
strawberries
garlic
ginger
tomatoes (canned chopped tomatoes, generic tesco)
tomato purée
passatta (I add a bit of olive oil and some spices to make pasta sauce, so much better than stuff from a jar!)
peppers (bell, pointy)
chillies (thai, generic tesco, habanero)
mushrooms (generic tesco, giant portobello)

My apologies for using 'generic tesco' so often, I don't really know the specific name. Compared to other people here my cupboards seem quite limited, maybe it's time to experiment some more!

[LouiseAbel]

Are they generic lentils or some other kind of lentils? :D

[Lentils]

Red split lentils, Tesco's best at £0.75 per kg! I couldn't find a good picture of red ones for an avatar though :|

[Robinwomb]

You can get quinoa spaghetti?! What's the brand you get? I want some! :) (I love your list, by the way. I bet if I completed mine it'd be even longer than that, haha). :-)

http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.html

I'm fortunate to find them in the organic section of a local grocery store I go to. I'm not sure if they have those in the U.K. or if they would ship them that far. They are pretty good, not quite like regular spagetti but close. I havent tried brown rice spagetti but I have seen that too.

I mentally know where everything is in my cupboards and frige so I just went through it in my head and listed it all out lol. I forgot my vinegars though (white wine, balsamic, red wine, rice wine vinegars); oh and the garlic cloves and ginger root. I dont buy all this stuff every week or I would be in serious debt. Some of it sits in there for a while. The fresh produce I buy weekly and plant milks. I only eat out maybe four or five times a year and usually bring all my own food to social events so i do cook and prepare foods a LOT.

Yeah, lentils rock!