It is impossible to list all the foods that vegans eat, but on this page we give you some guidelines to choosing vegan foods, and some suggestions on what to get.
Keep in mind the new four foods groups of the vegan diet: vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes. It is always a good idea to balance your diet and eat some of each food groups on a regular basis.
Vegetables
Buy a wide variety of vegetables, preferably the deep green and
yellow-orange ones. White and sweet potatoes are excellent foods.
Avocados are high in oil content; therefore, use them sparingly.
Fresh vegetables are the best, frozen would be an acceptable second
choice, with canned vegetables your last choice. Be sure to read
the labels.
Fruits
Buy a variety of fresh, ripe fruits to use at breakfast with your
whole grain cereals or at supper time. Apples are one of the best
fruits. Citrus fruits are good, too.
Grains
Eat many different types of whole grains, such as whole wheat, rye,
oats, rolled oats, brown rice, millet, buckwheat, 100% cornmeal,
and whole barley. Cook whole by themselves or in a mixture with
other grains. For variety, grind them.
Pastas
Buy whole grain products, such as spaghetti and macaroni made from
whole wheat, corn, spinach, artichokes, or soy flours. Check labels
carefully.
Legumes
Legumes are dry beans and peas. For economy, buy these in bulk. Use
a variety throughout the week or month. Good choices include pinto
and red beans, garbanzos (chick peas), lentils, black beans, split
peas (green or yellow), great northern, navy or white beans, and
lima beans. Soybeans are high in fat and protein; thus, they should
be used sparingly.
Nuts & Seeds
Use very sparingly. Nuts and seeds are classed as
concentrated foods because of their high fat content. Limit nuts to
1/6 to 1/10 of the ingredients in loaves and casseroles. Almonds
are the king of nuts for nutritional value.
Bread
Make your own bread if at all possible. Read labels very carefully
and choose whole grain breads and bread products as much as
possible. Remember that the term "wheat flour" refers to white,
refined flour.
Crackers
Some good choices are Norwegian Ideal whole grain flat bread,
crispbread wafers, Ryquita crisp, rye bread, Hol-Grain Waferets,
Finn Crisp, Rye Krisp. Some stores carry 100 percent whole wheat
matzos - look for the variety made without eggs. Also, read labels
carefully as some companies make product variations that may not be
the best choices for a healthy diet.
Condiments
Sweet herbs often enhance the natural flavor of food. Most sweet
herbs are available in supermarkets; however, natural foods stores
often carry them in bulk at much lower prices.
There are many other healthy, vegan foods not listed here. The simplest solution is to find a good healthy foods store (check Where do you shop for food?) and browse through their selection of products. Read the ingredients carefully, on everything you buy, and watch for things listed on our What not to eat page.
Also visit the Recipe Board, where you get post your favorite vegan recipes and download or print recipes from others.