What Vegans Eat

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.
• 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.

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.

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 Go Shopping and browse through their selection of products. Read the ingredients carefully, on everything you buy, and watch for things listed on our What to Avoid page.

Citations and References