Whether you’ve recently adopted a plant-based diet or have been harnessing the powers of plants for a while, you’ll know that changes to your diet mean changes to your pantry. However, you might not have mastered the art of keeping a well-stocked pantry just yet.
To help support your plant-based lifestyle, we've compiled a list of some of the most essential plant-based items to keep on hand so that you can create a pantry that doesn’t compromise on the quality of your food or health!
Legumes
Legumes provide a vital source of protein in a plant-based diet but are also a great source of complex carbohydrates and fibre, supporting digestive health. Our top picks to keep stocked in your pantry include black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans. They are easy to use, inexpensive, and extremely versatile. For example, black beans are a key ingredient in our Beetroot, Black Bean and Coriander Burger, but also our special vegan brownies. Sweet or savoury, legumes are a true culinary saviour!
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a fantastic alternative to butter and other oils offering a delicate flavour and aroma. It's also highly versatile; often used to condition damaged skin or hair. Ever considered mixing a spoonful into your smoothie for a pre-gym energy boost? Madelaine Shaw has, and here are her 5 reasons to start using coconut oil.
Dried fruit
Dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, goji berries and white mulberries are perfect healthy snacking options but also bring a unique flavour to sometimes boring salads, vegetable stews, and rice. Get them as single ingredients or try our Superberries Breakfast Boost which features a range of nourishing dried fruit for a convenient yoghurt, cereal, or porridge topper.
Nuts
Similarly to dried fruits, nuts like raw almonds and cashews are great healthy snacks, but also add unexpected textures and flavours to your cooking. Check out our superfood stuffed pumpkin and almond cake for two nutty recipes!
Dried sea vegetables
Although perhaps a slightly unexpected addition to the list, seaweeds such as Kombu contain significantly lower levels of sodium than regular salt. A convenient way to drastically reduce salt intake in your diet.
Nut butter
You most probably already have peanut butter, but to help fend off any temptations to opt for unhealthy snacks, nut butter can come to the rescue. With flavours that sometimes seem too good to be true, a spoonful of Crunchy Cacao & Hazelnut or Smooth Cashew & Hazelnut spread can curb even the strongest of sugar cravings.
Chia seeds
Chia seeds are an absolute must-have given their versatility. With just 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds and 2 ½ of water, you can create what’s known as a chia egg, a vegan alternative to chicken eggs. Chia eggs work well in pancakes, muffins, quick bread along with several other baked goods. Sprinkled on porridge, added to homemade focaccia, mixed into bread dough, the options for chia are endless, making it a stand-alone pantry staple.
Sweeteners
Whether you like your tea or coffee with a bit of sweetness, or you're looking for a healthy alternative to refined sugar in baking, coconut sugar is a less-processed, more sustainable option. Lucuma powder has a sweet caramel flavour with added benefits of potassium and iron. A plant-based pantry wouldn't be complete without natural sweeteners.
Naturya’s Winter Pantry Essential
Finally, now that winter is well and truly here, we've added our Mushroom Superblend to the list pantry staples. Not only does it work well in a mushroom risotto, but just one heaped teaspoon provides you with your entire daily vitamin D intake! Vitamin D is essential to the normal functioning of your immune system, and the shorter winter days mean that many of us don’t receive enough.
