This blog is about saving money and while eating plant-based.  The first shop will be pricey if you buy it all (around $275) but most of it will last you for six months or so… You will just need to replenish fruits and veggies and some other cold items, and your grocery bills will be $20-$30 for the next six months!

Bulk Section:
Cashews
Whole Raw Almonds
Qunioa
Flax seeds
Brown Rice
Oats
Black Beans
7 Grain Cereal
Green Lentils
Nutritional Yeast (not Baking Yeast!)

Veggies, Fruits:
Big Bag of Spinach (which I put in the freezer!)
Broccoli
Mix of yellow, orange and green peppers
Whole White Onions (two or three)
Bananas
Cherry Tomatoes or Vine Tomatoes
Cilantro
Mint
Head of Lettuce
Apples
Grapefruit
Garlic Cloves
Kale
Bag of Avocados (I’m the weirdo who feels a whole bunch of them to try to find a bag that has one ripe and a few less ripe so that I can time my usage of them, but you don’t have to get that jiggy with the avocado… and you can still be a pro with guacamole!!)

Fridge: (may need to ask store clerk for help with the whereabouts, until you know your store!)
Silk Soy Milk
Organic or Silk Medium Firm to Firm Tofu (both are GMO free)
Sundried Tomato Tofurky Italian Sausages
Veggie Ground Round

Canned Stuff, Sauces and Jars:
(this may take some digging if you don’t know the store and the products, but it’s always easier the second and third time etc!!!! So have fun and give yourself some time!):
5-10 cans of cocoanut milk (more if you want to cook thai and want it to last a long time)
Bottle of lime juice
Canned Black beans (we bought these in bulk too, but they’re nice to have on hand, already cooked)
Red curry paste
Pasta sauce (tomato based, vegan)
Stewed tomatoes

Spices:
Red chile flakes
Tumeric
Italian spice
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Frozen Foods:
​ (I usually get this last for obvious reasons!):
Big Bag of Berries (blueberries or mixed berries)
Gardein Chik’n fingers
Ives veggie nuggets (imitating chicken nuggets)
Sol Veggie Burgers (there are two kinds that I know of. I like the rice/mushroom)
So Delicious Cashew Ice Cream (Chocolate Fudge, soy free, Cashew based, AMAZING)

Today, I put delicious ingredients such as these together to make plant based dishes at Nanaimo’s first Vegan Restaurant.