Help with Vegetarian grocery shopping list?

Question

Hey there, so I recently become Vegetarian, and I was wondering if anybody can help with a grocery list? Or just give me some ideas of what I should be buying.

And please be serious, I became vegetraian for a reason.

Thanks for the help. :)

Answer 1

A really great site is: www.vegweb.com
After you create an account, browse the recipes, and if you see one you like click 'Add to Recipe Box'.
Then go to your recipe box, and for the recipes that you want to try, click 'Add to grocery list'. They will actually give you a grocery list to print out for all of the ingredients of the things you need.

Other essentials:
fruit
raw veggies
granola bars
yogurt
cheese
veggie burgers
pasta
pasta sauce


I think it's a good thing that I love fruit and veg so much, otherwise it would be hard to be a vegetarian. But you can sit me down in front of a plate of raw veggies or fruit and I'll be happy as anything!
So, just find things that you like to eat that are HEALTHY! Try to stay away from snacky-things, and remember that your body needs a good balance of fat, carbs, and protein.

Answer 2

Hi Emily,

Firstly, the shopping lsit wil get easier over time, at the start you may feel like its an effort but after a frew trips you will get used to which foods a re veggie and which manufacturuers are better than most.

For processed foods, you'll need to look at the ingredients list. Preferably look for the "suitable for vegetarians" label. If not, then you'll need to know what the ingredients are and thier source.

This skill will come with time, but do the best you can and keep an eye out for those trace animal ingredients like geletine etc.

About 80% of processed food contains animals so don't assume because it sounds veggie it is.

The vegetarian society has some great pages for new vegetarians with all sorts of advice over the source of ingredients. Maybe start with this page:
http://www.vegsoc.org/newveg/

best of luck with it.

Answer 3

First of all, make sure you read all ingredient lists - gelatin and animal fats show up in an alarming number of foods that you would assume are vegetarian, such as some yogurts, chip dips, ready-to-bake biscuits/crossaints/etc., soups, frozen dinners, and boxed pasta meals.

- Nuts! Nuts are a great snack high in protein.
- Veggie Corn dogs and hot dogs - the hot dogs are especialy great over a campfire!
- Veggie Chicken Patties (make these and the veggie hamburgers in the toaster for best results!)
- Frozen veggies are great for stir-fries, pastas, side dishes, etc. and they won't go bad as fast as fresh veggies.
- Frozen fruit - blend frozen strawberries or your fruit of choice with vegetarian yogurt, a fresh banana, and some ice chips. Many other smootie recipies can be found online.
- Trail mix
- All of the fresh fruits and veggies you can eat!

Answer 4

Vitamin B12 is found only in foods from animal sources but very important for blood formation so opt for foods fortified with vitamin B12 (such as fortified soy milk or ready-to-eat cereals). Iron from plant foods is not absorbed as well as iron from meats. So, together with iron rich foods like legumes and leafy, green vegetables, eat foods that contain vitamin C; it will improve the absorption of iron from a meal. If you do not use milk or milk products, you need to get calcium from other sources. Seeds and nuts, and certain green vegetables are great sources of calcium. Vegetarians should take care to get enough zinc in their diets. Good sources of zinc include leavened whole grains (such as whole-wheat bread), legumes (beans and lentils), soy foods, and vegetables. If you do not use milk or milk products, you may not get enough vitamin D. Foods fortified with vitamin D work well too but sunlight is the best natural source. So, while going for shopping, do not forget to walk around in the sun a bit. In short, eat a variety of foods, choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables, and fruits.

Answer 5

Stay away from many of those processed boxed stuff. Most are not vegetarian friendly.

Some items I buy are whole wheat pasta, brown rice, veggie broth, whole grain bread, fresh and frozen veggies, all natural fruit spreads and peanut butter, diced tomatoes, beans, morningstar farms recipe crumbles, Quorn.

Answer 6

Fresh and frozen vegetables
Fresh fruits
Nuts and seeds
Dried fruits
Tinned and dried pulses and legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans
Tofu-plain or marinated
''Fake'' vegetarian meats, vegetarian sausages, vegetarian bacon, vegetarian burgers-etc
Soy milk
Yogurt
Cheeses, dips, hummus and salsa
Bread
Oats
Wholegrain crackers
Nut butters(peanut, almond, cashew)
Muesli bars
Fruit and nut bars
Protein powder/protein shakes

Answer 7

Fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, grains, veg soups (like Pacific Natural Foods), tofu, tempeh, seitan, mock meats ( http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=07groceries )

Here's a list of refrigerated and frozen vegetarian foods:
http://vegcooking.com/Guide7.asp?Category=Refrigerated%20and%20Frozen%20Foods&All=True&page=1

Good luck!

Answer 8

Beans, legumes,soy, nuts, eggs and dairy for protein.
Whole grains/whole grain breads-tortillas-crackers, veggies and fruit for complex carbs,
Fortified cereal, fortified soy milk or supplements for B12.

Answer 9

Here's a pretty good list to start with:

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/qt/VegPantry.htm