Veganism is a great way to look after your health and the environment. Unfortunately, vegan shopping isn’t always easy. Veganism is very complex, and there are a lot of rules. If you’re new to this, veganism is not to be confused with vegetarianism.
A vegan diet can include no foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians however can eat products that come from animals, provided that animals don’t die in the manufacturing process.
While some vegans eat only plant-based foods, like nuts, fruits, grains, and vegetables, others will enjoy fake meats and processed foods as well.
In this article, we will explore some grocery shopping tips to help you prepare vegan dinner for your family:
1. Use Discount Codes
When you’re shopping for vegan products, you can save money by using coupon codes. Anybody who has ever tried a vegan diet will know that it can be expensive, especially if you are trying an organic vegan diet.
You can find coupons for your local supermarket here, or alternatively, you can ask in the store if there are any promotions taking place. It’s usually a better bet to have coupon codes ready because promotional offers in the store aren’t guaranteed and are rare.
2. Create a Meal Plan
If you are going to be cooking vegan meals regularly for your family, then you need to create a meal plan. Because vegan diets consist of fruit and vegetables, you need to make specially curated meal plans designed to give you and your family enough protein and nutrients to keep you all going.
If you blindly go into the supermarket and begin buying vegetables, you will have difficulty creating meals when you arrive back home. A meal plan is very easy to make. Alternatively, you can go on the internet and use one that somebody else has made.
3. Bring A Shopping List
Whenever you’re shopping for vegan meals, make sure that you bring a shopping list. Like we mentioned already, vegan meals can be incredibly complex. They consist of legumes, grains, and lots of vegetables, as well as lots of seasoning to add depth and flavour to dishes.
Because of this, you need to make sure that you bring a shopping list with you. This will stop you from forgetting key ingredients and will ensure your meals are perfect every time. There are some staples that you should have in your kitchen all of the time for vegan diets, and those are chickpeas, a variety of beans, rice, pasta and tofu.
4. Seek Out Fresh Foods
When you are shopping for vegan meals, you need to ensure that you only ever buy fresh produce. You can get away with using cabbage that is a touch past its use-by date when you are using it as part of a larger meal, with lots of meat. When you are a vegan, however, your diet consists only of vegetables, and so, any that are slightly off will be very obvious.
Make sure to buy only fresh, newly shelved produce. When you are buying vegetables off the shelf, always look for the ones at the back, and those that are in boxes underneath. The stuff that is on immediate display is always the oldest.
5. Buy Local Produce
It’s always a good idea to shop locally if you are going to become a vegan. This is because, for many people, veganism is all about being ethical and supporting the environment.
There are probably hundreds of small, local farms near to you. Supporting them is a great way to help the community and get locally grown produce. There’s something incredibly satisfying about shopping locally. You may also be able to find organic produce that is grown locally, which is an even bigger win.
6. Search the Supermarket
When you are buying ingredients for a vegan meal, you should search the entire supermarket. More often than not, supermarkets stock their vegan produce in weird places. This is because veganism isn’t as prevalent as one might think that it is.
You could also ask the clerk where the vegan aisle is. If you are buying products that are vegetable substitutes for meat and dairy, then make sure you read the labels and ensure that you are not buying products that contain meat or animal by-products.
7. Keep Your Shelves Stocked
As we mentioned earlier, your kitchen should always be stocked with grains. This is very important because grains are the staple of most vegan meals. You will eat them every day. Make sure that you have lots of jars filled with your favourite ones so that you don’t run out.
If you want to go vegan, or just want to introduce veganism to your family, then you should know, shopping can be difficult. If you follow the guidance offered in this article, however, then it will become infinitely easier.