fresh vegetables that keep well

Onions
Garlic (can buy fresh peeled and/or shelf stable minced/crushed in a jar)
Ginger (can buy fresh or minced/crushed in a shelf stable jar)
Potatoes
Yams
Hard squashes (kabocha, butternut, acorn, pumpkin)

fresh vegetables for the refrigerator

Carrots
Celery
Romaine hearts
Baby spinach
Pre-washed and bagged baby kale, arugula and greens mixes do well
Snap peas or green beans (fresh are great for snacking and dipping)
Broccoli (or bagged florets)
Cauliflower (or bagged florets)
Cabbage slaw mix (bagged Trader Joe’s, 365)
Beets
Kohlrabi (peeled and sliced, great for salad and snacking or dipping)
Radishes (for salad and snacking or dipping)
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Avocado

frozen vegetables

Chopped spinach
Kale
Peas
Pepper and onion mix (Trader Joes)
Mushrooms
Corn and roasted corn
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Edamame
Vegetable blends like peas and carrots, peppers and onions, mushroom mix
Green beans
Hash browns (365 are oil-free)

fresh fruits

Apples
Bananas
Pears
Melon
Grapes
Papaya
Pineapple
Oranges
Peaches in season
Plums
Lemons and limes (for seasoning)

frozen fruits - good for smoothies, nice cream and snacking

Bananas (buy fresh and peel, slice and freeze when ripe)
Blueberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Cherries
Berry mixes
Pineapple
Mango
Freeze grapes and cantaloupe for snacking, they taste like sorbet!

beans (canned or dried)

Garbanzo beans/chickpeas
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans
Kidney beans
Cannellini, Navy, Great Northern beans (white beans)
Green and/or yellow split peas
Canned fat-free refried beans (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Garden of Eatin’ fat-free)

There are several chili, soup and other canned bean blends available - avoid those made with animal products and oil and choose low-sodium whenever possible.

grains

Brown rice (short grain, long grain, basmati)
Oats (rolled, steel cut, old fashioned rolled - 365, Quaker, Trader Joe’s)
Quick cooking oats (rolled, steel cut)
Quinoa, white and tricolor (365, Trader Joe’s, Ancient Grains)
Black Rice (AKA forbidden rice, Eden brand)
Red rice (Eden brand)
Haiga Rice (partially hulled, looks/tastes like white rice)
Millet
Barley
Wild Rice
Farro (pearled or semi-pearled, also quick cooking like Trader Joe’s)
Frozen pre-cooked brown rice, rice blends, quinoa, couscous = just reheat!
Brown rice pre-cooked/shelf stable (Minsley, Nishiki, O Organics, Ben’s Original)
There are several pre-seasoned instant rice brands but beware some contain oil and high sodium

*save packaging and money by purchasing grains in bulk bins when possible!*

great for bulking up dishes that usually have meat, dairy or fish

Tofu (water packed)
Silken Tofu (shelf stable, great for desserts and sauces)
Tempeh (Light Life)
Seitan (wheat gluten)
Artichoke hearts, canned or frozen (in brine, not oil)
Hearts of palm, canned (for ceviche)
Jackfruit in brine, canned (for sloppy joe’s, crabless cakes, mock tuna)
Soy Curls (made from tofu by Butler Foods)

basics

Onion powder or granules
Garlic powder or granules
Dried parsley
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Ground ginger
Ground cumin
Ground cinnamon
Ground cardamom
Mrs. Dash
Nutritional yeast (Braggs, Trader Joe’s)
Kala Namak (egg-y smelling/tasting black salt, great for tofu scrambles and eggless salad)
Kelp or nori flakes (for a fishy flavor)

seasoning blends

Italian seasoning
Herbs De Provence
Curry powder blend
Chili powder blend
Garam Masala
Lemon Pepper

Trader Joe’s has lots, here are a few of our favorites:

Green Goddess seasoning
Soffrito seasoning
Onion salt blend
Everything Bagel seasoning
Chili lime seasoning
Umami seasoning
Furikake
Cuban Citrusy

look for oil-free or fat-free, or oil listed toward the end of the ingredients

Vinegars (apple cider, rice vinegar, balsamic, flavored balsamics like peach, lemon, pineapple and fig, red wine vinegar, etc.)
Mustards: dijon, yellow, brown, honey, Trader Joe’s dill pickle mustard
Ketchup
Fruit Jams (Bionature is 100% fruit and delicious!)
BBQ sauce (Austin’s Own, Trader Joes, 365, Stubb’s, many more!)
Soy Sauce or Tamari, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, Coconut aminos
Chili sauce (Trader Joe’s sweet chili sauce)
Hot sauce (Frank’s, Valentina, Cholula, Tabasco, Tapatio and many more!)
Sriracha hot sauce (Wicked Kitchen, Huy Fong)
Sambal Oelek ground fresh chili paste (Huy Fong)
Korean Gochujang (Mother In Law’s, Trader Joe’s)
Chinese Hoisin sauce (365 brand, San J)
We Rub You original Korean marinade
“Thai Kitchen” Red Curry paste
Pickled jalapenos
Olives (in brine, not oil)
Capers
Sundried tomatoes (no oil)
Relish (sweet and/or dill)
Roasted red peppers (no oil)
Canned jalapenos, hatch chilies
Dill pickles
Bread & Butter pickles (sweet, no butter!)
Sauerkraut
Kimchi (Trader Joe’s, Mother In Laws)
Trader Joe’s sweet and spicy jalapenos
Low sodium vegetable broth/stock (Pacifica, 365, Trader Joe’s) for oil-free sauteing and soups
Applesauce for baking, unsweetened (Trader Joe’s 4-pack, and find 365 and Santa Cruz in a 6-pack)
Canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie) for baking
Cocoa powder (for baking)
Dark Chocolate chips (dairy-free, for baking and Nice Cream garnish)

marinara sauce (pastas and pizzas)

365 fat free marinara
Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil sauce
Delallo
Lucini
Prego
Pomi
Muir Glen
Any oil-free tomato sauce (to make creamy/pink add cooked red lentils, pureed white beans, homemade cashew cream, unsweetened plant milk, or pureed potato)

cereals

Puffed Kamut, Rice or Corn (Arrowhead Mills, Natures Valley)
Multigrain flakes (Heritage)
Wheat squares (unsweetened 365 or Trader Joe’s)
Grape Nuts
Ezekiel cereals
Barbara’s (Shredded Wheat, Multigrain spoonfuls)
365 Bite size wheat squares
Kashi Simply Raisin
Crispy rice cereal (Trader Joes, 365)
Trader Joe’s Organic raisin bran

plant milks - for cereal and cooking/baking, not drinking

Oat milk (Pacifica is the only oil-free)
Rice milk
Soy milk (unsweetened 365, Trader Joe’s)
Almond (unsweetened 365, Trader Joe’s)
Milkadamia (unsweetened)

Great for dipping and spreads, not for snacking out of the box!

365 Woven Wheats
Charra’s, Guerrero’s and Mission baked tostadas (all made without oil, great for dipping and for layering with refried beans, veggies, avocado and salsa)
Mary’s Gone Crackers (all flavors)
Lundberg Rice cakes and Thin stackers
Real Foods brand corn thins
Finn Crisp brand rye and sourdough rye crackers
Ryvita rye crackers
Wasa crisp bread (not the flat bread or gluten-free crackers which contain oil)
Popcorn (any brand containing only corn kernels)
365 black sesame crackers, and plain rice crackers
Trader Joe’s tamari sesame crackers
Edward & Son’s rice crackers
Dips and spreads:
Hummus (look for oil-free if possible)
Salsa and/or Guacamole
Black Bean dip
Corn and bean salsa
Edamame dip

Great for dipping:

Carrots, celery, radishes, grapes, apples, pears, snap peas, french or regular string beans, cherry or grape tomatoes, peeled and sliced jicama
*Kite Hill cream cheese and ricotta - we like these because they only contain cultured almonds
*Tree Line spreads - we like these because they only contain cultured nuts and seeds
*Credo Queso - is oil-free
(*many vegan cheeses contain coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat. Therefore, we prefer the ones without it and without any added oils).

Water is best!
Sparkling water (add lemon, lime, orange or a splash of fruit juice)
Herbal tea
Green tea
Hibiscus tea (makes a wonderful iced tea)
Try adding a T of apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime, and a drop or two of Monk Fruit or Stevia sweetener to your water (whatever will encourage you to drink more during the day)

Pre-made/Grab-or-heat-n-Go

“McDougall” cup of soups (just add water)
Veggie sushi (many supermarkets carry fresh)
Hummus wraps
Dairy and meat-free burritos
Hodo veggie burger and seasoned tofu products
Amy’s California and Sonoma frozen veggie burgers (contain a small amount of oil)