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I remember my first time grocery shopping as a vegan nearly five years ago. I had all these recipes and YouTube recommendations that I wanted too try, and guess what? I spent way too much money! I now know that it is not super expensive to grocery shop as a vegan, so these are my 10 tips for beginner vegans. These tips will save you time, money, and frustration!
1. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time.
This first tip saves me so much time and money! Before I go grocery shopping, I plan out all the breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks I want to have that week. This way, when I go to the store, I am on a mission, and I know exactly what I need to get. Also, it helps you not to pick up random items that will just sit in your pantry or expire. (And even better than that, it helps me not grab all the junk food I know I don’t need.)
2. Write your list in the order of the store.
This is one of my favorite grocery shopping tips that my mom taught me! Write your grocery list in the order of the store so that you can easily and smoothly get what you need without forgetting anything. If you don’t know the exact layout of your grocery store, that’s fine! You can always group your list by like items. For example, list all the fresh produce together, all of the frozen items together, all of the cans together, etc. This gets you one step closer to being a pro at vegan grocery shopping!
3. Look for sales.
Looking for sales is something I do regardless of where I’m shopping, and it is also helpful in the grocery store! Sometimes, there are sales on produce, especially when they don’t look the best. Some stores offer sales on dented cans. And sometimes, there are just random sales on frozen veggies, oats, salad dressing, and things like that. What I’m trying to say is, don’t just go blindly through the store. Look at the signs and prices! You might save yourself some $$$!
4. Go shopping at the unpopular times.
I HATE going to the grocery store when it is crowded! I can’t look at what I want when I want, and I can’t move quickly through the store. So, tip #4 is to go grocery shopping at the unpopular times. Not only do you avoid all of the annoying people, but as a beginner, it really gives you the time to look for new items, read labels, and make sure you’re getting the right things. A simple Google search can tell you when your store is busy, but I always like to go very early in the morning (like before 7 a.m.). I’m an early bird, what can I say?
5. Don’t overdo it in the “vegan/health” aisle.
This is a mistake that I made so many times as a beginner vegan! I would spend so much money in the aisle with the vegan chick’n, ice cream, pizzas, and mac and cheese. And to be honest, those foods are delicious! But, the basis of a healthy, plant-based vegan diet is whole, unprocessed foods…actual plants. I still shop in this aisle–don’t get me wrong! But, I only get one or two things, not my entire week of meals. Trust me, your wallet will thank you!
6. Check the frozen section.
A lot of people skip the aisles when grocery shopping, but this idea is crazy to me! There are so many great finds in the frozen aisles. There’s frozen veggies, smoothie packs, frozen breakfast potatoes, and I even found frozen BBQ cauliflower that was really good! And if you like to buy fruits and veggies in bulk, a lot of grocery stores have giant bags of frozen ones. I don’t understand why frozen food gets such a bad rap because it’s way better than taking multiple trips a week to the store for fresh stuff!
7. Don’t skip the cans.
Similar to tip #6, the canned aisle has gems as well. Canned vegetables and beans are so timesaving and convenient, and oftentimes, they are so cheap or on sale! I shop for chickpeas, black beans, refried beans, baked beans, corn, and peas in the canned aisles, and it saves so much money! If you’re new to vegan grocery shopping, you definitely need to spend some time in the canned aisle! (Especially if you’re like me and eat chickpeas with almost every meal 😂)
8. Check the bulk section.
Some grocery stores, especially health food stores and co-ops have bulk sections for foods like nuts, seeds, dried fruits, grains, spices, and herbs, and shopping in the bulk section is a great way to save money! When you buy items in bulk, you don’t have to pay for the packaging, which contains a bunch of useless plastic anyway. So, you’re kind of saving money and the planet all at once!
9. Read labels carefully.
Out of all of the vegan grocery shopping tips on this list, this one is the most important, especially for beginners. Your first few times grocery shopping as a vegan will be a little time consuming because you have to read the labels carefully. Anything that is not just straight up plants/fresh produce probably has an ingredients list, so make sure to read it. Even as a 5-year vegan, I read labels because animal products can lurk in the strangest places like canned beans, spaghetti sauce, and even foods labeled “plant-based” or “lactose-free”. The longer you’re vegan, the easier it gets to quickly scan a label, and you start to find your staple, reliable, vegan grocery items. So don’t sweat it! Every vegan has been there!
10. Bring reusable grocery and produce bags.
This tip isn’t necessarily for vegan grocery shopping, but if I have the chance to spread a “Save the Earth” message, I will. If you can (with COVID restrictions), bring your own reusable grocery and produce bags. A lot of people don’t know this, but yes, there are reusable, plastic-free produce bags on the market, and I totally recommend them! If you’re a beginner vegan, you’re probably buying a lot of fresh produce and you probably care about Mother Earth, so make her (and me) happy by reducing your plastic use. *Gets down from soap box*
If no one’s ever told you, I’m so proud of you and happy for you that you’ve decided to become vegan! And grocery shopping for new, healthy, environmentally conscious food is fun! Try new things, look around, and have fun on this journey. For more helpful tips, recipes, inspiration, and articles about veganism, check out this link where you can find all of my vegan posts. Happy shopping!
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