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)