Grocery shopping can be tricky. It’s so easy to stock you cart with all the mouth-watering vegan junk food options available, whether that’s coconut milk ice cream or dairy-free pizza rolls. Probably both. The only downside? By devouring too much of the processed stuff, you probably aren’t going to be feeling your best. But good news: A doctor is sharing all the must-haves to stock up on so you can have the best of both worlds.
If you want to make sure your vegan diet is primarily a healthy one, there’s one general rule to follow: eat mostly whole, unprocessed plants. And when Mladen Golubic, MD, gave the Cleveland Clinic his advice on what to buy at the store, it’s no surprise that there’s only wholesome goodies on his list—no Oreo’s included.
While there are many different nutritious options available at your fingertips every time you step foot inside a grocery store, eating these foods will help keep you healthy for years to come.
Your Doctor-Approved Vegan Shopping List:
- steel-cut oats and/or old fashioned rolled oats
- at least one unsweetened alt-milk (soy, almond, oat, hemp, rice, etc.)
- frozen berries for breakfast
- frozen vegetables for quick meals
- fresh seasonal fruits
- fresh leafy greens
- fresh vegetables
- 100% whole grain bread
- 100% whole grain pasta
- brown rice purchased in bulk
- quinoa purchased in bulk
- tomato sauce for pasta
- beans (dry from the bulk bins and in cans with no added sodium)