Gluten-Free, Vegan Pantry (& Fridge) Essentials

If you've recently transitioned to a gluten-free, vegan lifestyle, this list of GFV staples will help you get started on stocking your pantry and fridge!

The GFV Dilemma

OK, first things first. I'm not going to sugar coat it. Eating BOTH gluten-free and vegan can be a challenge...especially when you are dining out.

It’s super annoying when you go to a restaurant where the menu says, “gluten-free and vegan options available.”

The only problem is that they just don’t mean in the same dish. 

The internet is flooded with gorgeous vegan restaurant pics of dishes that are loaded with gluten, whether it be vegan “meats” made with vital wheat gluten or mouthwatering, drool worthy vegan pizzas on perfectly baked wheat-based crusts.

Luckily, more and more restaurants have been recognizing that some vegans can't or choose not to eat gluten-containing foods and are offering more options as time goes on.

Now while we don't have control over restaurant kitchens, we DO have control over our own kitchens.

So, I've compiled a list of my favorite pantry and fridge items that can help you get started on your GFV journey in your home kitchen!

Fruits & Vegetables

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, there is an abundance of options. And depending on where you live, you may have access to more items than listed here. This is just a basic list, but feel free to stock up on your favorite varieties that are not listed.

Also, keep in mind that many fruits and vegetables can be purchased frozen as well as fresh and many veggies come in cans as well.

• Citrus Fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.)
• Apples
• Bananas
• Pears
• Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
• Peaches/Nectarines
• Plums
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Melons
• Pineapple
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Avocados
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Squash (zucchini, butternut, spaghetti, etc.)
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Green Beans
• Peas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn
• Carrots
• Celery
• Beets (red and golden)
• Asparagus
• Brussels Sprouts
• Potatoes (russet, gold/yellow, sweet)
• Greens (romaine, spinach, spring mix, kale, etc.)
• Garlic
• Onions/Shallots/Scallions

I love to store my non-refrigerated produce in this hanging basket.

Pastas & Grains

• Brown Rice Pasta (our household favorite is Jovial brand)
• Lentil Pasta
• Chickpea Pasta
• Pasta Blends (there are lots of blends available such as lentil/rice, rice/quinoa, lentil/quinoa, corn/rice and more)
• Brown Rice (you can also buy frozen brown rice)
• Quinoa (you can also buy frozen quinoa)
• Gluten-Free Whole Grain Oats

Bread Products

It can be difficult to find store-bought breads that are both gluten-free and vegan, but here are some of our favorites.

• Schar Baguette (confirmed to me to be vegan-friendly by the company via email but note that not all of their products are vegan, so it's important to read the ingredient labels or contact the company - we love this baguette for our easy garlic bread)
• BFree Rolls, Wraps, Sandwich Bread and Bagels (the rolls are our favorite for making tofu breakfast sandwiches)
• Food For Life Brown Rice Tortillas (we love them for making vegan tortilla pizzas)
• Little Northern Bakehouse (for sandwich bread)
• The Greater Knead (for bagels)
• Schar Pizza Crusts
• Banza Pizza Crusts
• Wholly Wholesome Gluten-Free Pie Shells (our go-to pie crust for pumpkin pie, pot pie and quiche)

Flours & Starches

• Gluten-Free Flour Blends (our favorites are Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour and Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour)
• Chickpea Flour (aka garbanzo bean flour - we love it as a thickener for gravy and more)
• Gluten-Free Oat Flour (if necessary, be sure to choose a certified GF brand)
• Almond Flour (we love it in these vegan biscuits)
• Tapioca Flour/Starch
• Arrowroot Starch/Flour
• Corn Starch

Meat Alternatives & Plant-Based Burgers

• Tofu (extra firm, firm and silken)
• Tempeh (be sure to check the labels as not all types of tempeh are GF)
• Impossible "Meat" Products (Impossible offers ground as well as pre-formed burger patties - we love using the ground for our Italian-style Impossible Burger meatballs)
• Beyond "Meat" Products (Beyond offers ground, burgers, sausage, meatballs, frozen crumbles and a frozen grilled chicken alternative)
• Gardein Products (most of the Gardein product line is not gluten-free but the beefless ground, garden veggie burger and chipotle black bean burger are listed as GF on the company's website)
• Veggie Burgers (we love Amy's brand, Dr. Praeger's and Hilary's - check labels for gluten-free as not all varieties are)

Legumes

I prefer to buy my beans canned but you can buy the dry versions if preferred. For the lentils, I like to use both canned and dry.

• Chickpeas
• Black Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Red Kidney Beans
• Cannellini Beans
• Lentils (red, green, brown)

Raw Nuts & Seeds

• Cashews (probably our most used type of nut)
• Almonds (whole, slivered, sliced)
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Pumpkin Seeds (aka pepitas)
• Sunflower Seeds/Kernels
• Chia Seeds (we love using them for our overnight chia pudding)
• Hemp Seeds (great for adding to salads and grain bowls)
• Ground Flaxseed (great for making flax "eggs")

Milk Alternatives

All of the plant-based milks we use are the unsweetened, plain varieties.

• Almond Milk
• Oat Milk (our favorite brand is Oatly which is certified GF in the US but if needed, be sure to check the labels on oat milk to ensure it is not subject to cross-contamination with gluten-containing ingredients)
• Soy Milk
• Coconut Milk (beverage and canned - we prefer the "light" in the canned version)
• Vegan Half & Half

Cheese Alternatives

• Chao (the Chao Original slices are a favorite in our home and in this stovetop vegan mac and cheese)
• Follow Your Heart (we love the gouda and provolone slices as well as the Parmesan-style shreds)
• Thrive Market Vegan Parmesan
• Miyoko's (we love the variety of cheese wheels as well as the farmhouse cheddar shreds/slices and pepper jack shreds/slices)
• Violife (we love the cheddar shreds and Parmesan block)
• Daiya (we love the American slices)

Oils & Vinegars

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Garlic-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil (and other flavors as desired)
• Avocado Oil
• Non-Aerosol, Propellent-Free Olive Oil and Avocado Oil Sprays (great for air frying)
• Coconut Oil (we prefer the refined kind which doesn't have a strong coconut flavor like the virgin coconut oil does)
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Rice Vinegar

Sweeteners

Not all sugar is created equally! In fact, some sugar is processed with bone char and is not vegan-friendly. These are vegan-friendly options instead.

• Coconut Sugar
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Organic Brown Sugar
• Organic Powdered Sugar
• Pure Maple Syrup
• Agave Nectar (great for making this vegan "honey" mustard)
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Date Syrup (great for swirling into your morning oatmeal with some nuts and cinnamon or for making these sweet and spicy roasted cashews)

Snacks & Sweets

Be sure to read the labels before purchasing any items to check for gluten-containing or animal-derived ingredients.

• Dried Fruits
• Roasted Nuts
• Tortilla Chips
• Kale Chips (we love Brad's brand)
• GF Crackers (our favorite brand is Mary's Gone Crackers)
• Hippeas Chickpea Snacks
• Popcorn (we love SkinnyPop as well as buying our own kernels and popping them ourselves)
• Hummus
• Salsa
• Chocolate Candies (Unreal and JOJO's are our favorites)
• Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Miscellaneous

Be sure to read the labels before purchasing any items to check for gluten-containing or animal-derived ingredients.

• Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs (our favorite brand is Good and Gather)
• Vegetable Broth (our favorite brand is Pacific)
• Vegan Butter (Miyoko's, Earth Balance and Country Crock's plant-based with avocado oil are our household favorites)
• Nut Butters (peanut butter, almond butter, etc.)
• Vegan Mayo (Follow Your Heart's Vegenaise is our favorite)
• Dairy-Free Whipped Topping (So Delicious CocoWhip and 365 oat-based whipped topping are our favorites)
• Ketchup (organic is best for avoiding high fructose corn syrup or go with an unsweetened version if preferred)
• Mustard (spicy brown, Dijon and yellow)
• Buffalo Sauce (we love Noble Made, Frank's RedHot and Tessemae's which all work well in our Buffalo chickpea meatballs)
• Barbecue Sauce (some of our favorites are Annie's Sweet & Spicy, Primal Kitchen Classic, Tessemae's Matty's style and Tessemae's Diggy's Sweet and Spicy style)
• Vegan Cream Cheese (Kite Hill is our favorite and we love it in our vegan cream cheese mashed potatoes)
• Vegan Sour Cream (Kite Hill is our favorite)
• Fresh & Dried Herbs (basil, parsley, dill, chives, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, cilantro, etc.)
• Seasonings & Spices (sea salt, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, crushed red pepper, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, etc.)
• Kala Namak (technically part of the seasonings group but I made it a separate line item since it's a specialty item and is used primarily for giving foods an "eggy" flavor like this tofu scramble)
• Nutritional Yeast (has a "cheesy" umami flavor and is great for making vegan cheeses and more)
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda
• Aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas which can be used as an egg replacer in some recipes)
• Just Egg (great for making a quick vegan omelet or scramble)
• Olives
• Pumpkin Puree
• Tamari (GF alternative for soy sauce)
• Vegan Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life is our favorite brand)
• Cacao Powder/Cacao Nibs (great for making this cacao smoothie)
• Tomato Sauce, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste

Where to Buy GFV Products

Many grocery chains now have a good amount of these gluten-free, vegan items; however, I mainly shop for these products at Whole Foods Market and online through Amazon with my Prime membership or Thrive Market with my Thrive membership.

You can read my Thrive Market review post here.

Be sure to check out this Kitchen Essentials post next, where I share my favorite tools and equipment for vegetarian and vegan cooking.

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