First realization as a vegan, "I need some food!" I figured the best place to find such things was Trader Joe's so I headed to the nearest location to get my shop on. Now I don't know if you've ever been to a Trader Joe's, but they are known for being a wholesome, vegetarian, organic and vegan friendly chain. And prior to my new found veganism...they had the best mandarin chicken I've ever tasted! But that's all in the past.
I have never felt so overwhelmed at a grocery store in my life. However, near the registers I found a handy dandy list of allllllllllll of the vegan products T. Joe's sells. BOY oh BOY was this a lifesaver! I spent most of my time on the fruit and vegetable aisle, but once I ventured to the snack side the confusion was like smog!
Note to self: Organic does not mean vegan. Lactose free does not mean vegan. Contains honey = NOT vegan!
I highly recommend picking up that list as soon as you walk in the door and READ, read and READ AGAIN every single label. An additional tool that some of T. Joe's products displays is a little "V" for Vegan, however they were few and far between.
Below are a few of the specialty items I chose along with my complete shopping list. Get some ideas!
I have never felt so overwhelmed at a grocery store in my life. However, near the registers I found a handy dandy list of allllllllllll of the vegan products T. Joe's sells. BOY oh BOY was this a lifesaver! I spent most of my time on the fruit and vegetable aisle, but once I ventured to the snack side the confusion was like smog!
Note to self: Organic does not mean vegan. Lactose free does not mean vegan. Contains honey = NOT vegan!
I highly recommend picking up that list as soon as you walk in the door and READ, read and READ AGAIN every single label. An additional tool that some of T. Joe's products displays is a little "V" for Vegan, however they were few and far between.
Below are a few of the specialty items I chose along with my complete shopping list. Get some ideas!
Snack Idea: Roasted Seaweed (note the little V on the right hand corner) Haven't tried these yet, but the concept is interesting.
Quick Lunch Idea: Vegetable Marsala Burger (again note the V on the right hand corner) They are basically a veggie burger with potato and Indian spices. I can vouch for their deliciousness. However, when it comes to vegan foods, just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's healthy. Always read the sodium content, because it can be sky high! After all, Oreo's are vegan and they certainly aren't healthy. Check out this list of Accidental Vegan Foods.
I have no idea what to do with this, but it I've seen it in a lot of vegan recipes on Pinterest and figured it was worth $1.50. Can't wait to try it out!
In addition to the items above, my cart consisted of:
Earth Balance Organic Vegan Butter
Gala Apples
Seedless Grapes
Nectarines
Bananas
Raspberries
Blueberries
Limes
Lemons
Sprouted Grain Tortillas
Butter Lettuce
Garlic
Black Olives
Almond Butter
Garbanzo Beans
Red Quinoa
Extra Firm Tofu
Vegan Cream Cheese
Portobella Mushrooms
Dried Mangos (no sugar added)
Dried Apples (no sugar added)
Sunflower seeds
Edemame Crackers
White Bean Hummus
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Squash
Zucchini
Baby Carrots
Kale
Green, Red & Orange Peppers
Onions
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Steel Cut Oats
Rice Drink (like almond milk)
Organic Pineapple Juice (not from concentrate)
Organic Orange Juice (not from concentrate)
With my first shopping trip under my belt I can only hope that next time I'm able to pick out true vegan products more easily. Between now and then, I will research vegan food brands and get some more ideas. Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you've found this enlightening and possibly helpful for your next shopping trip. Next time, you get to read all about my first vegan meal! Super simple and delicious. :)
Earth Balance Organic Vegan Butter
Gala Apples
Seedless Grapes
Nectarines
Bananas
Raspberries
Blueberries
Limes
Lemons
Sprouted Grain Tortillas
Butter Lettuce
Garlic
Black Olives
Almond Butter
Garbanzo Beans
Red Quinoa
Extra Firm Tofu
Vegan Cream Cheese
Portobella Mushrooms
Dried Mangos (no sugar added)
Dried Apples (no sugar added)
Sunflower seeds
Edemame Crackers
White Bean Hummus
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Squash
Zucchini
Baby Carrots
Kale
Green, Red & Orange Peppers
Onions
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Steel Cut Oats
Rice Drink (like almond milk)
Organic Pineapple Juice (not from concentrate)
Organic Orange Juice (not from concentrate)
With my first shopping trip under my belt I can only hope that next time I'm able to pick out true vegan products more easily. Between now and then, I will research vegan food brands and get some more ideas. Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you've found this enlightening and possibly helpful for your next shopping trip. Next time, you get to read all about my first vegan meal! Super simple and delicious. :)