Vegan Grocery List

Navigating the world of college can be exhilarating yet challenging, especially when you’re a vegan trying to maintain a balanced diet on a tight budget. As a fellow college student, I understand the struggle of juggling academic demands with the need for affordable and nutritious meals. However, being vegan doesn’t have to break the bank or compromise on health.

In this blog, I’ll share insights into how to thrive as a vegan in college while sticking to a budget on your vegan grocery list. One of the keys to success is strategic grocery shopping, prioritizing essential nutrients and protein sources without overspending. With careful planning and smart choices, you can create delicious and satisfying meals that nourish both body and mind. Whether you’re cooking in a dorm room or a shared apartment kitchen, these budget-friendly ingredients will become your go-to choices for affordable, healthy, and delicious meals.

I separated this list by meals and threw in tips on some of my favorite meal ideas! Enjoy!

My favorite thing to say: EAT THE RAINBOW! Get as many colored foods as you can to ensure different nutrients and flavors! Vegans can fall into the trap of eating lots of bread (aka, brown colored foods). DON’T BE THAT PERSON! Eat every colored food! Keep reading for your vegan grocery list!

Breakfast

Ezekiel bread
- Perfect to me. It’s so great for you and has a solid amount of protein.
Peanut butter
Bananas
Non-dairy milk
- I prefer soy milk because it has more protein. Try to find non-dairy milk that doesn’t add a ton of sugar! You can use this in smoothies, chia seed pudding, cereal, oatmeal, and more!
Chia seeds
- Extra protein and fiber. You can make chia seed pudding with non-dairy milk, vanilla, and cinnamon!
Vegan protein granola
Vegan protein powder
Frozen fruit
- You can make a bomb smoothie. Add your protein powder and put it in a bowl with some fresh fruit, granola, and vegan choccy chips on top!
Oats
- Overnight oats
- Oatmeal
- You can blend up oats to make oat flour for baking and pancakes!
- Make protein balls with oats, maple syrup, peanut butter, and chia seeds!
Vegan pancake mix / maple syrup

Lunch/Dinner

I’m a big fan of doing a weekly veggie roast that I’ll mix into a quinoa bowl with tofu and avocado for a meal! So pick your favorite veggies (I listed mine below!) for your veggies roast! Chop them up, coat them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and throw them in the oven for 30-45 minutes!

Sweet potato
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Avocado
Rice or quinoa or couscous
- As a college student, I’m a big fan of the packets of rice and quinoa that cook in five minutes or less.
Banza chickpea pasta
- I love this pasta; honestly, the flavor isn’t the best, but its high in protein and tastes awesome when covered in marinara sauce!
Marinara sauce
Tofu
- I eat an insane amount of tofu!!! Such great protein.
Veggies burgers
- Opt for the ones that are quinoa, black bean, or mushroom based rather than the Impossible burgers or fake meat; those are pretty much just squashed balls of processed chemicals… not a fan.
Vegan dairy free pizza
- My favorite brand is Daiya. They have great veggie dairy free pizzas!
Frozen vegan burritos
- Sometimes I simply don’t have time to make a whole meal, but I love microwavable burritos full of beans and veggies. It’s a quick meal that is high in protein!
Chickpeas and black beans
- Eat with rice, chips, or just fry up in a pan! So many great protein here.
Grape tomatoes
Mushrooms
- Protein! Fry some of these in a pan with spices and olive oil!
Spinach
- Throw an extra handful of spinach into any meal for extra iron… much needed as a vegan!

Snacks

There are endless vegan snacks circling the internet, but these are my personal favorites to add to your vegan grocery list.

Go Macro bars
No Cow bars
Apples and peanut butter
Fruits of choice
- Strawberries
- Pineapples
- Blueberries
- Grapes
Veggies of choice
- Bell peppers
- Carrots
- Snap peas
Chips and hummus or guac
- Hummus for protein, guac for a healthy fat! Opt for chips that are high in fiber (that have chia or flax seeds, etc.)
Dark chocolate
Nuts
Applesauce