Easy Vegan Foods: The Definitive Gigantic List

If you want to add more vegan foods to your life, you’ve come to the right place. This page features a stupendous assortment of easy vegan foods. Some of these items are super healthy, while others are guilty pleasures. But we left out the soda and potato chips, because you can always do better than that.

The World’s Easiest Vegan Foods

Everything listed on this page is either ready-to-eat or can be made in minutes by even the most inexperienced cooks. Please note that while all these foods tend to be vegan, you must still read the ingredients label of any pre-made items.

Snacks and Light Meals

The key to making an effortless vegan transition is to have a pantry and refrigerator full of delicious vegan foods that can be prepared without any fuss.

Here are the most convenient foods to keep in your kitchen. Just give this a read and then take it grocery shopping with you, and your transition to a vegan lifestyle will be halfway complete.

• Fruit
• Dark chocolate
• Energy bars (We recommend: ProBar; Raw Rev Glo; Clif Bar; Luna Bar)
• Cookies
• Pickles & krauts
• Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar crackers
• Salsa, guacamole, or hummus with sliced veggies or tortilla chips
• Baked yams, sweet potatoes, or potatoes (garnish w/margarine or olive oil & spices)
• Edamame (boiled soybeans)—sold in the freezer of most natural foods and Asian markets
• Avocado toast
• Broiled Brussels sprouts, sesame oil, chopped hazelnuts, salt
• Olives
• Hash browns or tater tots
• Frozen vegan waffles (see Van’s)
• Nuts and Seeds
• Dried fruit, raisins, or trail mix
• Finn Crisp crackers & nut butter or hummus
• Vegan ice cream & sorbets
• Vegan ramen (but watch the salt!)
• Rice cakes spread with almond butter
• Pappadams (microwaved)
• Vegan jerky
• Peanuts in the shell

Quickie Lunches and Easy Dinners

You can make any of these meals in minutes. And not only are these items tasty, most of them are highly nutritious.

• Baked potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Spaghetti & tomato sauce
• Sandwiches
• Pre-made vegan sushi (sold by many natural food stores & supermarkets)
• Wraps
• Bagels with nut butter, hummus, or vegan cream cheese
• Quesadillas with tomato sauce or salsa & vegan cheese
• Indian vegan curry pouches over frozen microwavable rice
• Roasted vegetables
• Soup or vegan chili (canned)
• Vegan mac & cheese
• Stir-fries
• Brown rice and peanut sauce
• Salads (to increase protein and satiety, top with beans, marinated baked tofu, nuts, or seeds)
• Frozen vegan pizzas (Tofurky, Daiya, & some Amy’s)

Drinks

When it comes to delicious beverages, vegans have all sorts of convenient options.

• Vegan milks (We recommend unsweetened organic soy or Ripple)
• Coffee (perhaps with vegan creamer)
• Tea
• Kombucha
• Vegan chai
• Fruit smoothies made from unsweetened soy milk & blended fruit
• Fruit or vegetable juices
• Protein powder shake

More Vegan Resources and Food Ideas

If you want more ideas, check out our Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks pages. And to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need, please read our Nutrition Guide. If you need help transitioning your diet to include more vegan foods, check out our page, How to Go Vegan.

In addition to this list, you may want to check out our vegan grocery page, which features the best deals on top vegan foods from Amazon.com.

If you’re looking to better understand the reasons why people move toward plant-based diets, our “Why Go Vegan?” essay offers an excellent introduction.

The Easiest Vegan Cookbooks

There are numerous cookbooks that are entirely devoted to easy vegan recipes. Some great recent picks:

• The Simply Vegan Cookbook, by Dustin Harder
• Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen, by Richa Hingle
• Thug Kitchen 101, by Davis & Holloway
• More Quick-Fix Vegan by Robin Robertson
• Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking, by Dana Shultz
• Nom Yourself: Simple Vegan Cooking, by Mary Mattern

There are hundreds of vegan cookbooks in print, so the above books are only the start of what’s available. For the best excellent recent titles, visit our vegan cookbooks page.