Plant Based 101 |Thrive Guide #1| Stocking a Plant-Based/Vegan Pantry for Success
🖖🏻 With a focus on Healthy Aging
Hi friends!
Over the last few days, I have gotten hundreds of subscribers and I couldn’t be more thrilled. So THANK YOU 🙏🏻 new friends for taking a chance with me.
Your trust in me has placed a gentle, guiding hand of loving pressure to help me think more earnestly about the ways I can best serve you. That is help you enjoy a plant-centric lifestyle with a sense of abundance and success, and maybe a little vegan wine and wine pairings for good measure and pleasure. 🍷
My goal here - even though it is a terrible business decision they tell me - is to be educational not aspirational. I want to help you succeed in your goals, not sell you a lifestyle that is impossible to attain and thus wear down your sense of confidence and dimming your chances of ever succeeding. Social media has that effect on us.
So, I keep it raw & real. This is not about the GLOW UP it’s more about the SHOW UP in whatever capacity we can everyday.
I recently asked Chat GPT to best describe “Stevies Earth Based Kitchen” and I got “The channel is known for its practical approach to vegan cuisine and its emphasis on wholesome, earth-based ingredients.” And I can assure you that is absolutely true! I make nothing that grows on Mars, flies through the sky, or swims through the sea…Everything comes out of the ground, even the Nori.
Stevie’s Earth Based YouTube Channel (new video out every Sunday night)
Plant-Based Thrive Guide Chapter 1| How I stock a plant based kitchen to help increase my health-span
This Thrive Guide will be a whole series of plant based basics that will come out over the next few months
I figure the best way to ensure success is to create a plant-based environment by stocking our kitchen with shelf stable ingredients and fresh produce that we keep on rotation. This will serve as ou “capsule pantry” and will give us a ton of flexibility and creative options when it comes to planning a meal. These ingredients will create the canvass for the rainbow of seasonal produce that is about to brighten your life. This is also a good time to decide whether you are going all in in terms of eating a strictly whole foods plant based diet, or just adding more plant based whole foods to your diet and reducing animal products and ultra processed foods. Whatever you do, set your intentions now and aim for consistency, not perfection.
I am going to show you how I stock my kitchen for success - based on my personal needs and appetite- and at the very end of this guide, I will share a list of books and content creators that have helped me immensely with evidence based nutrition, motivation, sense of community, recipe ideas, cooking basics and other epicurean wisdom. Maybe they can be a resource for you as well. And if you have a favorite source of inspiration, please let us all know in the comments. I realize sharing may seem daring, but that is exactly why it feels so caring.
Well, let’s get started!
How I stock my pantry
Grains & chickpea pasta:
Grains: My rule is to always have at least 3 types of whole grains on hand at any given time. Typically that means any combo of brown rice, oats, and quinoa, grits, popcorn, corn tortillas and buckwheat for crepes and pancakes. But I am also a big fan of chickpea pasta, especially cavatappi from the Banza brand, but that isn’t exactly whole grain, but it is super good. That said, If you don’t have a gluten issue, consider choosing whole grain pasta to get extra fiber.
*I think of grains as the supporting garments of our capsule kitchen.
If I didn’t have a gluten allergy, I would also be including barley, and farro into my diet, and I am currently looking for an oat groat supply, which is unprocessed oats and consequently the most beneficial but also time consuming in terms of prep. I feel like groats would also satisfy the chewy satisfaction one might get from the gluten containing barley and farro, but I have not tested this feeling.
I have to be completely honest here though and tell you that I struggle with getting grains on my plate because of my gluten allergy as well as pure laziness. No, it doesn’t take much to cook a pot of rice or quinoa, but I just don’t want to do it. I also find grains to be a little too filling and that might be because I tend to load my plate with beans and starchy veggies.
I do however start most of my days with a big bowl of oats, which gives my body at least a couple of servings of grains per day.
Needless to say grains are super important for satiety, gut biome support, weight management, and blood sugar control. It’s a great source of fiber and that’s important because 97% of Americans do not get enough fiber and the meager amount of fiber they do get is usually from processed foods. This might have something to do with the probiotics industry being a 58.2 billion dollar industry and steadily growing. If you eat a whole foods plant based diet, you gut likely contains all the beneficial bacteria it needs as long as you keep feeding it fiber. If you aren’t eating a healthy diet but taking a probiotic, you might be introducing healthy bacteria to your gut only to starve them, which seems rather abusive don’t you think?
Beans and lentils:
Whether you eat legumes or not may be the most important dietary predictor of your survival. It is in older people all over the world according to research. I don’t know Jack, but I do know beans and lentils are pretty magical.
Brown, Green or french lentils are great because they are quick and hold their shape, so basically they are the fast food of beans. I make “taco meat” with lentils all the time
Red and yellow lentils don’t hold their shape and become deliciously saucy, they are great for making dal, dosa, lentil buns, and even pancakes.
Chickpeas are firm and versatile and I think they are amazing in stews. I love a good chickpea and dumpling stew or pot pie for an extreme comfort food craving. You can also make a lemony chickpea avgolemeno, or “The Stew” by Alison Roman (For all those who are not watching their oil consumption.) On quick mornings when I want something savory and I have a can of chickpeas and rando veggies, I like to make chickpea scrambles. I always make extra and the leftovers often become tacos, or part of a nourish bowl and served over brown rice or quinoa with fresh veggies, avocados, and some kind of dressing.
I always keep dried pintos, black beans, and cannellini on hand because they are our favorites. I buy them bulk and I keep them in glass jars with a good seal. We bought the bulk of our glass jars from Amazon, but I also like to thrift a lot and whenever I see a good jar, especially a fancy or vintage jar, I pick it up. I think part of my success is that I romanticize my plant based life by making it cute.
Here is the video of when I totally made over my pantry as a means of reducing a mouse infestation.
Potatoes of all kinds:
I always get a couple pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes because I love their flavor and any kind of purple sweet potato or Japanese sweet potato that is in season. Potatoes are nutritionally dense, super low in calories given how satiating they are and have only a trace of fat when they aren’t draped in it.
Winter Squash in winter and summer squash in summer:
I love to keep winter squash on my kitchen table in fall and winter. They are decorative and a great utilitarian way to romantically celebrate the change in season. They will also keep for months, but sometimes the flavor or texture declines after a while, so you do want to use them in a fairly timely manner and replace them often.
Nuts and Seeds:
nuts
Cashews: They are soft and have a sweet cream flavor which is excellent for making cream sauces and cashew milk
Walnuts: These toast up to have an umami flavor and can add a meaty firmness to “meat” fillings
Sliced raw Almonds: There is something about the texture of thinly sliced almonds that I crave in smoothie bowls, oatmeal, rice and couscous dishes, and even as a garnish on soups, like garlic soup. It almost has that pastry flake sort of satisfaction.
seeds
Flax seeds: A must have if you are menopausal. They contain phytoestrogens which have eliminated my hot flashes along with eating lots of tofu and soy milk. They are also good for lowering cholesterol, weight management, reducing the risk of some cancers, and they can lower blood pressure. They have a ton of nutrients including omega 3s. Omega 3s are important for brain health.
Chia seed: I always add these to my overnight oats. Like flax seed, chia seeds are highly nutritious, contain omega 3s and may help with weight loss, but I love their ability to turn liquid into pudding.
*overnight oats substack will be coming to your inbox soon!
Pumpkin Seed: I love the texture of pumpkin seeds but they are also great for the immune system, heart health, and sleep as they contain magnesium. They may even help protect against cancer.
Other foods I always keep on hand:
Alliums: Every time I go to the store, I buy a couple bulbs of garlic. I also always keep either red or sweet onions on hand for salads, and I buy a bag of yellow onions. I often buy shallots and leeks, but they aren’t part of my core provisions
Ginger: I like to keep ginger around for its array of benefits: blood sugar regulation, cancer prevention, immune boosting, heart health, antioxidant effects, and anti-inflammatory among many other health benefits. But most important is that it is delicious.
Starches: Tapioca starch for making cheezy things and corn starch for making crispy things
Nutritional yeast: Affectionately called “Nooch” in vegan jargon. Nooch has a sharp cheesy umami-ness and contains B vitamins, antioxidants, and plant based proteins. Most of it comes fortified with even more B vitamins
Kimchee or Sauerkraut: I think they provide complexity and umami to so many dishes, but I also love to use the brine for the lactic aid, which can provide a cheesy tang for cheese sauces. If you were to buy lactic acid on Amazon, it would be expensive, but you can make your own with a head of cabbage, a jar and a little bit of salt and flavor it however you would like.
Miso: I typically get red miso, but any miso will do. If you are avoiding soy for any reason, you can get chickpea miso, which is also good.
Tofu: I usually get extra firm or high protein tofu and I buy whatever is on sale. Silken tofu is great for smoothies and sauces, but I usually just use soy milk.
Let’s talk about soy and women: Soy promotes heart health, bone density, and can help balance hormones and prevent menopausal symptoms. That is because it contains phytoestrogens, which mimics estrogen in the body. Phytoestrogens bind to the estrogen receptors exerting weak estrogenic effects while also blocking stronger natural estrogen. This is how it can balance hormones, potentially easing menopause symptoms and reducing breast cancer risk.
Additionally, soy may improve cholesterol and support overall health.
Tempeh: Tempeh is soybeans cooked and formed into a compact cake, think fruitcake, inoculated with a mold called Rhizopus oligosporus and then fermented for a few days at the perfect temperature. The result is a mushroomy scented protein that is otherwise neutral and can take on whatever flavor. It has a satisfyingly chewy texture and is soy good for you!
Soy Milk: Westlife unflavored soy milk is my ride or die. It’s so clean with only soybeans and water and yet its pretty rich and neutral. Great for most recipes. But it does curdle when mixed with something acidic. This is why we can make tofu with soy milk, tofu is the curd of soy milk…it’s literally cheese.
Maple Syrup: I typically buy the least expensive maple syrup on the shelf, but I do make sure its 100% maple syrup. This is my sweetener. However, I usually use dates in baked foods.
Mustard: I use this in marinades, salad dressings and as a condiment
Tomato paste: You can conjure up a ton of umami flavor by frying or toasting tomato paste, or dehydrating with it when making raw vegan recipes.
Dates: It’s natures caramel. They are high in antioxidants and believe it or not helpful in controlling blood sugar. I use these as a sweetener in deserts and smoothies.
Nut Butters & Tahini: I try to stay near the whole foods zone. Whole foods means no ultra processed foods, which means no oil. Still, I like my food to taste super good, so I use little oil, but I may up the fat level my food through nuts or seed butters, which are whole foods if they contain other additives. Vinegar is ultra processed too, but that is okay on a whole foods diet because it’s so good for you.
Unsweetened plain Plant Based Yogurt: My favorite to have on hand always is “The Forager Project.” It’s not too tangy, but does have a good cultured flavor, so it’s great for cheesy sauce making, tzatzikis, dill sauces, cilantro crema, sour cream, creamy deserts, or adding richness to pasta sauces. I also use it in my overnight oats and smoothies. It has a great price point compared to others, contains active cultures and clean ingredients. I also love reusing the containers for leftovers.
Vinegars: I use apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar the most. Aged rice vinegar is wonderful and full of umami, but it has gluten in it in case you are watching your gluten. Vinegar helps reduce blood sugar spikes, triglycerides, and increases AMPK, which may help you burn fat instead of storing it, and may specifically target visceral fat, which is the most dangerous hard fat surrounding your organs.
I have been reading “how not to Diet” by Dr. Greger and likes to visit olive oil and vinegar shops whenever he travels and often picks up something fun. I plan on visiting a vinegar shoppe soon to do just that.
I mostly use vinegars for balancing and perking up the flavors in recipes, salad dressings, and activating baking powder. Also, I make a delightful mocktail of strawberry flavored soda water with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. Drinking any kind of vinegar diluted in water can help with blood sugar management and weight control as vinegar activates an enzyme in our bodies known as AMPK, which sends a signal to the body to stop storing fat & burn fat instead. Not at miracle levels!
Avocado or Olive oil: I have been getting avocado oil because olive oil has been so expensive
Herbs and Spices
How we curate our spice rack can be quite personal and cultural, but I do highly recommend cooking with a great variety of spices and herbs because they provide an enormous amount of flavor and nutritional benefits. Just a pinch of fresh herbs can multiply the antioxidants in a meal.
I tend to make a lot of foods with a Southern US & SouthWestern US, Indian, and Mediterranean flavor profile, so I tend to buy those spices in greater quantities than say Chinese 5 spice which I might use a couple times of year. Spices have a shelf life (before they become stale) of 6 months to a year, so keep that in mind when purchasing them, especially when at Costco. I usually do not keep a ton of spices on hand because I hate throwing anything away. If I do need a spice that I rarely use, I purchase them in bulk and just get what I need.
These are my most used spices and dried herbs
Cinnamon: goes in my coffee every morning, my overnight oats, chiles, and rice and lentil dishes. Both Cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon can help control blood sugar; however, If you are going to eat a lot of cinnamon for this purpose, you want Ceylon or “true cinnamon, which comes from India. It’s harder to find and more expensive and not as strong in flavor. Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which can damage the liver in some people. If the jar doesn’t say “Ceylon” its likely Cassia.
Simply organic spice company sells a Ceylon Cinnamon, which you can buy at Thrive Market for $8.99 and Amazon for 5.19 https://amzn.to/4b9M3qO . Not sure if Thrive Market is ever a good deal. What is your experience with them?
Cumin: Great in bean dishes, taco fillings, veggie burgers, and a lovely Arabian dish called Mujadara, and green or red chile dishes.
Black Cumin: Aka Nigella Sativa. Not the same plant as cumin with a different flavor profile, which is black pepper, shallots, and a subtle cumin flavor. Suitable for most savory dishes. This spice packs a huge healthy aging hug (as opposed to punch) as it can reduce cholesterol like a statin and help with weight loss, but only if you consistently take about a 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon every day. Like a statin, it’s a salve not a cure for low cholesterol; however, it can be a cheap, easy and delicious cure against early death.
Dr. Greger recommends keeping it in a pepper mill and seasoning all you savoy food with it. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/benefits-of-black-cumin-seed-nigella-sativa-for-weight-loss/
Oregano: I love it in green chile posole, spaghetti sauce, and Greek inspired dishes. Small amounts of Oregano may even decease chromosomal damage from radiation
Thyme: All my Southern dishes and a few others begin with love and thyme. It’s the key herb in cajun spice, jerk spice, and za’atar.
I love it for its earthy, lemony woodsy flavor. I think it grounds recipes, but it also smells like the fresh air after you’ve been walking around a meadow for a while after a quick rain.
Thyme has its own proprietary antiseptic compound called thymol, which is anti-inflammatory and great for treating a cold as it is both an expectorant and antimicrobial. You can make a tea with it or put generous amount in chickpea noodle soup. It also improves digestion. These are just a few of thymol’s benefits
Smoked Paprika: Transforms tomato broth into magic & is perfect for faking a grilled flavor.
Za’atar: It’s nutty, it’s tangy, it’s herbal and exotic. Basically its my Everything Bagel spice. I put it on hummus, labneh topped with cucumbers on toast, avocado toast, and it makes the best pasta sauce ever.
Turmeric: Great spice for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits. It’s also great for providing a yellow tint to vegan scrambles and lemon deserts such as lemon merengue which actually gets it’s lemon color from egg yolks not lemons. And of course, it’s an important spice in Indian cuisine, which is a great way to get your legumes.
*The active ingredient in Turmeric known as curcumin needs pepper for activation. Just a shake.
Black Salt or Kala Namak: Kala Namak gives vegan scrambles an eggy flavor. It also has a ton of therapeutic benefits. Just a pinch can help with digestion, heartburn, bloating. It’s also good for diabetes, cholesterol and heart health, and muscle spasms.
Supplements: I am not an expert and have no business recommending supplements. I do take a vegan daily for b12, iodine and other minerals and vitamins. Do they make me feel more energized and complete as a human being? No. I feel exactly the same as I did before.
But I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you to take a little b12 if you are giving up meat, and maybe some iodine or seaweed (not much) if you are giving up all processed foods and only using sea salt. Otherwise, I would suggest working with a medical professional in terms of supplementation. They have the tools to determine what you personally need.
What’s always in my Freezer?
Frozen Fruit: I love to make “nice creams” with 2 cups of frozen fruit and just enough soy milk to make the blades on my high speed blender move. I also keep frozen blueberries as dog treats
Whatever Veggies were on sale: Don’t turn your nose up to frozen veggies. They were frozen at their peak and prime and sometimes nutritionally better than the ones in the produce section or that have been in my fridge too long. Also, they are good to have on days where you just can’t be bothered to chop up veggies
Kitchen Scrap Broth Bag: I freeze my scraps to make broth later
Leftovers: I try to freeze leftovers after 3 days and then use them within a couple of months. My success rate is meh.
The Giants whose shoulders I stand on- Books, Scientists, and Content Creators who help me succeed (not an exhaustive list)
Books: These are books that either helped my understanding of nutrition, helped me gain perspective, or helped me with mindset
How not to Die, How not to Diet and How not to Age - Three books by Dr. Michael Greger ( I listen to these on repeat in an audio format when I walk my 10K steps around my yard) How not to Die, How not to Diet How not to Age
Forks over Knives|The Plant Based Way to Health by Gene Stone, T. Colin Campbell and Caldwell B. Esselstyn
No Meat Required by
(She has a sub-stack which I will put in my recommendations)Atomic Habits by James Clear
Lifespan| Why we age and why we don’t have to by David A Sinclair and Matthew D. La Plante - David Sinclair studies epigenetic and ways to “manually” hack our DNA through lifestyle or supplements. Great stuff, but I am not so sure that the jury is out on some of the supplements he recommends.
On Youtube
Evidence based nutrition & longevity content creators
Miche Phd: https://youtube.com/@michephd?si=l55nEPEvlr24xvTq
Mic the Vegan: https://youtube.com/@michephd?si=l55nEPEvlr24xvTq
Plant Based News: https://youtube.com/@drdeanornish?si=5UymGuEaWzKPlSIc
Dr. Dean Ornish: https://youtube.com/@drdeanornish?si=5UymGuEaWzKPlSIc
David Sinclair: https://youtube.com/@davidsinclairpodcast?si=uiOPGbQobxv0HBPx
Dr. McDougal: https://youtube.com/@themcdougallprogram?si=RXdQhw9ySCiJiGal
Favorite cooking shows
Rainbow plant life: https://youtube.com/@rainbowplantlife?si=bIU1lrncIrpKRA2I
Plant-Based with Jane Esselstyn and Ann Esselstyn : https://youtube.com/@janeesselstyn?si=4TO0vzcXLpNTX5TS
Whole Foods Plant Based Cooking show: https://youtube.com/@wholefoodplantbasedcookingshow?si=OPh4B7ewh7qi8Mcb
Brocolli Mum: https://youtube.com/@broccoli_mum?si=zL2NovvNwx1cDWpi
Mary’s Nest -Not plant based but she has a wealth of kitchen wisdom and does a lot of ferments and preserving : https://youtube.com/@marysnest?si=W0mCDhiuwzWyhhZo
Chef AJ: https://www.youtube.com/live/ooCCLrO8SD0?si=a265OAUZaxKTkYYT
Plant Based/Pro-age and not fake Influencers
Fifty Sister|Gail McNeill : https://youtube.com/@fiftysister?si=maA9_fTkauPkdL-x
Mindset and behavioral modification - Because without this, compliance can be hard
The Daily Stoic: https://youtube.com/@dailystoic?si=2v5oJgkTST4UFL4s
We can do hard things: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL433jIDZysHJhTlG-qUtvtTgc1Byng4xu&si=asXSmxbAjjg8hsjk
Mark Manson: https://youtube.com/@iammarkmanson?si=5q0CG8m2Ls_Xm2qQ
The Science of Self-Care: https://youtube.com/@thescienceofselfcare?si=9qB7zbXGktdz4ouj