A Sustainable Gluten-Free Vegan Grocery List

I had to create this grocery list so that it would be easy for me to find sustainable gluten-free vegan groceries around the world. I also use this list while in my home region.

Because, if I don’t reference this list, I tend to arrive at any new market happily distracted by all the interesting new items and people before me. My brain forgets to buy much-needed basics.

Even when I’m back in my home region, everything looks new and fresh again, making it easy to forget my favorite foods and eco-goods I once regularly purchased there.

This grocery list helps me buy, prepare, and eat healthier than I otherwise would; convert our lodging into a more sustainable home; and support sustainability in each local community.

I thank How Not to Die, Nutrition Facts, and the Daily Dozen Checklist for making it possible for me to pull this list together. This keeps me focused on what science currently says is best for me.

Of course, now and then, I purchase something less than ideal. That is a reality. Yet I strive the best I can to keep things…

• organic (bio/eco)

• plant-based vegan (no animal ingredients; little to no processed/junk food)

• certified gluten-free for me, as I have celiac disease

The more I do this, the more sustainably I travel and live. I think this makes life more meaningful, especially since climate scientists are also asking us to switch to a plant-based diet.

Of course, my grocery list is just that, a list of my favorite foods and supplies. It might be missing wonderful items that another might want to add—or that a new location might offer.

Beverages

I try to consume about 60 ounces of beverages a day (water, soups, some tea)

• water

• matcha tea

• hibiscus tea

• pomegranate tea

• plant milk (for cereal; ideally made from only 2-3 ingredients)

• lemon balm tea

• (not instant tea)

gluten-free Grains

I try to consume about 3 servings of whole gluten-free grains a day (1/2 c hot cereal or 1 slice bread x 3)

• bread (whole grain)

• corn, grits

• millet

• steel-cut oats (for my bf’s cereal)

• quinoa (tri-color)

• quinoa (white)

Nuts/Seeds

I try to consume about 1 serving of nuts and seeds a day (1/4 c nuts or 2 T nut butter), plus 1 serving of ground flaxseed a day (1 T ground)

• brazil (4/month)

• pecan

• walnut

• chia

• flax

• hemp

• pumpkin

• sesame (tahini)

Fruit

I try to consume about 1 serving of berries a day (1/2 c fresh or frozen), plus 3 servings of other whole fruit a day (1 medium fruit x 3)

• apples

• avocados

• blackberries

• blueberries

• cherries

• cranberries

• kiwi

• lemon (for squeezing/in dressings)

• lime (for squeezing/in dressings)

• mango

• oranges

• peaches

• pineapple

• (never star fruit)

Leafy Greens

I try to consume at least 2 servings of leafy greens a day (1 c raw or 1/2 c cooked x 2)

• butter lettuce

• green leaf lettuce

• looseleaf lettuce

• oak leaf lettuce

• red leaf lettuce

• romaine lettuce

• (not spinach, chard, or beet greens as I can easily overeat them, so I usually just have those when eating out)

Cruciferous

I try to consume at least 1 serving of cruciferous a day (1/2 c chopped)

• arugula

• bok choy

• broccoli

• broccoli seeds (to sprout outside, so ants are not drawn inside)

• brussels sprouts

• cabbage, purple

• cauliflower

• collard

• kale

• mustard greens

• radishes

• watercress

Vegetables

I try to consume at least 2 servings of non-leafy veggies a day (1/2 c x 2)

• artichokes

• asparagus

• carrots

• celery

• corn, sweet

• cucumber

• fennel

• leeks

• mushrooms (never chaga mushroom)

• potatoes, blue

• potatoes, purple

• potatoes, sweet

• tomato paste

• zucchini

• (not rhubarb)

Beans/Lentils

I try to consume about 3 servings of beans a day (1/2 c cooked x 3)

• black beans

• black lentils

• green lentils

• green peas

• green split peas

• red kidney beans

• red lentils

• white cannellini beans

• white chickpea beans

• white navy beans

• yellow lentils

Herbs/Spices

I try to consume at least 1 serving of herbs and spices a day (1/4 tsp)

• amla, dried (to add to tea w/ ginger + turmeric)

• basil

• Ceylon cinnamon

• chives

• cilantro

• dill

• fenugreek seeds

• garlic

• ginger (1 tsp/day)

• onions (green, red, scallions, sweet, yellow)

• parsley

• saffron

• turmeric

Vinegar

• apple cider

• balsamic

• distilled white

• pomegranate

• red wine

Iodine

I only consume one of the following seaweed a day (click to see why)

• arame, dried (1 tsp), or

• dulse flakes (1 tsp), or

• nori sheets (2 sheets), or

• seaweed salad (1 T)

Sweetener

• applesauce

• bananas

• maple syrup

Eco Household Supplies

My big goal is to avoid the plastic that seems to encase everything in society. So I try my best to buy the following…

• bags, garbage (biodegradable)

• baking soda (in cardboard; for cleaning, cooking, and deodorant)

• dish soap (eco, gentle, fragrance-free, gluten-free)

• dishwasher detergent (eco, fragrance-free, ideally in cardboard)

• laundry detergent (eco, gentle, fragrance-free, ideally in cardboard)

• sanitizing cleaner (eco, vinegar, ideally in glass)

• shea or coconut butter (for deodorant, ideally in glass or tin)

• toilet paper (eco, ideally in tissue paper or cardboard)

Reading Store and Product Labels (in Any Language)

My eyesight is not what it used to be, I don’t always carry my reading glasses, and I am not fluent in all languages. So I use my smartphone to assist me while shopping.

In my home country, I open my smartphone camera, then zoom in on store and product labels, so I can actually read them.

When traveling, I use the Google Translate app to read store and product labels. This is a lifesaver. So is using the Google Translate detect language setting…

• in places like Europe, products are labeled in the language of the country that manufactured the product (for instance, in Portugal, a product made in Germany has a label written in German)

• there is also usually a smaller label attached, written in the language of the country that is selling the product (this label might be covering up all or part of the first label)

• “gluten-free” can be written in a third language (not the manufacturer’s or reseller’s language), making it essential to always verify with the language app

• store staff can’t always interpret my questions—or the label—accurately if it’s written in a third language (we can all easily assume a product is proclaiming it’s “gluten-free” when it’s actually saying “contains gluten”)

Reusable Tote Bags

I also pack thin ultra-lightweight organic produce bags and grocery totes, as some stores do not have bags, some stores do not have free bags, and some stores do not have sustainable bags.