The Customized Vegetarian Pantry: Let It Reflect Who You Are

Living life as a vegetarian can be a healthy lifestyle choice. But contrary to media hype, it's not a one-size-fits-all diet.
You always have to consider what works for your own body. Do you have any health issues like food allergies, thyroid dysfunction, digestive challenges? Such conditions impact what you eat.
When I look at vegetarian recipes on Pinterest and blogs, a lot of the ingredients are amazingly hearty. There are recipes packed with fiber, for example. Not everyone needs nor should eat that much fiber in one sitting.
Find the approach, the right balance of ingredients and recipes for you and your lifestyle. Consider this an ongoing journey of experimentation.
More and more, people are shopping local and by season, and/or raising their own crops. I now grow my own organic alfalfa sprouts, as a segue to my own brand of gardening. We have hot, long summers in our area. Due to that and my need to branch out slowly, I have a plan to grow some herbs and vegetables hydroponically.
In our household, it's become clear that soy is not our friend and we eliminated it from our diet. It's a shame since soy-based bacon, for instance, has evolved so much and can taste amazing. GMO in some commercial brands made it easy to move on. We keep our fingers crossed for a non-GMO rice-based version to come to market.
To give you an idea of how individual a vegetarian diet can be, take a look at this breakdown of what you will find, and not find, in our pantry.
What we have learned is to pay attention to what we should eat, and then figure out what we will eat. It's like exercising, you must find something you can stick to on a regular basis.
What You Won't Find

• Soy
• Beans
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Fish sauce
• Kale and other dark greens

What You Will Find

• Pasta, rice, and grains: Capellini, penne dried pasta; jasmine rice, rice noodles, couscous
• Oils: Olive, sesame
• Vinegar: Raw apple, distilled white, rice, Ume plum, Balsamic
• Canned: Diced tomatoes, tomato paste, baby corns, jalapeños, green chilies, tuna, coconut milk
• Baking: The usual suspects plus unsweetened coconut, Medjool dates and syrup
• Sauces: Hoisin, peanut, pasta
• Other: Rice paper, sea and Kosher salts, sesame seeds, bread crumbs, organic "chicken" broth
• Spices: General array plus Mrs. Dash (several), garam masala, curry powder
• Dried herbs: Basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, lemongrass

Basics in the Fridge

• Almond/Coconut milk
• Almond butter
• Eggs
• Probiotic greek yogurt
• Whole milk
• Cheeses
• "Butter" spread, no GMO
• Breads (breads keep fresh longer in the fridge. true story)
• Vegetables

We've learned to embrace challenges like finding substitutes for soy and animal proteins. In our case, we buy fresh fish whenever possible. We also learned to accept trade offs between all things organic... and budget constraints. With cooking and baking, I enjoy the creativity it takes to develop new recipes. It's fun to find substitutes for traditional or even other vegetarian ingredients.
The most important lesson I've learned is that my vegetarianism is as individual as I am. My pantry reflects this fact. It continually evolves. It is more and more efficient. I love the adventure and entertainment it provides.
Remember, what your own vegetarian pantry looks like is totally up to you. It can be a creative project in itself. Customizing your vegetarian pantry is an evolving project to be embraced and enjoyed.

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