A well-stocked vegetarian pantry

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Beans: Keep a wide variety of dried and canned beans on hand all the time, but if you have lentils and chick peas, you will be able to cook quite a lot of meals. But, always try to have a wide variety of beans if you can. Beans contain amino acids, which are the protein building blocks that the body uses to heal and to make new tissues, such as bone, muscle, hair, skin, and blood. Protein is an essential nutrient.

Dried Fruits: Not only are dried fruits a delicious snack, they are a great source of fiber (three times the amount of fresh fruit) and energy boosting natural sugars. Dried fruits are full of antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals...the build up left behind from the toxins in our bodies.
vegetable stock. Like fresh fruit, dried fruits are full of vitamins, but the dried versions last longer, of course.

Nutritional Yeast: This yeast is kind of like the yeast that makes your bread rise, but it can be added to foods as a nutritional supplement because it is high in protein and B12 vitamins. Vegans, especially, need more B12 which non-vegans can get from animal products. The yeast also contains a lot of antioxidants and studies have shown in might help boost immunity and lower cholesterol.  The yeast might be used as flavoring on popcorn, can be stirred into soups for umami or cheese flavoring.

Miso: Miso is a fermented paste with a salty, funky flavor. It can be used as a flavored base for soups and it can add an umami flavor to any dish. Miso can be eaten as-is, but it rarely is. Miso is fermented so it can stay for up to a year in its tightly-sealed original container for up to a year.

Tahini: Made from toasted sesame seeds, tahini is a condiment that can be eaten alone as a dip or as an ingredient in dishes as varied as baba ghanoush, halva and - everyone's favorite - hummus. There is some debate about whether or not to refrigerate tahini. Because it's a very oily product some people say it should be stored cold, but others make the argument that makes it too thick and difficult to serve. Tahini is a good source of both calcium and protein which makes it a good addition to the vegetarian or vegan diet.

Nuts: Keep nuts on hand for a good source of fat, fiber and protein. The fat in nuts is monounsaturated fat, as well as omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fat.There are plenty of nutrients in nuts, including magnesium and vitamin E. Stock your pantry with almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, pecans and peanuts. You can add nuts to meals, eat them as snacks and even use them to make nut milks, cheeses and sauces.

Sea Vegetables: Sea Vegetables (like all seaweeds) are forms of algae that grow in the sea. They are great sources of iodine, vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. They might, according to some studies, lower your cholesterol and your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Mostly, thought, they taste great...like a fresh ocean breeze. Keep several kinds of seaweed, like sheets of nori that can be wrapped around rice and vegetables, to kelp and kombu that add flavor to broth, to hijiki (what you think of as the seaweed salad at a Japanese restaurant) that can be reconstituted and used in salads.

Maple Syrup: This is one of the best sweeteners around.  Mainly, it's sucrose and water. There is great debate about the superiority of maple syrup vs. refined sugar. What sets the syrup apart is vitamins such as calcium, zinc, iron and manganese. There are as many as two dozen kinds of  antioxidants in syrup. Maple syrup also raises your blood sugar level more slowly than refined sugar. Maple syrup can be stored, unopened indefinitely, but once you open it, it needs to be refrigerated. Agave, honey, molasses and Brown Rice sweeteners are all good sweeteners as well.

Whole Grains: Don't limit yourself to just processed grains like rice. You'll get a lot more nutrition from whole grains like quinoa, oats, buckwheat, bulgur and wheat berries. Many of these grains can be found in the bulk bins. One serving is one half cup of cooked grains. Aim for at least three servings a day.

Oils: Don't just grab for any old vegetable oil to stock your pantry. Not all oils are created equally. Naturally produced oils like olive oil and coconut are the best. Oils like canola oil are higher in fatty acids that contribute to a variety of diseases. Start with the olive and coconut oils, but if you want to add some tastier oils, try sesame oil, peanut oil or avocado oil.

Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar are good choices. The apple cider vinegar is said to have so many medicinal qualities. (Bragg, which is unfiltered, is the most nutritious brand. ) Its sweet and mildly acidic taste makes it good for a variety of recipes from roasted vegetables to desserts. Balsamic is the only vinegar not made with alcohol. It's oily texture makes it a good one for salad dressings and desserts as well as a drizzle over vegetables.

Nut Milks: Not only are nut milks more shelf stable, they are better for you than animal milk. All have fewer calories and most (except hemp) have less fat. Coconut milk has drastically less sodium than other nut milks and animal milks.