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When I became a vegetarian and started living on my own, I was worried about how to eat well without spending a fortune—and without being stuck in the kitchen for four hours every time I cooked.

This is my honest list as a lazy vegetarian, of basic supermarket staples that truly sustain a human being, without requiring a culinary degree or 15 steps to prepare. Steal my grocery list!

What I actually buy every month

• 1kg White or Brown Rice: The ultimate base for everything.
• 3 packs of Pasta: Cheap, fast, and endlessly versatile.
• 2 jars of Tomato Sauce: Instant flavor for pasta, rice, or stewed veggies.
• Textured Soy Protein (PTS / TVP): The dry pack you rehydrate yourself. It’s cheap, indestructible, lasts forever in the pantry, and absorbs whatever flavor you throw at it.
• Farinha de Milho (Flaked Cornmeal for Couscous): An absolute staple in Brazilian pantries. Steam it for 5 minutes, add a knob of butter or a fried egg, and you have a warm, deeply comforting meal.
• Instant Ramen: Yes, for those days when laziness reaches stratospheric levels. No judgment here.
• Tapioca Starch (Farinha de Tapioca): Perfect for making quick, gluten-free skillet crepes stuffed with cheese or veggies in under 3 minutes.
• 1 pack of Dried Lentils: My go-to plant protein. Faster to cook than beans and zero soak time required.
• 5L Whole Milk: Roughly one per week for coffee, tea, and quick sauces.
• 1kg Bag of Frozen Broccoli: Vegetables that won’t turn into brown sludge at the back of your fridge because you forgot they existed.
• 1kg Bag of Frozen Mixed Veggies (Carrots, Peas, Cauliflower): Pure convenience. Toss them straight into hot pasta or rice.
• Sandwich Bread: Bought one loaf at a time throughout the month whenever the previous one runs out.
• Fresh Potatoes: Crucial to throw into the soy protein stew or to whip up a quick, comforting mashed potato.
• Fresh Fruit (Restocked every 15 days): Bananas, avocados, pineapples, or whatever is in season.
• 500g Peanut Butter: High protein, zero effort, perfect on toast or straight from the jar with a spoon.
• Box of 25 Tea Bags: Herbal comfort for the evening.
• 40 Eggs total (20-egg crate, twice a month): The ultimate vegetarian emergency kit.
• Frozen Vegetarian Lasagna: Pure dinner survival for low-energy nights.
• A Sweet Treat / Biscuits: Chocolate or cookies, because I’m human, not a wellness robot.

Frozen foods save your routine

Let’s dismantle the snobbery around frozen food: frozen staples are a life saving for rough days. When you’re exhausted, decision fatigue sets in, and the temptation to drop $30 on overpriced, disappointing takeout looms, your freezer becomes your financial and mental backup plan.

Vegetables like broccoli, peas, and cauliflower are flash-frozen at peak freshness, meaning they sit patiently in your kitchen for months without turning into that sad, brown sludge at the bottom of the crisper drawer. Having a stash of frozen veggies and a emergency lasagna means a healthy, warm meal is always just ten minutes away—no washing, no chopping, and zero food waste required.

Long-lasting basics (buy once, use for months)

Things I don’t buy every month because they last an eternity (but make the cut once in a while):

• Salt & Sugar: The foundational basics.
• Cooking Oil: Essential for everyday frying and sautéing.
• Soy Sauce: To give flavor to the soy protein or to dress up instant ramen and pretend I’m eating fancy restaurant noodle soup.
• Dried Spices & Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, and pepper—because low effort doesn’t have to mean bland food.