Waitrose & Partners

12 plant-powered store-cupboard essentials

Alongside the fruit and veg that count towards your 5 a day, you can include herbs and spices (¼ of a plant variety each) and use blends of nuts, seeds, grains and pulses to boost your tally of plant varieties in every meal. Here are 12 ingredients to keep in your kitchen cupboard.

Essential Mixed Bean Salad in Water

Plant varieties: 9

There are a whopping nine varieties of beans and pulses in this unassuming mix – alongside chickpeas and cannellini beans are less common varieties such as lima, flageolet and great northern beans to give an instant boost to your plant count. Add them to chilli, use them to top baked potatoes or blend them into soups.

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Mixed Nuts

Plant varieties: 5

Nuts are a versatile and delicious way of adding variety to your diet, and this selection of almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and pecans means you’ll be ticking off five plant varieties in one fell swoop. Granola, crumbles, galettes and grain bowls will all benefit from their savoury crunch.

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Mixed Seeds

Plant varieties: 4

A simple sprinkling of this mix adds sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds to your meal, and we’re not just talking virtuous porridge bowls. Add crunch to winter salads, use them as a crust for chicken schnitzel or make your next crumble topping a whole lot more flavoursome.

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Cooks’ Ingredients Wild Mushrooms

Plant varieties: 4

Risotto lovers will be wowed by this mix of honey fungus, porcini, slippery jack and oyster mushrooms, which add deep umami to a dish once rehydrated and cooked. They can also diversify your vegetable selections in stir fries, soups and stews.

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White, Black & Red Quinoa

Plant varieties: 3

Quinoa is a tasty and nutrient-packed grain, high in fibre and protein as well as nutrients such as folate, magnesium and zinc. It’s also quick to cook – 20 minutes on the hob – and adds a mild, nutty flavour to everything from salads to veggie chilli. Each of the plant’s varieties counts towards your weekly plant count so using this mix gets you three in one.

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Cooks’ Ingredients Vadouvan Spice Blend

Plant varieties: 2.75

This curry powder is based on the Indian masala blend, but with added alliums. Its ingredients list has a plant count of 11; two of them are onion and garlic, but even if you’ve already counted these elsewhere, you’re still looking at more than two plant varieties in this one little pot of flavour. Use it as a marinade for grilled fish, sprinkle it over your next cauliflower cheese or use it as a savoury seasoning for popcorn.

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Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils & Green Lentils

Plant varieties: 2

Keep a pouch of pre-cooked lentils in the cupboard for a savvy 30-plants shortcut: just one minute in the microwave and they’re ready to bulk up soups, salads and leftovers with fibre-and protein-rich plant power.

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LoveLife Red Camargue & Wild Rice

Plant varieties: 2

A simple swap that adds texture and flavour as well as plant varieties, these two types of rice are a great way to add more fibre to your meals. Wild rice is a little chewy and has a more vegetal flavour than white rice, while French-grown Camargue is nutty and firm. Add to the mix when making pilafs or serve with stroganoff or fragrant curries.

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Clearspring Organic Shichimi Togarashi 7 Spice

Plant varieties: 2

A dusting of this incredibly versatile Japanese spice blend can perk up noodle bowls, sushi and dumplings, obviously, but it’s also wonderful on grilled meats and as a soup topper. Two kinds of sesame seed are complemented by chilli, orange peel, nori seaweed, ginger and black pepper.

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Cooks’ Ingredients Tahini

Plant varieties: 1

There aren’t any sneaky extras here, but tahini is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can mean you’re counting sesame in places you never thought possible. How about drizzling it over some baked oats or swirling it into chocolate brownies? It’s also fantastic spooned over roasted vegetables or mixed into yogurt (ideally with a bit of garlic and lemon, too) and dolloped onto salads or sandwiches.

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Doves Farm Organic White Spelt Flour

Plant varieties: 1

No doubt you’ll find it easy to eat some wheat each week, so shake up your bakes with this ancient grain. Spelt flour can be used as a direct replacement for regular plain flour and adds a subtle nuttiness to everything from pancakes to pastry.

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Waitrose Dried Pitted Deglet Nour Dates

Plant varieties: 1

Given that you can only count each plant once a week, it’s helpful to have a store cupboard full of ingredients that aren’t likely to appear elsewhere in your shop. Dried fruit – dates, figs, cranberries, prunes and even goji berries – fits this brief perfectly. As well as adding sticky sweetness to Middle Eastern dishes, dates are a truly luxurious way to get a plant into a cake.

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