specialty-ingredients

Starting a whole food plant based diet might have you shopping for new & hard-to-find ingredients. Here's where to find them in the store, and general substitutions. Please check our Substitution Guide, ask in our Facebook Group, or email us for recipe-specific substitute suggestions. We love supporting local businesses, so check with them first if you can! Otherwise, we have created this handy Amazon list with ingredients that may be harder to find.

We make a very small commission on the affiliate links if you purchase through Amazon. Happy shopping! Clean Food Dirty Girl.

Miso

Find in the refrigerated section near tofu. Shelf-stable miso can sometimes be found in the international cuisine section.

Substitutes: Soy sauce, tamari
Cheesy sauce substitutes: Additional salt, nutritional yeast

Soy Curls

Typically only found online. Call your local health food grocer to check availability.

Substitutes: Jackfruit, tofu

Jackfruit

Find in the canned fruit and vegetable section or near the international foods section.

Substitutes: Chopped mushrooms, artichoke hearts, soy curls

Tahini

Near nut butters

Substitutes: Sunflower butter, almond butter

Tapioca Flour

Near baking/flour and sometimes in bulk bins.

Substitutes: Arrowroot flour and cornstarch will thicken sauces but don't provide the stretch and gooey factor

Brown Rice Flour

Near baking/flour and sometimes in bulk bins.

Substitutes: Oat flour or whole wheat flour, if used as a thickening agent

Black Salt (Kala Namak)

International food stores or online.

Substitutes: Unicorn dust

Nutritional Yeast

Widely available in the baking aisle or bulk bins, or spice section. Often in a larger spice-jar type of container.

Substitutes: Extra miso and a pinch of salt in cheesy sauces, ask us about other recipes

Dulse

Near international foods aisle

Substitutes: Nori sheets (chopped up), miso or capers

Arrowroot

Widely available in the baking aisle, bulk bins, or spice section

Substitutes: Regular flour, cornstarch (non GMO)

Hemp Hearts

Widely available in the baking aisle or bulk bins.

Substitutes: Flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds (raw, unshelled), walnuts, almonds, pine nuts

Hulless Barley

Widely available in the baking aisle or bulk bins

Substitutes: Whole wheat couscous, quinoa, brown rice

Pitted Dates

Widely available in the baking aisle or bulk bins

Substitutes: Cranberries, currants, raisins

Coconut Sugar

Widely available in the baking aisle or bulk bins

Substitutes: Maple syrup, date sugar, dates

Ume Plum Vinegar

Health food stores or online.

Substitutes: Brown rice vinegar

Coconut Aminos

Near soy sauce or spices & seasonings.

Substitutes: Equal parts low sodium soy sauce and maple syrup

Brown Rice Vinegar

Health food stores or online.

Substitutes: White rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar

Worcestershire Sauce

Widely available in the condiments section. Check to ensure it's vegan.

Substitutes: Balsamic vinegar, miso with a drop of liquid smoke

Flax Seed, Ground

Widely available in the condiments section.

Substitutes: hemp seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds (raw, unshelled), walnuts, almonds, pine nuts