Nuts 

Nuts are VERY important in my vegetarian diet.  They provide a great variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as fibers and beneficial essential fatty acids.  Soaking nuts will improve their digestibility, but if you run out of time for that process, they are still really tasty and nutritious.  My freezer is LOADED with all kinds of nuts (their good fats are more protected in the freezer, but you can still keep them in your pantry). 

Almonds 

My favorites by far ! Homemade almond milk is so good and easy to do (see recipe here).  It tastes nothing like the commercial ones we used to buy before.  I also like to use them in many gluten-free crusts, cakes or cookies as almond meal or flour.  A snack we particularly like in our family is soaked almonds.  Pretty simple to do ! It's like a completely different food !  The process of soaking them makes it easier to digest and their nutrients easier to absorb.  They are also really great roasted and added on top of a simple salad.  Finally, we love almond butter as a snack, with crackers or mixed with a bit of raw honey to accompanied sliced apples.  We do add it to our energy balls and granola bars to ! 

Brazil nuts 

I love to add them to my granola recipes or to make vegan parmesan.  

Cashews 

Soaked, they are the best for making raw cheese cakes, cashew cream (to add on pancakes), in soups or as sour cream for Mexican's dishes.  I also like to use roasted cashew in asian dishes to add a little bit of crunchiness. 

Hazelnuts 

Hazelnut milk, hazelnut butter (it almost taste like a full version of "Nutella" on it's own!), on top of salad or in loafs.  In desserts, I like that they add that "praliné" flavour that we love so much.  Always great with chocolate too! 

Pecans 

Roasted on salads, in cookies or in a "nutty" pie crust ! 

Pine nuts 

Although they are pricy, I like adding pines nuts on top of italian dishes like polenta or in my pesto.  

Pistachios 

This green nut is a pain to open (I buy them shelled most of the time even if they are more expensive!), but it has a wonderful color and flavor that works well in desserts (on a lemon pie topped with coconut whipped cream or with chocolate) and goes perfectly with goat cheese (or nut cheese).  

Walnuts

Loaded with good fats (omega-3 fatty acids), I often add them on top of salads or in my gluten-free brownie recipe.  

Seeds 

Chia seeds 

My FAVORITE source of omega-3 fatty acids ! I'm in love with the texture of chia pudding, which kind of reminds me of tapioca pudding.  I often do a batch of chia pudding for the week (so easy to do!) and add it in desserts, with granola and fruits in the morning or in smoothies.  If you don't particularly love that grainy texture, you can blend the pudding before eating it.  That's what I do when I'm out of coconut yogurt for my granola in the morning. I also like to use chia seeds when I want to replace an egg in a cake, pancakes or a cookie recipe.  

Flax seeds

Also rich in omega-3, I use them in granola or in cookies and muffins top replace an egg !

Hemp seeds

Another great add to a balanced vegetarian diet since hemp protein is complete (containing all essential amino acids).  I add them in energy balls or granola, but I also like to sprinkle these raw seeds on top of salads to.  They do have a strong taste, so I find that the best way to introduce them is to add some each time you eat quinoa or a rice casserole. You won't even notice it !  

Poppy seeds

They add crunchiness to any pancake recipe, salad dressing or pasta dish !

Psyllium flakes

 It's really good for the gut function and it helps prevent cardiovascular diseases.  I use it in my cashew yogurt (to add creaminess) recipe and in some gluten-free recipes, like cookies, cakes and "no meatballs" !

Pumpkin seeds 

I prefer them roasted, as a topping for salads or in granola.  

Sesame seeds 

I add these high in calcium seeds in asian dishes, energy balls or as tahini (sesame spread) in my vegan gravy recipe. 

Sunflowers seeds 

Roasted, they add crunchiness to granola, salads and even a pasta dish !