9 canned and frozen vegan staples that make weeknight cooking as easy as it was in the 70s

There’s something charming about how effortlessly people cooked in the 70s.

They relied on pantry staples, simple techniques, and the confidence that dinner didn’t need to be complicated to be good.

Somewhere along the way, many of us started treating home cooking like a competitive sport.

We collect elaborate recipes, feel pressured to cook everything from scratch, and sometimes end up paralyzed by the very abundance of options that are supposed to make life easier.

As a lifelong learner who loves both convenience and nourishment, I’ve found that returning to basic canned and frozen staples can bring back a sense of calm in the kitchen.

There’s a grounded pleasure in knowing you can pull together something comforting without having to plan, prep, or hustle your way through the evening.

And as someone who often squeezes trail runs or garden chores into the late afternoon, I’ve learned to build dinners around ingredients that wait patiently for me.

Staples that don’t guilt trip me when I’ve had a long day but still help me create something warm and satisfying.

Here are nine of my favorite vegan staples that make weeknight cooking feel easy again, in the best retro kind of way.

1) Canned chickpeas

Canned chickpeas have saved more of my dinners than I can count.

They’re quick, versatile, and endlessly forgiving, which is exactly the kind of energy most weeknights need.

On nights when I’m tired, I drain a can, throw them into a hot skillet with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt, and they turn golden and crisp within minutes.

If I have more time, I might simmer them in canned tomatoes with cumin and chili flakes, but even the simple version works beautifully.

I used to feel guilty about rarely cooking beans from scratch until I realized convenience isn’t cheating.

It’s a way of supporting yourself when life gets busy, and chickpeas make it easy to throw together bowls, wraps, salads, and quick snacks without breaking your flow.

They also adapt to whatever flavor profile you’re craving.

Italian, Mexican, Indian, Mediterranean, even something as simple as lemon and black pepper can transform them into a satisfying meal.

2) Frozen spinach

Frozen spinach is one of those ingredients that quietly does the heavy lifting.

It adds nutrients, volume, and color to dishes without demanding any prep, washing, or chopping.

I love keeping a couple of bags in the freezer for nights when fresh greens aren’t in the cards.

It melts seamlessly into soups, curries, pastas, tofu scrambles, and even grain bowls when you just need something green to round out the plate.

There’s no pressure with frozen spinach.

It doesn’t wilt in the fridge or guilt-trip you when you forget about it in the crisper drawer, and the flavor holds up beautifully when mixed into cooked dishes.

Sometimes I just stir a handful into canned lentil soup, squeeze in some lemon, and call it dinner.

And the best part is that it tastes like something I intentionally planned rather than a rescue mission for my dwindling energy.

3) Canned coconut milk

Canned coconut milk is my shortcut to creamy, cozy meals with almost no effort.

It instantly turns a pot of vegetables or beans into something rich and comforting in a way that feels almost magical.

I often ask myself what single ingredient elevates my cooking the most, and this one might take the top spot.

When you stir coconut milk into simple simmered vegetables, especially with curry paste or ginger and garlic, it becomes a dinner that tastes like you dedicated way more time to it.

It also works beautifully in desserts when you’re craving something soothing but low effort.

Warm coconut milk with cinnamon, cardamom, or a little maple syrup makes a lovely evening treat, and it’s perfect for chia puddings or quick fruit sauces.

What I love most is how adaptable it is.

Whether you’re making Thai-inspired curry, a creamy tomato soup, or a simple mushroom sauce for pasta, coconut milk brings everything together with an ease that feels almost nostalgic.

4) Frozen peas

Frozen peas are one of the most comforting ingredients in my kitchen.

They bring both color and sweetness to dishes, and they cook in just a minute or two, which makes them perfect for busy nights.

There’s something delightful about the way they brighten up a meal.

Toss them into rice, stir them into pasta, add them to curries, or sprinkle them into tofu fried rice, and you suddenly have a meal that feels more complete.

I still associate peas with childhood dinners, but as an adult, I appreciate how practical they are.

They don’t get mushy when cooked properly, and they maintain their vibrant color and snap thanks to flash freezing.

Some nights I add a handful to a bowl of leftover risotto or soup, and it instantly feels refreshed.

They’re the kind of ingredient that quietly steps up without demanding attention, and sometimes that’s exactly what a weeknight calls for.

5) Canned lentils

It took me years to embrace canned lentils because I thought cooking them from scratch was a rite of passage.

Eventually, I realized that ease is a gift, not a shortcut, and canned lentils are one of the most practical plant-based proteins you can buy.

They warm quickly, absorb flavors beautifully, and can anchor almost any quick meal.

When I’m craving tacos, I season them with cumin, garlic, chili powder, and a splash of lime, and suddenly I have a hearty filling ready in minutes.

They’re also wonderful in soups, pastas, and grain bowls when you want something substantial but don’t have the energy to simmer beans for an hour.

One of my favorite lazy dinners is stirring lentils into marinara with spinach and serving it over pasta for a dish that feels rustic and comforting.

Sometimes I’m struck by how much easier we could make our lives if we stopped romanticizing hard work in the kitchen.

Canned lentils are a gentle reminder that nourishment doesn’t always require effort.

6) Frozen stir fry vegetables

Frozen stir fry blends are the closest thing I have to a backup plan on nights when chopping a single vegetable feels like too much.

They come pre-cut, pre-washed, and perfectly balanced, and all you have to do is toss them in a hot pan.

I love how quickly they cook and how they create the illusion of a colorful, thoughtfully assembled meal even when you’re just tossing things together.

A little garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and maybe some tofu or chickpeas, and you’ve got dinner with minimal thought.

They’re also excellent for bowls, noodles, fried rice, or simple sautéed mixes when you just need something warm and nourishing in front of you.

The variety in the blends keeps things interesting without you having to buy five different vegetables every week.

I’ve heard people say frozen produce is inferior, but modern freezing methods preserve texture and nutrients so well.

In many cases, these vegetables go from field to freezer faster than some fresh produce travels to the store.

7) Canned tomatoes

There’s a reason canned tomatoes show up in so many home kitchens.

They’re one of the most dependable and transformative staples you can keep on hand, and they make simple meals taste deeply comforting.

I often think about Marcella Hazan’s philosophy that good cooking is rooted in simplicity.

Canned tomatoes embody that idea perfectly because they only need a few ingredients like olive oil, garlic, and herbs to become something special.

They’re the foundation of countless easy meals.

Tomato-based soups, stews, pastas, curries, and ragouts all start with a can of tomatoes simmering gently on the stove, filling the kitchen with a scent that feels grounding at the end of a long day.

One of my favorite quick dinners is simmering tomatoes with chickpeas and spinach until it thickens into a rustic stew.

It’s hearty, flavorful, and reminds me that comfort doesn’t require complication.

8) Frozen fruit

Frozen fruit might not be the first thing you think of for weeknight dinners, but it uniquely brings balance and comfort.

It’s perfect for quick breakfasts, light desserts, or little evening treats that don’t throw your routine off track.

I use it often on days when my appetite feels uneven, and I want something nourishing but gentle.

Warm berries over oatmeal, banana slices blended into smoothies, or fruit simmered into a fast compote add color and sweetness without much effort.

There’s also something emotionally soothing about having fruit that tastes like summer even in the middle of winter.

It adds a brightness that can lift your mood on days when everything feels a little heavy.

And when you drizzle warm berries with coconut milk or sprinkle them with granola, you get a dessert that feels indulgent in the simplest possible way.

9) Canned beans of all kinds

Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, you name it.

These are the ingredients that form the backbone of almost every easy vegan meal, and they make weeknight cooking feel wonderfully uncomplicated.

I turn to them when I want something grounding but don’t want to spend time prepping tofu or soaking anything.

With a little seasoning, citrus, and maybe some veggies, canned beans become a satisfying base for bowls, tacos, soups, pastas, and more.

One of the biggest lessons I learned in my early vegan years was that many of my favorite meals were incredibly simple.

Often, they were just seasoned beans over rice with a vegetable on the side, and they always tasted like comfort after a long day.

These beans are familiar, flexible, and deeply reliable. They don’t require planning or precision, and they always show up exactly when you need them.

Final thoughts

If you’ve been craving more ease in your weeknight cooking, these canned and frozen staples can help you create meals that feel warm, grounding, and approachable.

They bring a sense of calm back into the kitchen by reducing the number of decisions you have to make, especially when your energy is low.

There’s nothing unskilled about leaning on convenience.

In fact, creating sustainable eating habits often means choosing ingredients that support you rather than drain you, and these staples do exactly that.

More than anything, they remind us that good food doesn’t need to be complicated to be meaningful.

Sometimes the simplest meals are the ones that allow us to actually enjoy our evenings, reconnect with ourselves, and remember why we love cooking in the first place.

Give yourself permission to embrace ease where you can.

Your future self will thank you every time you open the pantry and realize dinner is only a few minutes away.