10 Tips for a Successful Veganuary
Image by Ronke Hart Photography
It’s that time of year again! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a complete newbie, with supermarkets dedicating their seasonal shelves to the cause, and vegan influencers clocking the hours to bring you fresh inspiration, January is a great time to try out new vegan products and recipes. Speaking from experience, cold turkey rarely works in the long-haul, so, we’ve rounded up our top tips to help you make small, sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle that will last.
Our top tips for Veganuary
1. Do your research
I know: YAWN. But – this shouldn’t be overlooked! Whether it’s checking restaurant menus ahead of time or researching alternatives to your favourite meat, this is a necessary evil in creating long-term changes. It can also be a good idea to get into the habit of keeping up with news on animal welfare and sustainability to keep yourself educated and motivated on the matter. If articles aren’t your thing, YouTube can be a great place to start!
2. Start with one vegan meal a day
A slow transition is more likely to make lasting changes, so why not spend Veganuary eating a vegan breakfast every day? Peanut butter and jam on toast anyone? Or, if you’re an avid meal-prepper, why not make this month’s meals of the plant-based one pot variety? It’s an easy way to make a meaningful change.
3. Go vegan for the day
We’re not letting you off that easy – we’re talking one day each week. If you’re not ready to give up one meal every day, try meat-free Mondays. You could even try adding an additional day every week – it’ll make a vegan of you by March!
4. Veganise your favourite mid-week meal
It’s time to put those new research skills to work! We all have a couple of go-to, easy meals that see us through even most tiring of evenings, so why not make them vegan? From mac and cheese to shepherd’s pie, there really is a recipe out there for everything. There’s also heaps of foodie-favourites that are, more often than not, “accidentally vegan”, such as lentil dahl or rice and peas – it could be even easier than you think.
5. Eat vegan at home
If you’re a confident cook, this could be the option for you! Keep your home cooked meals plant-based, but allow yourself to have meat, eggs or dairy when eating out – simple.
6. Visit a vegan or plant-based restaurant
If your title as a vegan home-chef isn’t quite secured yet, then it’s time to gather some outside inspiration! Treating yourself to a meal at your local plant-based restaurant is the perfect way to stay motivated and see the lip-smacking potential of a vegan diet – long gone are the days of bland couscous salads and boring bean burgers, the tasty opportunities are truly endless! If you’re lucky enough to have a Pastan in your city, we can’t recommend their menu enough. If your local restaurant scene isn’t yet on the vegan wagon, Indian, Thai, Chinese or Japanese eateries can be a great place to start – you may even find your favourite veggie takeaway was vegan all along.
7. Prepare yourself for the small print
Another dull reality that no-one prepares you for: it’s time to get used to studying the list of ingredients on packaged foods. This can feel like a minefield at first, but we promise it gets easier over time. There’s also heaps of websites and even scanner apps to help with this, another must-have resource to keep in your vegan toolbelt.
8. Eating seasonally
If sustainability is your top priority, making the effort to eat seasonally is one of the best things you can do to lower your carbon footprint throughout Veganuary and beyond. Not only is your food travelling much shorter distances than imported fruit and veg, but it’s also fresher, and, as a little bonus, often cheaper too! Hubbub do a wonderful, month-by-month guide to seasonal eating in the UK – both the planet and your purse will thank you for this one.
9. Talk to your friends and family about why you want to take part in Veganuary
This is often overlooked but can be one of the most impactful things you can do on your vegan journey. Whether you’re passionate about environmentalism, animal welfare or improving your health, talking about “the why” can change people’s attitudes towards veganism and could even inspire them to do the same.
10. Remember, a vegan lifestyle doesn’t stop at what you eat
While countless studies have shown that eating a plant-based diet is one of the best things we can do as individuals to help the environment, there are many other aspects to consider if you want to lead a cruelty-free, sustainable, vegan lifestyle. This will look different for everyone but could include reducing how often you fly or use private transport, ensuring that your skincare products are vegan and cruelty-free, buying second-hand wherever possible or keeping tabs on your MP’s voting history and campaigning for commitments to reversing the effects of the climate crisis.
Ready to start your vegan journey? Check out our recipes or treat yourself to a delicious Puff Puff snack box!
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