Who is, or thinking about doing Veganuary? If you’re on the fence, it’s not too late to start, so read on for some info and tips. And if you’re already participating or already vegan, carry on reading too for info and tips!
What is Veganuary?
Veganuary is a non-profit organisation encouraging people to try a vegan diet in January, meaning ditching meat and animal based products for a month. This NPO also works with corporations to develop and launch vegan items and aim to raise awareness of animal suffering. Check out the Veganuary website for more on what they do!
Reasons to try a vegan diet
With it being a new year, it's a great time to try a vegan diet if you’ve been wanting to. There’s plenty of info available on the benefits of a vegan diet, but the main reasons people choose to go vegan include:
Putting a stop to animal suffering e.g. intensive farming, animals kept in tight conditions in warehouses their whole lives, repeated impregnation of dairy cows.
Environmental issues e.g. animal farming being the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, forests cleared to make way for land to grow crops to feed animals and to graze.
Health benefits e.g. vegans suffer less from heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, can improve your sleep and skin.
Tips for beginners
So where to begin when trying a vegan diet? Fear not, it's not as hard as people think it is! Here are a few tips for beginners:
Plan your meals ahead, be organized.
Experiment with meat and dairy substitutes in your go-to recipes. Some substitutes work better than others, so ask around and try them out!
Try new vegan recipes. This will avoid the comparisonitis and you won’t know what you’re missing.
Vitamin B 12 is found in meat so you’ll need to take a supplement.
Most restaurants have vegan options and can be accommodating to amendments. Check out the ‘Happy Cow’ app which shows veggie and vegan friendly restaurants.
Eat more, increase your portion size and include foods like beans, legumes and tofu to keep you satisfied.
Lastly, have fun, experiment and focus on all the foods you CAN eat. There are over 20,000 edible plant foods so go wild!
