January 07, 2022

5 Tips For A Successful Veganuary

Thinking about starting the New Year off with a month-long stint of Veganism? Whether you’re doing it to test your willpower, for health purposes or wanting to be kinder to the planet, it’s surprisingly a lot easier (and more fun) than you’d think! We’ve written a handy little blog post with some tips and tricks to help you survive the month in one piece.

So grab a cuppa (with oat/soya milk of course) and we hope you enjoy!

Planning Makes Perfect

Eating a plant-based diet is getting easier by the minute, with the majority of major supermarkets and restaurants offering really great options all year round. Plan out some new recipes to try, there’s loads of great resources such as the official Veganuary website to get your tastebuds tingling. Batch cook to save yourself time too!

Give Into Your Cravings

Like we said, there are so many delicious vegan treats out there whether you’ve got a sweet or savoury tooth. Think about your favourite junk food in advance and look out for vegan alternatives when you do a big supermarket shop so you’re less likely to cheat! (FYI: the Galaxy Vegan Caramel & Sea Salt bar is heavenly.) It’ll stop the month feeling too restrictive, and far more like a fun challenge.

Read the Smallprint (But remember, Accidents Happen!)

Even the most dedicated of Vegans have had a slip-up and accidentally eating something containing animal products. Look out for milk powder in a lot of biscuits and flavoured crisps. Accidentally Vegan is your best friend for finding lesser-known snacks that are plant-based, e.g. Oreos, Bourbons, Party Rings, Frazzles and Smoky Bacon Walkers to name a few!

Say Cheese!

If you’re a cheese lover (like me), you might be nervous about the prospect of going dairy-free for a whole month. There are a lot of Vegan cheese substitutes out there, but some of them really are downright awful. (Trust us, we’ve tried). For Parmesan fiends, Violife has a great dupe which you can find at most supermarkets or health food shops. If you’re really craving it, we’d recommend treating yourself to a takeout pizza; Dominos, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s all have some yummy options with fake mozzarella. Go on, you deserve it.

Buddy Up

Finding a friend to do Veganuary with makes the whole thing a lot more fun and enjoyable. Maybe plan a ‘Come Dine with Me’ style evening where you test a new plant-based recipe out on each other, or go to a new restaurant you wouldn’t usually visit. (Happy Cow is a fab website for finding Vegan-friendly restaurants near you). If you’re are donning a chef’s hat yourself, we’d recommend experimenting with Thai or Japanese cuisine, which typically don’t use dairy ingredients anyway, and sub out the meat for a plant-based protein or meat substitute!

Writing this has made my rather hungry, so I’m off to cook a Vegan Pad Thai. Good luck and have fun!