21 Jan 21st January What does Veganuary mean to you?
Before diving into the month of January with goals of eating less meat or meat products, consider what this month means to you. Ask yourself, why am I doing this and how can I make sure to get the most out of it? Veganuary is a chance to not only try something new, but to see how it fits into your lifestyle – but you should never feel pressured to try something if you don’t want to.
Vegan food are items that have no direct connection to animals. No meat, no produce that comes from animals like eggs and milk. Honey is also something that is not eaten, as it is made directly by bees. Being vegan is a lot more than not eating any meat or animal products though. It is a view through the consumption of any products, not just food related ones, including avoiding leather, fur and other wearable items.
We will focus on the food side of veganism here. The stereotypical thought of a vegan diet is fruit and veg, constantly. That is far from the truth. To get a balanced vegan diet, you can incorporate protein alternatives like beans and nuts, meat alternatives that are made to look, feel and sometimes taste like chicken, or pork etc. Tofu is one of my personal favourite vegan items to eat because it can be prepared in so many different ways! I prefer it in crispy cubes, with some teriyaki sauce (and some other things added to it too!).
Keep reading to find out some fun vegan facts!
In 2014, a couple called Jane Land and Matthew Glover from York started the idea of a vegan January. It started as a general idea and conversation but soon grew into a recognised campaign across the UK, and parts of the world. “Veganuary” is actually a charity which promotes veganism by helping people try it during the month of January, started by the couple, and they promote the lifestyle through it.
Veganuary gives everyone the chance to try vegan meals on a smaller scale (either just for one month, or to try a few meals within the month), which may be less intimidating then suddenly switching to a vegan diet. Also, the knowledge that there are others who are trying something new in the month of January may provide a level of comfort for you.
The potential downside to Veganuary is that it only encourages people to try vegan meals during one month of the year, whereas it would be more beneficial to encourages others to try it all year round, with different food items, different seasonal veg etc.
@dopplle Dopplle tries Veganuary! Everyone at Dopplle this month is having a go at making vegan food part of their weekly meal plan for the month of January. This week we tried Falafel Burgerd which were good but hard to keep the patty looking like a patty! Falafel Burgers - Serves 4 (BBCgoodfood: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/falafel-burgers-0) #dopplleit #veganuary #food #eco ♬ original sound - Dopplle
You may have seen on our social media that we are attempting a different Veganuary recipe each week! Some have been great, others are a bit less great…. Below are a few recipes we have either tried, or want to try in the future.
Recipes we want to try or have already tried!
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/kadala-curry
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spinach-sweet-potato-lentil-dhal
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/falafel-burgers-0
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/vegan-banana-cupcakes
- https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sticky-noodles-homemade-hoisin
Click here to see our Veganuary TikToks!
Vegan diets have been around for years, and are only getting more popular. More meat and meat product alternatives are appearing, making it easier than ever to try meals that are completely vegan.
Hopefully this small blog post has given you something to consider trying for the rest of January. Being educated is important and we urge you to have a go at trying more vegan food and recipes!