What Is Veganuary?

It's officially January - which means it's a brand new year, and as we enter 2022 we also set our New Years Resolutions for the year ahead.

January is also the time of year when people decide to set a new challenge for themselves, whether that be for the whole year or just for January.

Here, we explore an emerging diet January diet trend that is slowly taking the world by storm: Veganuary.

Veganuary is an initiative that aims to encourage people to take up Veganism for the whole of January.

Veganuary is a non-profit organisation that helps to support and encourage people to adopt a vegan diet for the month and try out the lifestyle beyond just January. 

During their 2021 campaign, more than 500,000 people took the Veganuary pledge to try a vegan diet, and in 2022 this number is expected to dramatically increase.

What is Veganism?

Not quite sure what a Vegan Diet is?

A Vegan Diet eliminates all animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, and all dairy products.

To put it simply, any food or drink product that has required an animals involvement to be produced is NOT vegan friendly.

However, being Vegan doesn't mean your diet purely consists of fruit and vegetables. There's an abundance of delicious Vegan Foods available, with popular UK Supermarket Vegan Ranges developing and expanding due to the increased demand for some plant-based goodness.

Why do people do Veganuary?

Each year more and more people are taking the plunge and going Vegan for January - but why do people participate in Veganuary and have the desire to go Vegan?

A lot of people look to challenge themselves to kick start the year - Veganuary amongst other dieting trends are also a great way to try something new!

others take up Vegansim for environmental reasons. Animal agriculture is the single largest driver of habitat loss and rainforest deforestation. Additionally, Livestock is one of the leading causes of global warming.

If we all went vegan, the world’s food-related emissions would drop 70% by 2050, according to a 2016 report on food and climate in the academic journal, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Two plant-based meals a day cuts your food-related carbon emissions by 50%, and switching to a plant based diet could reduce agricultural emissions by as much as 73% in high income nations.

Some people also adopt plant-based or vegan diets for ethical and moral reasons for the welfare of animals.

Adopting a plant based diet can also have a number of health benefits, including an improvement on your heart health and reducing blood sugar levels. Read our 5 Heath Benefits of Going Vegan Blog for more information.  

Top Tips when Going Vegan

1. Read up on Vegan Topics, Articles and Blogs

We have lots of Vegan Based Blogs which can answer some of these questions on going vegan - including:

• Why are People Going Vegan for The Planet?
• How to Eat More Plant-Based Food
• How to Help Save the Planet Through Your Diet
• 5 Health Benefits of Going Vegan
• Easy Vegan Food Swaps
• Best Milk Alternatives
• How to Bulk If You're Vegan
• A Guide To Vegan Keto

You should also follow vegan creators, activists and news outlets online for information, recipes and guidance - or watch vegan documentaries to expand your knowledge. Some examples are:

• Earthling Ed
• @avantgardevegan
• @cheaplazyvegan
• Cowspiracy Documenraty - Netflix
• Seaspiracy Documentary - Netflix
• Plant Based News
• Vegan Food and Living

2. Research, Research, Research

Research is key to having a balanced plant-based diet. Look into what food provides what nutrients such as protein, iron, B12, calcium, omega 3 and zinc. Introduce supplements if you have to.

In some instances you should consult with your doctor before adopting a vegan diet.

3. Engage with the vegan community.

Follow vegan creators online for information, recipes and guidance - or watch vegan documentaries to expand your knowledge.

4. Curve Those Cravings

Ever get cravings? Remind yourself why you went vegan in the first place - you’ve got this!

5. Shop around

Vegan alternatives and products are becoming more and more accessible in leading supermarkets. Restaurants and Cafes are also introducing more vegan options for people to enjoy.

Browse for vegan food swaps online prior to visiting the shop and research how to veganise your favourite dishes.

Top tip: Some packaging on products will say 'Suitable for Vegetarians' and 'This product may contain: milk, eggs, etc' - this still means it issuitable for Vegans, so don't worry!

6. Introduce savvy swaps

Making simple adjustments to your diet can help you reduce your carbon footprint and ensure you're eating a balanced diet. 

There are plenty of products that have removed all animal products and offer a vegan version of their products; all which are now widely accessible in your local supermarket!

Alternatively, never underestimate the power of the plant - vegetable and plant-based foods are your best friend.

Always transition at your own pace - in the majority of cases, turning vegan doesn't happen overnight. By making simple adjustments to your diet can help you reduce your carbon footprint and ensure you're eating a balanced diet.

There's lots of food swaps you can introduce to your diet: 

• Milk: There's lots of plant milks you can substitute dairy milk with, including almond, oat, coconut, soy milk or use our Dairy free vanilla creamer.
• Dairy: Use vegan butter, vegan cheese, plant-based cream, coconut cream and diary-free yoghurt as alternatives. 
• Eggs: Eggs can be replaced with scrambled tofu.
• Protein Sources: Use tofu, tempeh, pulses, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds and 'vegan' meats
• Remember to eat a lot of leafy greens, other vegetables and fruits too!
• Without meat and dairy consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75% – an area equivalent to the U.S., China, the European Union and Australia combined.

Vegan alternatives and products are becoming more and more accessible in leading supermarkets, even Restaurants and Cafes are introducing more vegan options for people to enjoy.

Read our Easy Vegan Food Swaps for a Plant-Based Diet Blog for tips on going vegan and savvy swaps with The Skinny Food Co Products.

How can The Skinny Food Co Help?

Here at the Skinny Food Co we have are very conscious of our environmental impact whilst producing healthier alternatives to the foods we consume.

Read our Easy Vegan Food Swaps blog for more information on which Skinny Food Co products are best to swaps when adopting a vegan diet.

By switching to Skinny Food Co, you will not only dramatically decrease your sugar and calorie intake, you'll also be taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint. 

We are very proud to say that all our products contain zero palm oil. 

Palm oil leads to an increase in deforestation and increased carbon emissions contributing to climate change. Carbon is release into the environment when farmers expand their farming areas by converting forest into large scale palm oil plantation. 

An increase in deforestation is a result of high demand for palm oil, therefore contributing to the expansion of palm oil plantations resulting in the destruction of tropical forests.

Palm oil is the leading cause of habitat loss and contributes to the extinction of species, including the orangutan population. Every year it is estimated that between 1,000 to 5,000 orangutans are killed in Palm Oil concessions.

80% of our products are now vegan and we are currently developing new formulas for our non-vegan products to be made vegan.

Shop our full Vegan Range today!

Vegan Recipes

In need of some Vegan Recipe inspo? Don't worry, we've got you covered!

Visit our Recipes below for all your healthy, vegan and delicious creations.

• Delicious Vegan Recipes You Won't Believe Are Vegan
• 7 Easy Vegan Meal Ideas
• Easy Vegan Dessert Ideas
• Healthy Vegan Snacks