Your Full Guide To Veganuary 2022: What Is It And How Can You Get Involved

2022 is right round the corner and we’re one step closer to Janu…oh wait – Veganuary! 

Forget focusing your new year’s resolution list on getting fit and going to the gym – that’s sooooo last year. We’re urging you to focus your efforts on turning your diet into a vegan haven.

Veganuary may seem like a completely foreign concept to you – and that’s okay, that’s why we’re here to help!

We wanted to give you a full guide into the origins of Veganuary, why people choose to be vegan and the ways in which you can enjoy Veganuary this year!

Whether you’re a lifelong meat eater, a veggie who’s obsessed with cheese, or even a fully fledged vegan who’s just interested in knowing more about this powerful movement, this blog is intended to be packed full of info and universally for everyone.

Relax, unwind and grab yourself a cuppa (made with soy milk, preferably)! Here are some burning questions you might have had about Veganuary. 

What Is Veganuary?

Veganuary is a registered non-profit charity which challenges people to turn vegan for January, as you can probably guess from the play on words. 

Despite focusing their efforts and campaigns on the first month of a fresh new year, Veganuary hopes to inspire people to keep away from eating animal products and maintain a vegan lifestyle. 

In 2021, the charity supported more than half a million people to try a vegan diet in 2021…half. a. million. people?!? That’s a bloomin’ big challenge. 

They have four aims in which their business operates. These are:

• Increasing participation – Inspiring people from around the world to join the vegan diet.

• Corporate outreach – Drive corporate change by working with brands, restaurants and supermarkets, and promoting new vegan items (especially in January!)

• Raising awareness – Veganuary raises awareness for the animal suffering that continually happens behind our backs.

• Growing the global movement – Veganuary has helped a mass shift in consumer habits, with around ⅓ of the population having either cut down on their meat consumption, or stopping eating it altogether. 

When Did Veganuary Start?

Veganuary began back in January 2014, and every year it releases a campaign to encourage others to join in.

Since becoming a thing, Veganuary has helped support people and businesses alike to move to a plant based diet as a way of preventing animal suffering, helping the environment and improving the health of millions of people.

Is Veganuary Actually Good For You?

In summary, yes! Veganuary can be super beneficial to you, your health and the way you think about the foods you’re putting into your body.

If you stick to the challenge, you’ll open your eyes to the reasons why Vegans are so strong about their opinions. 

Animal Cruelty

When you come to think of animal abuse, there’s so much that happens behind the scenes to which humans are completely oblivious too. 

Every year in the UK, around 1 billion animals are bred and killed for food – and that number doesn’t include fish! 

Animals across the UK are bred just to be slaughtered for human consumption, and some unfortunately end up living in conditions beyond your wildest imagination.

If this is something that resonates with you, by becoming vegan and refusing to buy animal products, you will help reduce the demand for meat products and lower the amount of animals bred for food. 

Health Benefits

According to Healthline, having a vegan diet can ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need for a healthy lifestyle.

As you will need to find substitutes for meat, it will inevitably mean you’ll rely heavily on plant based ingredients. 

Replacements take the form of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

It’s known that people across the world switch their diet for many different health reasons, so we suggest that you further research into it to see if it suits you.

How Can I Get Involved In Veganuary 2022?

Firstly, one of the main ways you can get involved with Veganuary is through changing your diet. 

When you pop the shop for vegan food, you’ll come to realise that it costs just as much as what you’d pay for different types of animal products. 

Fresh vegetables are a basic necessity for any vegan diet, but we fully recommend venturing out and finding some delicious vegan snacks and vegan products to help you transition easier. 

Secondly, let people know you’re getting involved!

On the Veganuary website, you can let them know that you’re trying Veganuary for 2022, and you’ll get full access to Celebrity cookbooks, easy meal plans, nutrition guides and 31 coaching emails…what’s not to love?

When it comes to social media, why not spread the word and join the online vegan society? 

You’ll be able to find many accounts on the likes of Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, who’re encouraging people to try vegan food options!

Here, you can find inspiration for what to cook, see other peoples ‘why’ and even get you posting your own vegan journey. 

Recipes For Veganuary

Are you slightly hesitant about what to cook on your vegan journey? Let’s be honest, most people always are!

Transitioning from eating meat to a plant based diet can be an extremely foreign concept, and you’re NOT expected to be a pro chef in the kitchen.

Most supermarkets have a variety of vegan substitutes to choose from, but we’ve collated the top 8 vegan recipes to cook after a long day. 

Make sure to check it out here.

Summary: Our Top Tips For Veganuary 2022

Veganuary inspires so many people from around the world to step out of their comfort zone and try something new.

We wanted to come up with a few ways, useful tips and hacks for smashing Veganuary 2022. 

Keep reading to find out how…

1. Meal Plan To Your Heart’s Content

Meal planning is one of the most important steps if you’re looking to be cooking your own food. 

Veganism will most likely be a new diet in your life, so how are you expected to know exactly what to eat?

Meal planning will keep you feeling organised, allow you to research high protein, nutrient full meals, and even give you ideas on what products are actually vegan.

Fail to prepare? Prepare to fail. If you don’t spend time on this important step, you’re guaranteed to barely last a week on this challenge. 

2. Keep A Log Of How You’re Feeling

Switching diets can have a massive effect on your body, your health and mind.

By keeping a log of your thoughts and feelings, you’ll be able to monitor yourself to ensure you’re well.

Vegan options tend to be more difficult to get all the nutrients you need if you have a poorly planned diet, which can take a turn on your health.

Why don’t you grab one of your dusty journals from the back of your desk and write down your daily thoughts?

Once the challenge is complete, then you can read back over and see if staying vegan is something you’d want to carry on with.

3. Batch Cook And Freeze 

Are we Emily Mariko or????? Maybe not, but we can try and be like her!

Being organised is an overall key success factor in tackling Veganuary.

If you have the room, batch cooking and freezing plant based meals can be your best friend during this challenging month.

It’ll completely cut down the amount of time you spend in the kitchen, giving you extra time to do things you love.

4. Check Labels and Use Apps To Help

If you pop into a supermarket, restaurant or even a coffee shop today, you’ll be astounded by just how much selection of vegan products there are to choose from. 

Throwing it back 5 years ago, it was a very rare occurrence to find vegan/meat substitutes on the shelves, except from the likes of Quorn or Linda McCartney. 

Having this increased range makes it so much easier to tackle Veganuary 2022.

However, saying this, It can come to a point where you feel as if you’re questioning whether products are really vegan.

A huge tip – ALWAYS check the labels. No matter what.

If they don’t have anything stating it’s vegan, then it definitely won’t be.

Products go through such a thorough process before they’re placed on the shelf, and making sure the correct information is on the packets is one step taken extremely seriously.

The website – Vegan Friendly – offers an online service to check whether products and ingredients are vegan (ps, it’s literally a life saver).

Vegan Pocket is an app you can download straight to your phone, which will scan barcodes to let you know whether it’s vegan or not…seriously – what’s not to love?

Does this make you excited for Veganuary 2022? If so, make sure to share the love and let us know on our socials if you’re going to be getting involved! Start the year off with trying something new – what’s stopping you!?