Have you decided to take part in the next Veganuary? That’s awesome! I personally started my vegan journey by doing Veganuary and then I never looked back. Here are my top tips for a successful Veganuary, from how to plan for it to how to stick to it and of course, enjoy the experience!

What is Veganuary?

Veganuary is a charity on a mission to encourage everyone to try veganism for the whole month of January, every year. The aim is to help people kickstarts new habits and carry on eating more plants after January, even if they don’t remain fully vegan.

How to plan for a successful Veganuary?

Assess your current diet

Think about what you currently eat and identify what is vegan and what isn’t. This will help you assess what needs to change in your diet as well as start looking for vegan alternatives.

Declutter your kitchen

It’s a good idea to stop stocking up on non-vegan products around mid-December, so that you can go through your meat, dairy and other non-vegan foods before January starts.

If you still have some leftovers, give them away to a local charity. Non perishable items can also be stored in a box out of reach and if possible outside the kitchen, so that your fridge and pantry are fully vegan.

Find a Veganuary buddy

Does your partner, sister, friend or co-worker want to do Veganuary as well? Team up and support each other! You can cook together, find new recipes to try and even go out for vegan meals.

Make a list of easy vegan recipes

One thing a lot of people struggle with is easy recipe ideas. They either have little time to cook, or they get tired of eating the same “tofu, rice, and vegs” meal.

A great way to plan for a successful Veganuary is to visit vegan blogs and Instagram accounts to find some easy and tasty vegan recipes you will be able to make in 20 minutes.

Head over to my Vegan Winter Warmers blog post for a bunch of easy and hearty recipes.

Veganuary: how to stick to it

Plan your meals

Before doing your weekly grocery shop, write down what you’re going to eat for the next few days. It will help you ensure that you have everything you need and it will be much easier to stick to your plant-based diet.

Meal prep

If you can’t cook every day and/or bring your lunch to work, I’d recommend meal prepping for a few days on the weekend, so that you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to eat on a busy work day.

Veganise your favourite recipes

Love a mac and cheese? No problem, all you need is vegan butter, vegan cheese and plant-based milk. The same goes with pretty much any recipe. Nowadays it’s fairly easy to find vegan alternatives to anything, from mince to cheese, chocolate and yoghurt.

Educate yourself

If you’ve decided to participate in Veganuary, you’ve probably heard about the consequences of animal farming for the planet or the way animals are treated.

The best way to stick to Veganuary is to remember your “why”. Keep on reading studies and watch more documentaries that will remind you why you committed to it in the first place.

How to make Veganuary an enjoyable experience

Try new foods and recipes

Vegan food isn’t boring! If you enjoy cooking, you can find thousands of vegan recipes online. Why not set yourself a challenge and try 3 new recipes every week?

You can also wander in the plant-based aisle and pick up new foods to try.

Eat the rainbow

Although vegan junk food is great, the foundations of a well-balanced and healthy plant-based diet are whole foods, such as grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits and seeds. The goal is to eat as many different plants as possible, so that you get all the nutrients you need and you eat fulfilling meals.

This is why I love eating nourish bowls for lunch: the method is super simple and guarantees a colourful, well-balanced meal. Learn how to create your own vegan nourish bowl here.

Final words

Deciding to giving Veganuary a go is awesome, especially if you eat meat every day or so. The more your diet relies on animal products, the more changes you will need to make.

As long as you’re doing your best, that’s all that matters! Please, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Slip ups happen. See them as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, and keep going.

Even if you don’t eat 100% vegan in January, your efforts will still benefit the planet as well as your health. Be proud of yourself!