From somebody who does it every year….
I’m not ashamed to say that the only New Years Resolution I can ever actually stick to each year is Veganuary.
Veganuary has been going since 2014 and encourages you to try going Vegan for the whole month of January, meaning you can help make an impact on the planet and the animals in the very first month of the year.
I’ve taken part in Veganuary for around three years now and have watched it grow exponentially each year, with 1200 specialist products launching for Veganuary 2020 alone and over one million participants since 2014!
There are three main reasons anybody should take part in Veganuary:
38% of people participate for Health reasons
Eating animal products has been linked to 15 of the top 16 killers of people in the west.
Eating a plant-based diet can, in some cases, help to prevent or even reverse these conditions.
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37% participate for the Animals
This one doesn’t need much explanation, not eating animal products is good for animals, who would have thought!
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If this cause seems like the one, you can watch documentaries like ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ which show animal conditions in the UK livestock industry in startling detail, you might be surprised!
18% participate for the Environment
In order to have even a 50:50 chance of remaining below the 1.5°C heating over which we would see catastrophic impact, we need to reach net zero emissions by 2050 which isn’t far off!
If the human race wants even a 50:50 chance of avoiding the catastrophic impact caused by crossing the 1.5 C heat threshold set in the Paris Agreement we need to work to reach net zero emissions by 2050, which is not as far off as it sounds.
Livestock systems currently cover 45% of the total land on earth, and so animal agriculture has a huge impact on the planet.
Raising animals for meat, dairy and eggs requires a lot of energy to feed and maintain the animals to then prepare them to be eaten; in fact more greenhouse gas emissions are produced from just animal agriculture than all of the transportation industries on earth combined!
So one of the best things you can do for the planet is move towards a more plant based diet.
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Once you have your motivation, you’re ready to get started.
It can be quite daunting at first – maybe give yourself a few days to ease into the challenge if this is a spontaneous decision, as most resolutions made at 12:01 on New Years Day are.
And your Veganuary doesn’t have to be perfect – after a stressful year, if you’d rather just try a few vegan meals throughout the month, that’s still amazing.
Try veganising a meal you already love – swap beef burgers for beyond burgers, swap a mince bolognese for a mushroom one, or try a vegan sausage with your mash.
Don’t forget to research your snacks! Make sure you know what you can delve into when you’re a bit peckish.
Most crisps are fine, try digestives or oreos for a biscuit fix, and there are so many vegan chocolates out now – galaxy and Nomo are a couple of favourites.
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So, if you think you’re stuck in a bit of a rut, or you’re looking for a way to make a positive impact in 2021, why not give it a go and start off the year with a new adventure, you might be surprised with what you discover….
