Veganuary 2021 {A Month Full of Plants!}

Looking back through my posts, I somehow missed any mention of Veganuary for the last two new years! Three years ago I put out some information to help encourage anyone embarking on a meat-dairy-fish-egg-free January, but I dropped the ball on continuing the trend the last few years. Well, not this year my friends. I'm here to support and encourage anyone wanting to sign up officially or unofficially for the January initiative to try to go vegan for the month.

For those who this is the first time even hearing the phrase, Veganuary was started back in 2014 as a way to encourage people to go vegan for the first month of the year. A play on the words "vegan" and "January." It's been going strong since then, gaining traction every year. Up to this point over one million people have signed up to give it a go. There are tons of great resources on the website with recipe ideas, shopping guides, health information and so many ways to connect and learn. As with any lifestyle change, having a great community to join and be a part of definitely helps make it more fun and sustainable.

What does "vegan" mean?

Because it is also worth mentioning, veganism is not just a dietary choice but a way of life. On the food end of things, no dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), meat or seafood of any kind, eggs or anything else coming from an animal is consumed. That extends to other choices in consumption from clothing and shoes to housewares and beyond. The ultimate goal (IMHO) is to do as little harm as possible to any creature on our planet. Perfection is not realistic, again, in my own opinion, but I truly believe we can all continue to make better choices wherever we are in life to be more conscious of how such choices impact not just us, but everyone and everything.

However, that being said, there is no wrong way to do Veganuary! Many people focus on the food side first and then go from there. As I have made mention of multiple times before, that's how my own journey began. I focused on health and nutrition, then the ethical and environmental aspects started popping up more to influence my now almost 8 year journey. If you are interested in dipping your toes in the water, any attempt is great. Setting a goal for one month is an excellent way to give it a shot!

Just a few of my plant-based cookbooks

How to "do" Veganuary?

The post that I wrote back in 2018 still has some great tips I share and use myself even today. The first thing once deciding to commit to a big change for the month ahead is to figure out your "why". It might be for the animals, maybe you want to reduce your impact on the environment, perhaps you want to take control of your health and just eat more plants. Shoot, you might just want to start 2021 completely differently than 2020. Whatever your reasoning is, write it down and put it somewhere you can see it. That way when you fall off the wagon for a meal or get frustrated you remember what it is you wanted to accomplish by trying out a vegan month.

Take some time to do some meal planning. Even in the last year, the vegan choices in stores and restaurants have exploded with variety (that carrot cake in my cover image is totally vegan), but it still helps to have an idea of what you are going to eat for meals. That can be especially helpful if vegan cooking is completely new to you. Find some blogs you enjoy, follow some vegan cooks on social media or maybe even take a plant-based cooking class if you are really interested in keeping up some meatless meals for the long haul. Planning always helps you keep on track to make healthy choices along the way.

One day at a time. Day one will probably be easy, but the other 30 or so days after that might trip you up on occasion. You might forget that your favorite salad dressing has anchovies or that manufacturers put dairy in literally everything. If you slip up, just keep moving forward. That holds true even if you are just trying to start eating better for the new year, vegan or not. ;)

Vegan definitely isn't boring OR limiting!

Get Excited!

If you are trying out a vegan January, I would hope you are doing it because you truly are excited to give a meatless lifestyle a try. Approach it as an opportunity to try new things. I mean, there are more plant foods out there than one person could ever try in a lifetime--how amazing is that? Even if you don't plan on going vegan long term, you will definitely add some great vegetable side dishes to your meal plan rotation or easily be able to feed any of your vegan/vegetarian friends. Look out for new beans or lentils. Scour the farmers market for some vegetables you've never used. Fruit is always an easy snack if you're feeling stumped.

Keep things simple if you are new to cooking overall. Not every meal has to be fancy or elaborate. Sometimes all I have the energy for is a baked potato with black beans, salsa and avocado or a quick veggie stir fry over lentil pasta. However if you do already love to cook, oh boy will you find anything and everything in vegan form! Nothing is out of the realm of possibility from pizza to burgers or ice cream or....

I will always encourage healthy choices, especially to kick off the new year. Not because I want you to shoot for unrealistic new year's resolutions, but because I always want people to feel good and take care of themselves. Take advantage of the vegan convenience foods when you really need to or enjoy a decadent vegan treat on occasion, but as always, cooking and preparing whole, real food at home is your best bet to feel some positive changes during your vegan month.

If all else fails, there's always pasta...

All that's left to say for now is good luck and happy eating! I will do my best not to leave you hanging this year. If I can get my act together I will do some more cookbook reviews since I have added more to my collection recently and love perusing them for cooking inspiration. The farmers market will be back in action on the 9th after the holiday hiatus, so you know I will be back to gushing over the fresh goodies on here soon. If any other fun inspiration for the month comes to mind, of course I'll get that shared, too. And I'm here any time for questions or encouragement! Well, maybe not ANY time, but you know what I mean.

Happy Veganuary and New Year!