eating vegan will unlock vibrant flavors, nutritious meals, and a new level of compassion for the earth and its animals

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Jump to:

• 🤔 know your "why"
• 📝 plan ahead
• 🥶 your freezer is your friend 
• 🛒 make simple swaps
• 📚 read labels
• 🥣 have back-up options
• 🥜 keep hearty snacks on hand
• 🚗 know your takeout options
• 🙋🏽‍♀️ ask questions 
• 😬 give yourself space to make mistakes
• ✍️ journal your experience 
• 🎉 have some fun with it 
• Subscribe

❓ what's veganuary?

By now, I’m sure you’re familiar with the post-winter holiday health challenges…everything from Damp January to Dry January, and one very popular option: Veganuary. Did you know that Veganuary isn’t just a challenge to eat vegan during the month of January, but it’s a nonprofit based out of the UK, working to encourage people to try a vegan diet for the month of January. They’ve spearheaded this initiative since 2014, with the primary goal of promoting veganism so participants embrace the diet even after January ends. 

Veganuary participation continues to gain momentum, so it’s exciting to kick off another year of celebrating vibrant vegan food and recipes that will capture the hearts of vegans and non-vegans alike. 

As a vegan for several years, I'm outlining tips to make Veganuary more attainable and fun. You may already be vegan, or considering incorporating more plant-based food into your diet. Regardless of your vegan experience level, my hope is these tips are a valuable resource for your Veganuary journey! (And, of course, these apply regardless of when you decide to give veganism a try!) 

💡 vegan ideas and tips

🤔 know your "why"

It’s important to understand the driving force behind your interest in veganism. There’s more than one benefit to making the switch to a plant-based diet. Some of the most popular include: 

🌎 environmentalism

One of the best steps you can take to reduce your environmental footprint is to embrace a diet rich in plants and free of meat, dairy, and animal by-products. Producing dairy and meat is one of the most resource-intensive practices we have in the world. It isn’t efficient, depletes resources, creates unnecessary waste, and contributes greatly to greenhouse gas emissions. 

• A vegan diet comprises only 30% of the environmental impact of a high-meat diet (according to the University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division) 
• If everyone decided to adopt a plant-based diet, we would reduce the amount of agricultural land use by a whopping 75% (Source: Our Wold in Data)
• 50 to 100 times as much land is needed to produce a gram of protein from beef or lamb, compared to protein derived from peas or tofu 
• Participating in Meatless Monday each Monday saves the same amount of car emissions as driving 348 miles (Source: Penn State, points 3&4)

💪 health reasons

• Nearly 70% of the global population is lactose intolerant 
• A recent study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found those that follow a vegan diet are 24% less likely to develop cancer. Younger vegans were found to be 43% less likely to develop prostate cancer and 31% less likely to develop breast cancer. And, vegans were 23% less likely to develop medium-frequency cancers (like stomach and lymphoma cancers). (Source)
• Reduce blood pressure: Older studies have showed that vegans may enjoy up to a 75% reduction in blood pressure, providing better heart health and reducing heart disease risks. 
• Eating a vegan diet has been found to lower blood sugar levels (helpful for those with type 2 diabetes). 
• Well-rounded vegan diets are powerhouses by providing increased fiber, decreased inflammation, and more nutrient-dense noshes. (Source for points 3-5)

🐮 animal welfare

The facts are well-documented and very clear: animals grown for food suffer. They are sentient beings bred to live in squalor and killed at our whim to enter our egregiously inefficient food chain. Eating animals isn’t necessary, but the fact they suffer at our hands is enough motivation for me to stay vegan. I firmly believe we have a responsibility to be stewards for this planet and a voice to the voiceless. You don’t need animal products to be healthy and you DEFINITELY don’t need them when it comes from a broken system filled with suffering. And this comes from someone raised in the American South eating plenty of barbecue and drinking milk daily (when I was younger) for “strong bones.”

How many animals suffer and die? 

• 29 million cows
• 9 billion chickens
• 245 million turkeys
• Millions of pigs (more than 1 million die during transport to slaughter) 
• 31 million ducks
• Tens of billions of fish and shellfish

(Source)

I want to keep this post as positive as possible. You can easily search for more information about how animals are tortured and killed. You can make a difference, though, by phasing out animal products and embracing delicious vegan recipes.

(I’m also an animal advocate helping shelter dogs and cats in my community and need to insert a friendly reminder to PLEASE SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS. Thanks. 😊) 

📝 plan ahead

Even if you’re a procrastinator like me, planning ahead is critical to a smooth diet adjustment. Nothing is worse than getting hunger pains and trying to make informed decisions about what you can, or can’t, eat. Here are some tips to help the planning process: 

• Use a list when grocery shopping instead of relying upon instinct in the moment. 
• Start with a menu that includes a mix of store-bought, easy meals as well as a few to cook from scratch. Follow some vegan bloggers and search Pinterest (avoid AI-generated content) for delicious recipe ideas. 
• As you gain confidence in vegan cooking throughout the month, feel free to incorporate more from-scratch recipes. 
• Some people love leftovers, and some hate them. I love a good leftover dish, so if you can, make a meal you can repurpose for another dinner or lunch. You can always get creative with how and what you serve, so the leftovers are less “boring.” Enjoy a bowl of vegan chili one night and serve it over a bed of rice the next! 
• Experiment with meal prep for the beginning of each week. Generally, foods like steel cut oats, rice, sliced veggies (when stored properly), granola, pasta, and soups are a great foundation for meal prepping. 
• Make room in your freezer to store freezer meals, ingredients with short lifespans, and batch-prepared food. Using your freezer is a great way to reduce food waste as well, so if you aren’t already maxing out on your freezer space, now is the time to start!
• Organize a quick list of takeout options or quick meals for those moments when life gets busy (more about that below!). 

🥶 your freezer is your friend 

Clear some freezer space because this workhorse in the kitchen will soon become your bestie. Really, this tip goes hand-in-hand with planning ahead. You don’t need to fully dive into meal prep (unless you’re already a fan), but making enough food for leftovers can save the day when life gets stressful and you don’t feel like cooking from scratch. Here are some of my favorite freezer ideas: 

Store-bought, processed options

• Frozen pizza
• Plant-based meats
• Vegan ice cream

Homemade Food

• Soup 
• Vegan sausages 
• Fresh fruit (great for smoothies, or cooking and mashing into a quick jam) 
• Baked goods (rolls, biscuits, muffins, cake, coffee cake slices, pancakes, waffles) 
• Leafy greens for use in smoothie 

Sustainability Storage 

• Citrus zest/juice
• Apple cores/peels
• Lemon seeds (can be used as a pectin replacement for jam) 
• Veggie tops for use in smoothies or future pesto (like carrot tops) 
• Veggie and herb scraps for a future homemade vegetable stock 
• Small compost bin 
• Long-term storage for perishable items like produce, flour, nuts, and more

🛒 make simple swaps

Even within the vegan community, diet variations exist. If you’re completely new to eliminating meat and animal byproducts from your meals, my recommendation is to not add pressure restricting your options even more. Many people are fans of raw vegan food, or the whole food plant-based diet (for example), but trying a vegan diet is a lot already. Ease into a new diet and determine if you want to take it farther after you get a little more comfortable. Below are some of the easiest swaps you can make: 

Dairy 

• Oat, hemp, or nut milk 
• Vegan yogurt
• Flax or chia seed (in place of eggs in baked goods) 
• Aquafaba (chickpea brine in place of eggs in baked goods) 
• Vegan mayo 
• Vegan shredded cheese 
• Vegan sliced cheese
• Tofu (to scramble in place of eggs) 
• Vegan ice cream

Meat 

• Tofu (in place of meat) 
• Lion’s mane mushrooms (in place of steak) 
• Lentils (great for use in chilis and meaty sauces) 
• TVP, which stands for textured vegetable protein (use in vegan sausage patties, chili, and more) 
• Cauliflower and eggplant (in place of steak) 
• Store-bought meat replacement 

Sweeteners

• Maple syrup instead of honey 
• Organic sugar instead of non-organic granulated and brown sugar (for those in the U.S.) 

📚 read labels

You do need to read labels (even if you aren’t vegan), but keep in mind that ingredient lists aren’t always easy to decipher. And, vague ingredients like “natural flavoring” may seem fine, but are sneaky…and usually not vegan-friendly. Below is a list of ingredients that aren’t easy to spot, so you can be better prepared at the store! 

• Albumen or albumin
• Aspic
• Carmine, Cochineal Extract, Crimson Lake, Natural Red 4, C.I, 75470, E120 (red dye made from boiling and pulverizing cochineal beetles) 
• Casein
• Collagen
• Foods fortified with D3 that aren’t labeled as vegan
• Elastin
• Gelatin 
• Glycerin (look for vegetable or plant-based glycerin) 
• Isinglass in beer and wine (look for carrageenan or pea protein instead) 
• Keratin
• L-Cysteine
• Lactic Acid
• Lecithin (look for soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin since this ingredient can be either vegan or derived from animals) 
• "Natural flavors," unless marked as vegan. “Natural flavors” can be either plant-based or sourced from animals. 
• Omega-3s
• Shellac (derived from an insect) 
• Sugar (in the U.S., look for organic sugar as non-organic versions are usually filtered with bone char)
• Whey

When in doubt, do a quick search to see if an ingredient is vegan. The main point here is to read labels and gain a better understanding of what you’re putting in your body. 

🥣 have back-up options

It’s easy to get excited about the challenge and bite off a little more than you can chew (pun intended). I struggle with this daily. Be realistic about your schedule and approach the change with a cooking/food prep strategy that works for you. Unless you already love doing it, you don’t have to START by making your own veggie stock. Buy that at the store! Consider a combination of cooking from scratch and buying prepared food. Prioritize keeping hearty snacks on hand so you can resolve that pesky food craving when trying to make a meal decision. I suggest keeping some simple recipes on hand for when you get too tired to make your originally-planned meal. Some of my easiest "back-up meals:" 

Breakfast: 

• Hemp seed granola or pumpkin seed granola cereal

Lunch:

• Roasted diced potatoes with hummus (trust me, it’s a goooood combo) 
• Canned vegan soup and bread, such as a slice of sourdough or a beer bread biscuit
• Large plate of fresh vegetables and hummus with apple slices 
• A Biscoff cookie for dessert

Dinner: 

• Black bean burgers, a green veggie (usually frozen edamame or peas), and store-bought Mac & Cheese
• Chickpea pasta with green peas and store-bought vegan pesto for the sauce 
• Frozen Daiya pizza
• A vegan chocolate chip cookie from Publix for dessert 

🥜 keep hearty snacks on hand

Similar to having a back-up plan for full meals, snacks are critical. Those “in between” times are some of the hardest to navigate whether you’re vegan or not! When you need a little help throughout the day, turn to snacks that will actually satiate you, such as: 

• Sliced fruits and veggies with nut butters or hummus 
• Satiating protein bars (my favorite is: Aloha brand, peanut butter chocolate chip flavor) 
• Popcorn 
• Roasted chickpeas, like these chili lime roasted chickpeas. Or, just toss in some olive oil and taco seasoning for a delicious treat. 
• Nut butter-stuffed dates, like these frozen peanut butter dates that taste like Snickers, IMO
• Dark chocolate (check to make sure they’re vegan) - some of my favorite brands are:
  • Endangered Species Smooth Dark Chocolate (can likely find it cheaper at your local grocery store)
  • HU Salty Dark Chocolate (though, I love all their flavors)

🚗 know your takeout options

If you enjoy getting takeout every so often (we do once a week to take break from cooking and dishes), then keeping track of vegan-friendly options at your favorite restaurants will be a tremendous help. This applies to both fast food and sit-down establishments. Plus, you can take this a step further and note the businesses that are 100% vegan in your area. It’s fun to try something new! Here are some of my favorite options that would be available nationally (and potentially overseas): 

1. Chipotle: Salad or burrito bowl with lettuce, rice (if doing a burrito bowl), black beans, corn salsa, pico de Gallo, grilled veggies or plant-based carnitas. Their salad dressing is not vegan-friendly, so I add lime juice to mine instead of dressing.
2. Mellow Mushroom: Vegan Veg-Out Pizza, or salad (without cheese) and balsamic dressing with vegan pretzel. 
3. Burger King: Impossible Burger without cheese or mayo.
4. Kale Me Crazy: Vegan Wrap 

You can find resources to help compile your list from a variety of sources, including: 

1. VegNews Beginner's Guide
2. PETA Vegan Starter Kit
3. Happy Cow 

🙋🏽‍♀️ ask questions 

Those who already enjoy vegan food LOVE talking about it, and despite stereotypes, without judgement. If you know someone who’s vegan, don’t hesitate to ask for advice. If you’re the pioneer in your social circle and family, resources are available through blogging communities, Reddit threads, and social media accounts (including YouTube). Some of my favorite resources include: 

• r/Veganforbeginners
• r/AskVegans
• r/veganrecipes
• r/VeganBaking
• r/vegan
• r/EatCheapAndVegan
• Happy Cow Forum

😬 give yourself space to make mistakes

Nobody is perfect. No diet is perfect. No effort is perfect. Give yourself some space to slip up every once in a while. (I have to remind myself of this as well.) Did you miss an ingredient on the label and learned later it isn’t vegan? Just focus on learning and moving forward. Any shift to reducing the consumption of animals and animal by-products is a positive one. 

✍️ journal your experience 

Journaling is a common method to stay connected with yourself, the experience, and remain present with your goal(s). When trying a vegan diet, you’re embracing something new and getting thoughts down on paper is an opportunity to keep track of how you feel, what worked and didn’t work, what changes you’d like to make moving forward, and even if this is a good fit for you. 

Here are some prompts to help spark some journaling inspiration: 

1. How do you feel throughout the day and after exercising?
2. What’s challenging about the diet?
3. Are you noticing any improvements with health?
4. What do you like or not like about your experience?
5. What are the reactions you receive from friends and family when you mention your participation?
6. What questions do you have?
7. What advice would you have for someone else trying a vegan diet?

🎉 have some fun with it 

It’s time to bust the myth that going vegan means making big, sweeping sacrifices. This should be both tasty and an adventure! Take some of the pressure off and have fun with this. You can: 

• Create a vegan recipe board on Pinterest. So many great recipes are just waiting for you to discover them! (I strongly suggest avoiding AI Pinterest posts.) You can find my Veganuary Pinterest board here.
• Experiment with new seasonings, like black salt to give your vegan eggs that traditional, sulfur taste you’re used to with regular eggs.
• Pick a few new restaurants to try! 
• Play vegan bingo (enter your details below for a PDF copy of the vegan bingo card!)

What would you add to this list? I'd love to hear your thoughts on Veganuary, or your ideas to make veganism more accessible. Let's keep up the momentum!

This is a food blog and not intended to serve as an authority for medical or nutritional advice. I do not accept responsibility for any health issues that arise from trying any of the ideas in this post, or a vegan diet. Please consult a medical professional to determine the diet best for you.