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Veganuary and beyond

Writer's picture: RanjRanj

Updated: Jan 1, 2023

Two years on... my tips for a successful Veganuary and not looking back.


When my journey began

December 2019 I was watching Game Changers on Netflix. The documentary introduced the term ‘plant-based’ diet.... and something clicked. I didn’t have to adopt a wholesale lifestyle change immediately which had always overwhelmed me in the past when I had considered veganism. I could start with making changes to my diet and progress at my own pace. I signed up for Veganuary 2020 and here I am two years later having launched a vegan business in VeCakes. Here's a few things I’d like to share with anyone starting their journey.


1. What's your WHY?

If your motivation is strong enough you can do anything. It’s important to work out the why that’s driving you to eat more vegan and make it strong as possible. For me it's about animal welfare but I know my health is improving too and my diet is better for the environment. It's win-win-win.


2. Get support from positive and non-judgemental sources

I signed up to Veganuary and found the daily emails a good balance of practical help, shopping lists, meal plans, recipes, vegan alternatives and information. I also follow Vegan Food UK on Instagram who provide updates and reviews on new vegan product launches as well as flagging up non-vegan ingredient changes to products.


3. It took me a year to fully transition to a vegan diet

Making any kind of dietary or lifestyle change is not easy and not going to happen overnight. I thought I had done most of the heavy lifting as I was a pescatarian prior to going vegan...but cutting out dairy was hard. Food shopping takes twice as long as you’re looking at the ingredient label on every product to check it is suitable but you soon get to know what you can put in your basket and I still get a buzz when I find a new vegan product. At first it can feel like you're restricted to a few shelves in the supermarket but you'll be pleasantly surprised that there are many 'accidentally vegan' products which you may already buy. I also ate any non vegan food that I had leftover from before as I took the view that throwing it away was worse than eating it. Do what works for you, at your own pace.


4. The most important change that has sustained my vegan diet is learning to cook

I didn't really cook much prior to going vegan. But I quickly learned that if I wanted flavourful meals that were going to keep me feeling full, I needed to make them myself. I started by making a list of the meals I already liked that were vegan (or could easily be made so) and then introduced new dishes. Cuisines that have dishes that are naturally vegan such as Indian, Middle-eastern, Mexican are great for inspiration. I've accepted that there are some meals that I just can't replicate to the same taste but there are so many new ones that I now love because I've learned to cook differently and creatively. I've found the following recipe sites invaluable:

Milhaan (authentic Gujarati cooking featuring lots of vegan dishes)


5. Nutrition first

January is the biggest month in the vegan calendar with lots of products and special offers in the supermarkets - it’s a great time to try plant based. Initially I found myself picking up anything labelled vegan. Some products were nice, but a lot went in the bin. Even though there is more choice than ever, relying on ready meals and fast food options to get through Veganuary wasn't for me. Plus it's not very healthy and expensive.


My diet is mainly made up of vegetable curries, salads, lentil dishes and whole grains such as wheat, oats and rice, and lots and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I have never eaten a more varied diet than since going vegan. I take a daily vitamin B12 supplement, vegan vitamin D and also use iodised salt. Most vegan meat substitutes are ultra processed so I eat those in moderation. In the early stages I found Nutrition Facts and their Daily Dozen app useful to check I was eating a balanced diet.



I went from not being able to even plan a day of vegan meals to now enjoying a wonderful abundance of plant-based meals, snacks and treats. But it definitely took time to adjust and lots of research into ingredients, there's been a lot of trial and error along the way. The only thing I regret is not going vegan sooner.



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