Tips For A Super Successful Veganuary

For those who aren't full-time vegans, doing a 'Veganuary' can feel like a really natural pendulum swing back from the indulgences of the holidays—a great way to reset balance. The secret full time vegans already know, though, is that as healthy as a plant-based diet can be, it doesn't have to mean puritanical eating. For one thing, it seems like every week there are new and delicious pant-based products hitting the market, and they can make Veganuary a breeze for anyone. But it can also be so simple to plan and create your amazing plant-based meals and snacks from scratch. We've put together some simple, general tips that can help you get off to a great start with a vegan transition, whether it's for the month or the foreseeable future.

A bit of Veganuary preparation will go a long way, not only for ensuring good nutrition, but also in making sure you have enough to eat throughout the day—and making sure you're actually enjoying what you're eating! It can really help to stock up with basics off the bat so you have lots of ingredients and snacks on hand, which will help you stick to your goals for the month. Fresh and dried fruits, munch-able raw veggies like carrot sticks and broccoli crowns, nuts, seeds and seed crackers, as well as vegan dips and spreads are all great for helping you feel satiated throughout the day.

Since reasons for doing Veganuary are so often about health and balance along with environmental and animal welfare, people will get the most out of the month by keeping track of nutrition basics. If you're used to getting most of your protein from meat it's a good idea to review the highest plant sources, because a sudden drop in protein will have a pretty quick and noticeable effect on your energy. Luckily, there are lots of vegan sources! Just make sure you're eating plenty of foods like beans, tofu, lentils, tempeh, quinoa, oats, broccoli, hemp hearts, and/or nuts and seeds. These are all great core ingredients to add to dishes or build your meals around. If you're thinking of a long term switch, it's really worth it to pick up a vegan cookbook or two, or chatting with a vegan pal to help educate yourself about maintaining a complete nutritional profile with your diet.

It's pretty normal to miss certain favourite foods when trying a significant diet shift. So you can make life a little easier for yourself by focussing in on a few things you hate the thought of giving up, and finding great vegan substitutes. There are tons of options these days for vegan burgers, pizzas, macaroni and cheese, sausages, everything you'd need for amazing vegan cheese and charcuterie plates... Have fun exploring and trying new things! (And please always feel free to ask any of our staff members for their advice and recommendations!) You might not love everything, but we'd be willing to bet you'll find a bunch of things you'll love enough to keep in your kitchen rotation long after Veganuary ends. :)