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What is Veganuary?
As you may have guessed, Veganuary is a combination of veganism and January, and as it turns out, it’s a pretty big deal. The driving force behind this campaign is to coax people across the world to switch over to vegan food for the month.
This health initiative was launched in 2014 and since then the number of people taking on the challenge has risen. Think of it as the ice bucket challenge of diets!
What are the benefits of taking part?
In the most recent report, over 400,000 people participated in Veganuary and many more are expected to join the ‘health march’ in the coming years. Today, Veganuary is a key factor in driving positive change for the planet, as well as its human and animal habitants – in 2022, at least 83% of the participants planned to cut down their intake of animal products permanently by half; 36% plan to stay fully vegan.
Since the campaign’s launch in 2014, it has seen 1,000,000 participants. When asked in a recent survey about the Veganuary experience, 49% said they had increased energy levels; 48% said their mood improved; and; 37% said they saw a positive change in their bodyweight.
3 quick and easy vegan recipes to help you get started
- Green Barley Salad with Blackberry Balsamico Dressing
This mouth-watering vegan dish takes just 15 minutes to prepare, 20-30 minutes to cook, and serves four.
Barley Salad is a very versatile and easy-to-make dish. Fill it up with veggies, seeds, fruits and nuts, and you’ve got yourself a generous dose of hearty goodness.
Here’s all you need to make your delicious dressing:
70 g fresh black berries
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
- Mermaid Smoothie Bowl
Here’s one for the smoothie lovers. A great source of plant-based protein; all you need is frozen bananas, pineapple and mango. For toppings complete with berries and pumpkin seeds for an extra crunch factor and colour pop.
- Put all the ingredients into a blender apart from the toppings and blend until smooth.
- Add the mix into two bowls and smooth. Add your toppings and enjoy!
All you need is 10 minutes in the kitchen to enjoy this dreamy smoothie for two.
- High Protein Chocolate Pancakes
We’re certainly not going to leave you chocolate lovers out of this one!
Upgrade your regular (boring) breakfast to these unbelievable vegan chocolate protein pancakes. It’s one of the easiest recipes to prepare - check out the pancake ingredients:
40g buckwheat flour
10g chocolate pea protein
10g cocoa powder
10g oat flour
1 tsp baking powder
5g milled flaxseed or chia seed
160ml – 180ml almond or cashew milk
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
Let’s get started:
- Whisk together all batter ingredients.
- Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Lightly grease with spray oil.
- Cook ¼ cup (60ml) measures of the batter to make 5 -6 pancakes. Allow to cook for 2 -3 minutes, flip and cook for 1 -2 minutes more.
- Add toppings of your choice
You can serve at least six with this vegan recipe, and prep time being just 15 minutes.
Stay fresh!
If you’re looking to enjoy your new vegan meals all week long, store them away safely to preserve all of that fresh, tasty goodness - bon appetit!