I Have Complicated Feelings About Veganuary
Here's how to try veganism in your own time
Statistically, either you or someone you know is probably trying out Veganuary this year.
And since it’s already the 10th of Jan, I’ll bet a bunch of you are already struggling. But don’t worry, this isn’t what you think. I’m not the Veganuary reaper, handing out wrath because you slipped up and accidentally ate a leftover Christmas chocolate penny that you found down the side of the couch. Actually, quite the opposite. I have weirdly complicated feelings about Veganuary, and I think sharing them might just help you to think differently about the whole affair.
I’ve also written a little guide on how to give veganism a try at any point in the year. I’m hoping that this will help to take some pressure off those of you who’ve decided to give Veganuary a go this year, but I’m also hoping it will inspire a bunch of you who were too intimidated to try. Obviously loads of you reading this are already vegan, but I’m hoping you will share this newsletter with anyone you know who might need this advice!
For paid subscribers, I’ve also included an exclusive Sticky Mango Tofu recipe (with downloadable/printable PDF) from the unreleased cookbook I’m working on right now. It’s down at the bottom of this newsletter and it hasn’t been seen by a single other human - not even my publisher. I’m including it here because it’s one of the easiest, quickest, protein-rich dinner recipes I’ve ever written and I think it’ll make your January a lot brighter, whether you’re doing Veganuary or not! It’s also my way of getting you jazzed up about my new book (before I’ve even written it…) which is going to be PACKED with this kind of recipe!
You can get this recipe and a bunch of other exclusive ones in my Substack archive by upgrading to a paid membership. If you’re already part of that gang - I can’t thank you enough. My blog and this newsletter only exist because of your support, so it means a huge amount that you're here, even if you’re not able to upgrade right now! Thank you and huge love 🥰
My Complicated Feelings About Veganuary
Let me start by saying that, objectively, Veganuary is bloody brilliant. I feel really strongly that the less animal products we eat/consume/use as a population, the better (obvs, I’m a vegan duh). So the fact we’ve seen such huge momentum behind a movement that encourages people to live without animal products for a whole bloody month, is absolutely awesome. Ten points to Veganuary!
My complicated feelings towards Veganuary are more to do with the whole January thing. Whether we like it or not, January has become synonymous with “virtuous”, “healthy” and “clean” eating. These are all terms that make my skin crawl.
You see, as a 90s kid, it’s taken me years to unlearn all the dark stuff about “good” vs “bad” foods I picked up through childhood. You only have to take a look at the TV shows I grew up with to get the idea. They’re packed with ridiculously brazen fat-phobia and thinly veiled encouragement of disordered eating *cue pointless close-up B-roll footage of anonymous butts walking down a street*.
It’s only really within the last five years that I’ve finally learnt to value food that is genuinely nourishing, not just on a nutritional level, but an emotional, social and very very personal level. As a result, my understanding of what “healthy eating” looks like has changed dramatically. If the food you’re eating makes you feel good, then it’s healthy - simple.
So, when I see a huge surge in veganism every year around this time, I’m overjoyed, and yet I can’t help but worry that we’re setting the wrong tone… Is it possible that Veganuary has played a part in building a connection between veganism and the idea of strict, joyless, virtuous eating? By choosing January, the same month when gym memberships soar and booze sales plummet, has Veganuary inadvertently reinforced that stereotypical image of vegans as nutritionally obsessed, holier-than-thou buzzkills?
Sure, adopting a vegan diet (even just for January) can be a really healthy idea! But the reality is there are an infinite number of ways to be a vegan, and not all of us are motivated by the health benefits. By associating veganism with the sincere, restrictive, “un-fun” resolutions of January, are we missing the fact that veganism can actually be the total opposite?
I don’t know about you, but my eight years as a vegan have been some of the most fun, inclusive, mind-expanding years of my life. Before I made the switch, Veganuary convinced me that veganism was all about sitting at home, alone, with a haunted kale salad for dinner and a date ball for dessert. In reality, my relationship with food has blossomed into something unrecognisably diverse and adventurous, while the friendships I’ve made over vegan food have been some of the deepest and most rewarding of my life.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not trying to dunk on Veganuary here. What I’m trying to say is this: If you’re interested in becoming vegan for a while, and these associations are holding you back, remember that you can do it whenever and however you want. It doesn’t have to be something you dread throughout December and then resent throughout January. It doesn’t have to be something you commit to publicly and then only complete out of fear of humiliation or reprimand. And it definitely, definitely doesn’t have to involve any haunted kale salads.
So, I’ve had a think about the advice I would’ve really valued as a tentative vegan, back in 2017, and I’ve written a little guide below on how to give veganism a try at any point in the year. Maybe you’d rather try Vegebruary? Or perhaps even Veg-first-two-weeks-of-October. When and how don’t matter nearly as much as the fact that you’re willing to give something new a try, so let’s roll with that, shall we?
How to do Veganuary Whenever you Damn Well Choose!
So now that we’ve established that you’re free to give Veganuary a go at any point in the year, let’s talk about how to do it. I started my vegan journey with a plan to do just one month (granted it was November, not January) and it turned into an entire career change followed by eight years of non-stop, high-octane hot hot veg action. So here are my five commandments for recreating the magic of Veganuary, whenever you choose to give it a go! (Should I be calling these commandments? Sure, whatever).
1. Find Your Reason
First one is a big one: before you do a single day of Veg-whenever-uary decide why you’re doing it. Since you’re reading a very vegan Substack, I imagine you probably already know why this is, but it’s worth reminding yourself or maybe even writing it down somewhere?? If you’re going for level-seven vegan points, you can write it on a piece of rice paper then turn it into vegan bacon and put it in a VBLT then eat it. I hear this is great for manifesting.
For me, it’s always been an ethical choice, but your reason can be literally anything. Perhaps you’re trying veganism for a specific health reason - my Dad did it to bring his cholesterol down (and it worked). Perhaps you’re concerned about the environmental impact of eating animal products, also a good one! Or maybe you just want to remind yourself that you’re in control of your own shit by giving yourself a short-term goal. It doesn’t matter what your reason is, it just matters that you know what it is. This way, when you see that chocolate penny down the side of the couch, you’ll be focussed enough to resist!
2. Find Your Community
One of the undeniably awesome things about doing Veganuary IN January is the solidarity. Going vegan at the same time as someone you know (not to mention hundreds of thousands of other people) is a way more fun experience. Whether you’re sharing recipes with friends, joining vegan supper clubs or just enjoying being part of something much bigger than you, there’s a momentum to this kind of shared experience that can really help to keep you on track.
It’s the reason I love hosting vegan group vacations with The Getaway co! That solidarity and shared wealth of experience guarantees a really exciting vacation with super deep connections, even though we’ve only met each other a week ago!
Anyway, find that community! Visit some local vegan cafes and restaurants and get talking to people. Join your local activist group (if that’s your thing - see point 1 above) and get all fired up together! Post pictures of your dinner online and make connections with other internet vegans (you might just end up becoming an unintentional influencer…). Having a gang behind you will help to keep the plant-based wind in your vegan sails (oh and prepare for that plant-based wind, that extra fibre will get ya!).
3. Choose Your Fall-Back Recipes
When you’ve got loads of time, energy and money, it’s dead easy to make really delicious vegan food - but what about when we don’t. Chances are, at some point in your vegan trial run, you’re going to have a low point. Maybe you’ve had a rubbish day at work and don’t fancy soaking a kilo of cashews to make your own ricotta cheese. Maybe you’re on a budget and can’t find the spare cash for a Juicy Marbles vegan steak dinner. What do we do then?
I’ll tell you - we use our fall-back recipes! These are five, maybe six, delicious, cheap and crucially easy vegan recipes that you can whip up without much fuss or muss (what actually is muss? Answers in the comments). It’s worth establishing what your fall-back recipes are before you jump into your vegan adventure, just so you have time for them to become almost second nature. A good place to start is to pick something that you already love to eat and find a vegan version. Love spaghetti bolognese? I’ve got you covered with this recipe. Carbonara? No sweat! The important thing is that you feel you can throw them together half-asleep, and still end up with a delicious dinner.
If you’re starting with my recipes, I can recommend my Creamy Gochujang Pasta, my Tofu Fajitas or my Vegan Tikka Masala Curry. Oh and don’t forget the Sticky Mango Tofu recipe at the bottom of this newsletter for all paid subscribers! They’re all delicious, super satisfying and (most importantly) a breeze to make. Keep these recipes in your arsenal
4. Prepare Ahead
This one sort of goes without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway. Anything you can do to get ahead of yourself, do it! If you have time to make a huge batch of vegan chilli and freeze it in individual portions, fantastic! This’ll mean you’re way less likely to succumb to a panic kebab order if you let your hanger levels get too critical.
Other recipes ideal for prepping ahead are my Sweet Potato Soup, my homemade Vegan Instant Mac and Cheese Powder or my Thai Drunken Noodles, which can be frozen and reheated.
5. Take it Easy!
And last, but probably most importantly, just take it nice and easy on yourself. Being vegan (or even just trying it out) is never about perfection. There’s no such thing as a perfect vegan, and even if there was, I’d rather there be 100 imperfect vegans than 1 perfect one. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up, just remind yourself of why you wanted to do this in the first place (point 1 above!) and get right back on the vegan horse (technically all horses are vegan, but you get the idea).
I feel very strongly that shame never motivates anyone to make a change, so be sure to cut yourself some slack. I also feel strongly that food keeps us sane, and if we’re separated from food that makes us feel nourished for too long, it’s only a matter of time before we break. So even if you’re doing Veganuary for health reasons, make sure you’re also enjoying your food. If it tastes good and it does you good, then you’ll feel good.
I hope you found this useful. If you know anyone else who might need some tips like this, send this newsletter their way! I’d be super grateful and hopefully they will be to!
Before I go!
Just a tiny reminder that I’m hosting a huge vegan getaway to Bali this September, and there are still a few tickets left - so if you’re still looking for that vegan community and sense of adventure, this could be for you! The trip is organised by the incredible Getaway Co - a fully vegan travel company who create once in a lifetime trips for vegan travellers all over the world!
I won’t go through all the details (because you can find them here) but here’s how it works: The Getaway Co have planned ten days packed with fun, food and fellow vegan friends from September 20th 2025. All you have to do is book your spot, make your way to Bali and we’ll take care of the rest. As part of your itinerary, I’ll host a vegan cooking workshop, we’ll visit rice terraces, hike up volcanoes and, of course, eat loads of incredible vegan food. We’re even going to be hosting a lunch while we’re there, in support of Bali Animal Welfare Association.
So if you want to be a part of this trip, you can find all the information (and reserve your spot) right here and if you have any specific questions about the getaway (or any others we’re hosting this year) fire it over to Amanda at The Getaway Co via a direct message on instagram.
Sticky Mango Tofu Recipe (Paid Subscribers Only)
This is a real doozy if you’re looking for quick, high-protein dinners to get you through the winter. It feels bright and summery but uses mostly store-cupboard ingredients to get you there! Like I said, this is a potential recipe from my upcoming cookbook, which is a work in progress, so this recipe is liable to change between now and publication. However, you’re getting a nice little sneak peek here, so enjoy and please let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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