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Veganuary is a fantastic opportunity to sample the vegan way of life — without committing to it forever. Some will feel great eating fewer animal products and make the switch to year-round plant-based eating. Others will use the month to kickstart their year of healthy eating — whatever that means for them.
Regardless of your Veganuary 2023 goals, switching to plant-based eating can be a fun challenge. It opens up a world of possibilities in terms of exploring new recipes, cafes and restaurants, and ways of thinking about food — which we fully support here at Love Cocoa.
Still, we know that plant-based eating can be a big change for some people. And it certainly isn’t easy to stick to it all the time. To help you see Veganuary through to the end, here are some tips and tricks to keeping a vegan diet.
How to do Veganuary — our tips and tricks
If you’re looking for some Veganuary tips to help you through the final weeks, try these suggestions…
Check in with friends also doing Veganuary
Did you embark on your Veganuary journey with friends or family? See how they are getting on and share your experiences. If you’re feeling stuck or are tempted to quit, this could provide you with some much needed support and motivation to complete the month. If your pals are loving Veganuary, this positivity will be contagious! You’ll also be able to ask them about their favourite plant-based recipes, vegan social media accounts, and vegan-friendly local cafes to reignite your interest in the diet.
If you struggle the most with plant-based eating at lunch or dinner, why not suggest a lunch date or dinner party with some of your vegan (or Veganuary) friends? You’ll be motivated to stick to vegan eating as it feels like a group project. Plus, having a fun social date in the diary will give you something to look forward to!
Have some easy vegan recipes to hand
If you’re finding it tempting to give up on Veganuary, it might be due to the simple fact that you’re not sure what to cook anymore! Looking up and trying out new recipes can be time-consuming. If you’ve spent a few weeks putting your all into elaborate vegan dinner times and extensive lunch meal-prepping, you might be experiencing a “burnout” of sorts. It might be time to bring things back to basics.
Compile a short list of easy vegan recipes that you know you love, don’t require fancy ingredients, and are quick to make. Having some speedy go-to meals can save the day. When you’re hungry, it’s easy to make some hasty decisions — and you don’t want one of yours to be ditching Veganuary!
Being prepared will help “easy vegan pasta” come to mind before “chicken nuggets and chips” when you’re home from work and desperate to get dinner started.
Mix things up
For some people, mixing things up could be the key to completing Veganuary. Perhaps you found some recipes you liked early on in the month — and have just been cooking these same things again and again… and again.
If this sounds like you, we wouldn’t be surprised if you were bored of this kind of eating!
Still, the key to completing Veganuary isn’t to carry on with the same few recipes or start eating meat and dairy again. The key is to try some new vegan recipes! Why not treat yourself to a vegan cookbook, ask for suggestions from family, friends, and colleagues, or look on Instagram for some cheap and cheerful video recipes?
Embracing variety could be exactly what you need to feel excited about Veganuary again. Plus, it’s an important part of eating a balanced diet. A broad range of ingredients will provide your body with an extensive nutritional profile — which is particularly important to keep an eye on if you’re getting all your vitamins and minerals from a plant-based diet.
Seek out some vegan treats
There’s one thing that keeps us particularly motivated during Veganuary here at Love Cocoa — and that’s the thought of getting to enjoy some delicious treats along the way.
With veganism on the rise, there has been a huge surge in the number of fantastic vegan snacks available. We recommend choosing some vegan treats to keep in the cupboard for those rainy days. If you’re ever in need of a pick-me-up, you’ll be able to reach for a plant-based snack rather than a chocolate biscuit.
At Love Cocoa, providing vegan and dairy-free chocolate options has always been important to us. And if you take a look at our site, you’ll find a wide range of vegan chocolates to choose from.
We can’t think of a better reward for sticking with Veganuary than our ethical, single-origin chocolate.
Help your loved ones to understand
For some people, the hardest part of Veganuary is making it work with family and friends. If you’re used to cooking group meals with other people — perhaps you’re a parent, live with your parents, or often cook with your housemates — switching to a vegan diet can be tricky. You might feel annoying or self-conscious asking other people to make special accommodations for you. No one likes to feel like they are forcing their diet onto other people!
The best thing to do is to have an honest and open conversation with your loved ones about why you want to complete Veganuary (whether that’s because you want to improve your diet, sample veganism with a view to sticking with it long-term, or another reason). It might be helpful to write down exactly what foods you will be avoiding, so there is no confusion when they are cooking for you.
You can also chat about whether they are happy for you to make vegan food when cooking for them and address any other questions they might have. Who knows — maybe they will want to try out Veganuary too!
Hopefully, your nearest and dearest will understand that you have set yourself a goal and will be more than happy to help you reach it.
If you’re struggling, ask yourself why
You might want to look at the reasons behind your struggle. It’s always good to get to the bottom of your feelings — and it’s a practical first step to resolving any problems you’re experiencing.
Most issues have solutions, but it does take a little honesty to admit what these are. For example, you might not enjoy Veganuary because you’re tempted by other foods. Though this can be frustrating, a good solution is to spend some time researching exciting vegan alternatives that you’re yet to try.
Likewise, if you’re not feeling as energised or healthy on a vegan diet, you might be eating too many processed meat alternatives and not enough whole foods. A solution is to take a look at your typical daily diet and work to ensure the foods you eat contain a varied spread and sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.
Stay organised
Our last tip is a rather general one — stay organised with things like having vegan ingredients in the house, having a few easy recipes to turn to, and avoiding restaurants that you know don’t have any vegan options. This could also extend to meal-prepping (so you’re not stuck with poor options when you’re at work or school).
This will help you feel less stressed about what you have to eat, save you time, reduce awkwardness in social situations, and ensure you always have something to eat that you actually like.
Importantly, remember that no one is perfect. Veganuary isn’t a competition, so if you have a few meals off, don’t feel bad about it. Veganuary is about trying out veganism and seeing what works for you, so treat it as a trial run (not something you have to prove to yourself or anyone else!)
Love Cocoa vegan chocolate
If you’re attempting Veganuary this year, you’re going to need lots of treats to keep you motivated along the way. Take a look at our luxury vegan chocolate gifts — like our Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles, Avocado Chocolate Bar, and Espresso Martini Coffee Beans.
And we have to mention the scrumptious HIP chocolate bars we have in stock — super creamy chocolate made with oat milk. Sample a range with our Letterbox Vegan Tasting Pack or try our most-loved flavours like Cookies No Cream and Creamy Original.
Likewise, if a friend or family member is joining in with Veganuary 2023, gifting them some delectable vegan chocolates will show them just how delicious plant-based snacks can be. Why not send them a Vegan Favourites Gift Box or a Vegan Letterbox Bundle?
From everyone at Love Cocoa, best of luck with completing Veganuary 2023!
