Veganuary - This is how to start the new year vegan

In most cities you can't get past the Veganuary advertising posters at the moment. There are vegan specials in the supermarket as far as the eyes can see and a colleague tells me at lunch, that he is eating a plant-based diet in January. In short, Veganuary is on everyone’s lips. Have you ever thought about taking part? But maybe you don't really know how to get started. Or maybe you're just thinking, Veganu... what? Here we have summarised for you what it is about, why it is worth taking part and how best to start the new year vegan. With our guide (and porridge), Veganuary is easy.

Veganu... what?

As you probably already think: Vegan + January = Veganuary. We still wanted to say it again. You know, just in case. Veganuary , a non-profit organisation based in England, encourages people to try a vegan diet during the month of January. This means completely avoiding animal products such as meat, cheese, eggs and cow's milk.

Last year alone, more than half a million people from 209 countries worldwide registered for the challenge. Through assistance such as tips and recipes, participants should realise that a plant-based diet is not as difficult as one sometimes imagines. Ideally, the newbie vegans are so enthusiastic that they switch partially or even completely to a plant-based diet beyond the month.

A number of celebrities such as actor and environmental activist Hannes Jaenicke, TikTok superstar and entrepreneur Tabitha Brown and musician Paul McCartney support the challenge.

In addition, more and more companies are launching vegan specials in January. Last year alone, more than 825 new vegan products and menus were launched for Veganuary. Numerous companies also promote the challenge in the office. We at 3Bears also support the initiative and more than half of our team is starting the new year plant-based.

Oats – the ideal food for vegans

Of course, you could just eat fries with ketchup for the entire month and take part in the challenge just as successfully. So vegan does not necessarily mean nutritious. But if you make sure to mainly consume whole plant-based foods, a vegan diet can be beneficial. They are full of complex carbohydrates, fibre and are rich in vitamins and minerals. Problematic ingredients such as cholesterol or saturated fatty acids are not contained in plant-based products or are only contained in small quantities.

When it comes to a balanced vegan diet, oatmeal is at the forefront. The ingredients in oatmeal work hand in hand to stimulate digestion.

As a vegan you should make sure to eat enough and listen to your body. On average, whole plant-based foods have a lower calorie density than animal foods. Unprocessed plant foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, legumes or nuts.

But let's be honest. Open the bag, stir, enjoy – with our porridge, Veganuary has never been so easy. All 3Bears products are vegan and mixed with plant drink you can start the day clean.

We have put together some uncomplicated favourite recipes for you here:
- Hearty spinach porridge
- Chocolate pancakes
- Oat Superfood Bowl
- Chocolate Lover Bowl
- Hearty porridge with pesto topping
- Hummus
- Matcha-Coconut Overnight Oats

You can find many more plant-based recipes on our recipe blog. 

Our future is on our plates

Be vegan for a month? Can you actually do anything about it? Absolutely. With this New Year's resolution you can have an enormously positive impact on the climate.

Joseph Poore from Oxford University even says in an interview with The Guardian : “A vegan diet is probably the best way to sustainably reduce the burden on the environment, not only in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, but also in terms of global acidification of soils, over-fertilization, land use and water consumption. This has a much greater effect than stopping flying by plane or buying an electric car.”

With TheVeganCalculator you can calculate the resources you save by being vegan for a month. According to the calculator, one month corresponds to 124,917 liters of water, 84 square meters of forest area, 543 kg of grain, 273 kg of CO2 and 30 animal lives. This is because animal husbandry is very resource-intensive compared to growing plant-based foods.

Would you like to know more about the topic of sustainability? Then take a look at the documentaries “Cowspiracy” and “Seaspiracy”.

Our Veganuary tips

#1 Become aware of your impact

When you take on a new challenge, it's incredibly motivating to know why you're there. Therefore, it is good to be aware of what you can achieve by participating in Veganuary. For the planet, for the animals and for his body.

#2 Be curious and rediscover food

Never heard of nutritional yeast? Then it's time to discover new things. The great thing about being vegan is that you deal intensively with ingredients and develop a new awareness of what you actually consume several times a day. It's also a lot of fun to really let off steam in the kitchen. Cauliflower cheese sauce? Yes, it really tastes delicious. A little tip: Look out for the vegan symbol - a super practical tool when shopping to quickly discover plant-based products.

#3 Keep a diary

A journal is a good tool to record how you felt during Veganuary. There you can also record which recipes or products you like. Do you have more energy or perhaps lost weight? Write down what changes you feel in your body. At the end of the challenge it feels really good to be able to see your progress in black and white.

#4 Find a vegan buddy

Every challenge is even more fun when you complete it together. This way you can inspire and motivate each other. Eating out together is also much more fun with a vegan buddy. This way you can send you new veggie restaurants that have caught your eye. Then you can check out a new plant-based restaurant together every week.

#5 Helpful apps

There are numerous apps that will make Veganuary a lot easier for you. These are our must-have apps:
- Happy Cow – Vegan Food Near You
- The vegan shopping guide (PETA Germany)
- Feel better | delicious ella
- Yuka – Food & Cosmetic scanner
- PETA vegan start

#6 Have fun

Last but not least: have a lot of fun. Try it out and find new favorite products that you may have never tried before Veganuary. It doesn't take long (they say 21 days) to change a habit. We are sure that you will even integrate some dishes and products into your everyday life beyond Veganuary. Surprise yourself and allow the change. We eat on average three times a day. So we can decide several times a day to do something good for the planet, the animals and our bodies. Be the change.