Why You Should Give Veganuary A Go

You have probably seen the word Veganuary a lot over the last couple of weeks, as thousands of people are taking on the challenge. But what is Veganuary, and why should you consider giving it a go?

What is Veganuary?

Veganuary is a registered charity which encourages people to try a vegan diet throughout January. A vegan diet benefits health, the environment and animal welfare, but people are often scared to make the switch. Veganuary seems much more manageable, as you are only doing it for a month, easy! Many people then end up becoming vegan full time, as they see that their fears were wrong.

Veganuary had humble beginnings 8 years ago in a kitchen in York, where vegan couple Jane Land and Matthew Glover wanted to find a way to encourage more people to become vegan. They came up with the idea of Veganuary. They created a simple website and spent £100 on a Facebook ad, expecting only around a hundred people to sign up. Instead, over 3,000 people pledged to go vegan in January.

Over the years, more people joined their team and helped them grow the movement. In 2016, they officially registered Veganuary as a charity and continued working to make it the phenomenon you see today. In 2021, 580,000 people signed up for Veganuary (and thousands more took part unofficially), so you could say it is doing pretty well!

A big roadblock for a lot of people from becoming vegan is the lack of vegan options available. This meant cooking meals from scratch, which is too time-consuming for most people. Part of Veganuary's mission is to work with shops, restaurants and other businesses to help them cater to vegans. Over the last few years there seems to have been an explosion in the vegan products available, making veganism much more accessible, with everything from ready meals to sweets and chocolate. During Veganuary 2021 alone, 825 new vegan products launched!

Vegan food at Cappuccino in Buckshaw Village

Here at The Hub, Cappuccino has an extensive vegan menu available, as well as vegetarian options too. This includes a vegan Full English, with vegan sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, hash browns and toast. There is also a selection of vegan burgers, salads, sandwiches and homemade soups to choose from. Plus, we have got some truly delicious vegan cakes, so you can still pop in for your cake and a coffee. Visit our Cappuccino cafe page to find out more.

What are the benefits of going vegan?

People are motivated to sign up for Veganuary for all sorts of reasons, including animal welfare, health consciousness and concerns about the environment. We will take a look at some of the benefits of a vegan diet below.

• Vegan food is rich in certain nutrients. As there is no meat and dairy, you will eat more whole grains, fruits, nuts and beans, which are rich in antioxidants, fibre and vitamins A, C and E.
• Weight management. Vegan diets cut out fatty dairy and meat products, and vegan foods are often low in calories. This means it is easier to maintain a healthy BMI on a vegan diet.
• Lower risk of some serious illnesses. Scientific studies have linked a vegan diet to lower risk of diabetes type 2, heart disease and various cancers.
• Healthier skin. Did you know that dairy is often the culprit behind those pimples? We all want glowing skin, and switching to a vegan diet could be the way to banish those blemishes once and for all.
• Reduce your carbon footprint. Animal agriculture is a leading contributor to global warming, as forests are cut down to create grazing land and the animals themselves produce gas. Removing meat and dairy from your diet therefore reduces your carbon footprint.
• Animal welfare. Perhaps the most obvious benefit of a vegan diet is for the animals who avoid slaughter for meat. It also prevents cruel practices like factory farming, overfeeding and growth hormones.

So a vegan diet is good for animals, good for you and good for the environment. It is a win-win!

Maybe try Meat Free Monday?

If going vegan sounds a bit too daunting to you, there is always the option to try Meat Free Monday instead. After all, even the smallest change is better than nothing!

Meat Free Monday is pretty much what it says on the tin. You do not eat meat on Mondays! This should be easy for most of us, as it is only one day of veggie meals to plan. And if you cannot be bothered cooking, Cappuccino has an amazing vegetarian menu available. This includes delicious homemade pizzas with a variety of toppings to choose from, cooked in a traditional stone pizza oven.

Even cutting out meat for one day a week can have tremendous benefits for your health and for the environment, as it lowers your overall meat consumption.

We hope this has helped you understand what Veganuary is and why so many people are choosing to take part. There are so many varied benefits of a vegan diet, and even the smallest change to our diet can make a big difference to our health and to the planet.

You will find Cappuccino at The Hub on Unity Place, Buckshaw Village, Chorley, PR7 7HZ. We are just off the M6 with free parking on site, so we are easy to reach from Chorley, Leyland, Euxton, Preston and Whittle-le-Woods. To find out more, call us on 01772 454287. While you are here, why not make a day of it and take a dip at our Splash swimming pool, or read more updates on our Hub News page.