A new year is upon us and with it comes a lot of chatter about Veganuary. Are you taking part this year?

According to data from GWI, last year 14% of the nation took part, with the main reasons for doing so cited as protecting the environment, supporting animal rights/welfare and improving health.

I think the more interesting statistic, and one I’m yet to find, is how many of these people managed to keep going to the end of January and how many are continuing with a vegan diet.

I’m not convinced that Veganuary is the best approach to tackling environment, animal welfare or health changes. Like any new year resolution or new year diet, this all or nothing approach is unsustainable for most.

There’s no denying though, that there are benefits to including more plant-based ingredients into our meals. We all need to find our own way to achieve this, but what worked for us, was to start by introducing one meal a week which was vegetarian or vegan, whilst at the same time, reducing how much meat we were eating at other meals (and buying the best quality we can afford), bulking it out with a lot more veg and pulses. Over time, the amount of meat we’re eating has drastically reduced and the number of meat-free meals each week has increased.

How about you? Is introducing more plant-based meals or reducing meat consumption one of your mealtime goals this year?

What are your fears, concerns or worries about doing this?