Veganuary... Is it better to go part time for longer?

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So it seems that Veganuary is the latest thing for food craze buffs to get their head around in 2016. To be fair, it seems more exciting to me than Drytober. But if I'm honest, I don't have the will power to go vegan for the whole month and I'm already ahead on having vegetarianism as a starting point. It will be so much more difficult for those eating meat (I know I would find it nigh on impossible to convince my husband to give it all up for a whole month)

But that's the main issue, giving something up completely is a huge strain and what happens when the month is over? We all go back to over consuming animal products (whether it is meat, fish, eggs or dairy) in a manner that puts a strain on both our bodies and the environment. I am sure that some people will have epiphanies and at the end of the month and they will significantly reduce their consumption but let's be honest the majority won't. My worry is that many people will simply fall off the bandwagon in the first few weeks and in doing so, a negative relationship with vegan food may be formed which is a shame as it an be delicious.

So I'm not going to go completely vegan for January but I am going to increase the amount of vegan food I cook for the foreseeable future. If I do things in moderation, I see no reason to stop at the end of the month.

To get me started I have scoured my recipe archive for my favourite vegan recipes on the blog. And if you are doing Veganuary, I am sending you plenty of luck and not a small bit of my admiration for your will power. Hopefully you'll find this list useful too.


Breakfast and Brunch

I love my cocoNut granola with Kokomilk as it brings out the coconut flavour and adds a touch of sweetness to the sugar free cereal so swapping breakfast is a no brainer.


I recently made a rather lovely brunch spread for a friend that involved two dishes, Scrambled Spiced Tofu and a Giant Chipotle Rosti. Great together or as standalone dishes.


Lunch

Serve up Pomegranate roasted carrots with Merguez spiced chickpeas in a Pitta pocket and salad for a lush lunch. Just need to substitute or remove the yoghurt.

Bored of Houmous? Try out Besara for a smokey change of dipping scenery.

Jerusalem artichokes are in season right now so it's the perfect time to give this Jerusalem Artichoke and Pangritata Salad a try.

Keep warm with this Moroccan Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.

Make in advance and then team these Fava Bean Falafels with the Besara and a fresh salad for a quick assembly lunch.

The Butter Beans in this Vegan Answer to Chicken Soup give it a wonderfully rich and creamy finish without even a hint of dairy.



Supper

Smokey Bean Chilli- just leave out the dollop of yogurt on top or replace with a soya version.

This week's South American Inspired Black Bean and Quinoa Stew was hearty and satisfying.

I will definitely be returning to the Thai Red Lentil Curry  that I created for MyBabyRadio this month. It's a bit of a staple in our house to be honest and is a complete one pot meal.

Ignore the feta on top and you have a delicious, super easy and quick midweek supper with this Smoked Tofu Lahmacun recipe.

These are a take on Koftas using the king of economical foods, the Kidney Bean.  Oh so moreish and best eaten straight from the oven with a warm pitta and plenty of fresh salad, these Kidney Bean Kofta's also make a fantastic side dish to a curry.

Another soup for the cold Janauary days, this Black Bean Chilli Soup will be sure to warm you up as you hunker down for the night. of course you could skip the whizzing stage and eat it as a chillified stew. I highly recommend making the salsa to, really peps it up.

And finally, a list of Vegan recipes wouldn't be complete without a dhal. This Aubergine and Red Lentil Dhal is awesome and easy, a great combination. Just leave out or substitute the yoghurt.



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