So, if you don’t know already, this month is #Veganuary! Being a registered charity, Veganuary aims to inspire people to try meat and dairy free living, even if it’s just by making a few simple changes to your weekly meals to reduce the amount of animal products you consume.
Whether it’s for environmental reasons, dietary reasons or simply because you fancy a bit of a challenge, there’s no better time to get involved and give it a little go!
And, what better way to get involved than having Guest Blogger and our very own Paycare Team member, Millie, share her favourite Vegan foods, facts and top tips for anyone looking to become Vegan or just give it a go this month! Take it away Millie…
“Many moons ago when mentioning to someone you were vegan, you may have been met with a look of horror whilst gasps and signs filled the room, followed by the dreaded question, ‘But where do you get your protein?’
Fast forward a few more years and a plant-based diet has never been easier, with huge retailers offering an ever-growing selection of plant-based foods, especially with the number of Vegans in the UK surging by 700% in the last 2 years! No wonder the month of January is now known as #Veganuary.
Not only this, there are many myths surrounding being Vegan, a popular one being “One person going Vegan won’t make a difference will it?”
Well, according to the Veganuary charity, one person makes a very real difference! In a lifetime, each of us will eat more than 7,000 animals, so by choosing to stop today, a lot of lives are spared.
And, Environmental and Ethical benefits aside, there are endless studies that suggest living a healthy plant-based lifestyle comes with an array of health benefits. Scientific research has shown that eating a diet high in wholefoods such as grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes is shown to drastically reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancers.
‘But where do I start?’, you may ask. Well, every small change is a huge step in the right direction. It could be as simple as having a meat free Monday once a week or swapping cow milk for a plant-based alternative like hemp milk or oat milk, every little helps!
Another misconception is that eating Vegan is more expensive. So, how much does becoming Vegan actually cost? To get you Financially Fit for New Year, I have found some of the most affordable (and definitely tastiest!) Vegan food and treats for you to try!
LoveRaw peanut butter cups – Boots – £1.99
Livia’s Kitchen Raw Choc Brownie Nugglets – Tesco – £1.50
Ben & Jerry’s Diary free Ice Cream – Sainsbury’s – £5.50
Magnum Vegan Classic Ice Creams (3 pack) – Sainsbury’s – £3.50
Quorn Vegan Nuggets – Sainsbury’s – £2.50
So, there you go – it really is that easy to switch up your diet once in a while and have a go at being Vegan! It’s beneficial to our health, it’s affordable, and honestly (you’ve heard it from Millie!) Vegan foods taste just as good as those that aren’t! Happy #Veganuary fellow and new Vegans!”
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Thanks Millie, that’s really insightful!
Excuse us, we’re just off to try the Dairy Free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream ….mmmm!
About Millie:
Our guest blogger, Millie, is a Paycare Policy Admin Assistant. As part of the Guardians of the Policy team, Millie works tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our policies up to date, making changes to group schemes, adding new policyholders and producing all group invoices – she’s really got her work cut out! #MeetTheTeam
References: https://veganuary.com/
https://www.livekindly.co/number-of-vegans-in-the-uk-surges-by-700-in-just-two-years/