Veganuary 2020 – The best recipes, snacks and how to get involved

VEGANUARY is becoming more and more popular among those who want to kick off their year differently.

So we've rounded up the best snacks, recipes and general tips to help you stay on the vegan track this January.

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What is Veganuary?

is a UK non-profit organisation that aims to educate and encourage people to eat Vegan for the month of January and beyond.

The organisation started campaigning back in 2014 and since then it has received international attention.

Veganuary invites people to try out plant-based diets to protect the environment and prevent animal suffering.

• You can sign up to the Veganuary pledge

How many people have signed up for Veganuary?

There's no information yet on how many people have signed up to do Veganuary in 2020.

But in 2019 there was a record-breaking number of people who signed up to the pledge - 250,000 participants.

Can vegans eat popcorn?

Generally, vegans can eat popcorn as it's plant based.

Although some flavoured popcorns have non-vegan ingredients, so always make sure you read the label.

Can vegans drink alcohol?

Some alcoholic drinks might not be vegan-friendly.

That is because some companies use animal-related materials to filter impurities prior to bottling.

Gelatin, egg whites, sea shells, isinglass and similar products that can be used to filter the alcohol, and that makes them not suitable for vegans.

The best vegan snacks:

• Shop all Myvegan products

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• Myvegan Snack Box, £19.99 from Myvegan -

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• Well&Truly Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crunchy Snacks, £5.88 from Amazon -

• Well&Truly Crunchy Cheese Snacks, £18.96 for a box of 6 from Amazon -
• Hemp Protein Bar, £13.99 from My Protein -
• Candy Kittens Vegan Sweets, £1 from Amazon -
• Deliciously Ella, £20 from Amazon -
• Well & Truly Smokey Paprica Snacks, £1 from Amazon -

Vegan meal recipes

There are plenty of delicious vegan recipes all over the web that can satisfy even the pickiest eater.
If you're looking for an inspiration, check out , , and, if you love food blogs, is a good one to try out.

Breakfast

Find more Vegan recipes on the official Veganuary website

'Cherry Bakewell' Baked Oats

Ingredients

• 80g Porridge oats
• 2 tbsp. Ground Flaxseed
• 20g Ground Almonds
• 70g Alpro Plain Unsweetened Big Pot
• 170ml Alpro Almond Unsweetened drink
• ½ tsp Almond Extract (optional)
• 100g Frozen Pitted Cherries (or tinned)
• 2 tbsp. Maple Syrup, plus extra to serve

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Mix together all the ingredients except the cherries until well combined and spoon into two small shallow baking dishes.

3. Dot with the cherries pushing them into the oats.

4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until set with a lightly coloured crust on top.

5. Drizzle with a little extra maple syrup and serve! Like this recipe? Sign up to Veganuary today to get recipes like this delivered directly to your inbox.

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Lunch

Find more Vegan recipes on the BBC good food website

Vegan Chilli, serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1-2 tsp chilli powder (depending on how hot you like it)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 red pepper, cut into chunks
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 400g can black beans, drained
• 400g can kidney beans, drained
• lime wedges, guacamole, coriander and rice to serve

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the sweet potato chunks in a roasting tin and drizzle over 1½ tbsp oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give everything a good mix so that all the chunks are coated in spices, season with salt and pepper then roast for 25 mins until cooked.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until soft then crush in the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Add the remaining dried spices and tomato puree. Give everything a good mix and cook for 1 min more.
3. Add the red pepper, chopped tomatoes and 200ml of water. Bring the chilli to a boil then simmer for 20 mins. Tip in the beans and cook for another 10 mins before adding the sweet potato. Season to taste then serve with lime wedges, guac, rice and coriander. Make ahead and freeze for up to 3 months.

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Dinner

Find more Vegan recipes on the official Veganuary website .

15-Minute Asian Stir Fry, serves 3

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 6 – 7 cups of Three different types of vegetables*, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
• 1/4 cup Orange Marmalade
• 2 1/2 T. Soy Sauce, Tamari or Bragg’s Aminos
• 2 T. Water
• 15 oz. can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 – 4 cups Cooked Rice or Quinoa (heat up the frozen type when in a pinch)

Preparation

1. Heat a large skillet lightly coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Then, add the prepped vegetables and spread them out into as much of a single layer as possible. Let these veggies be for about 4 minutes without touching them so they can get some char going.
2. Meanwhile, combine the onion powder, garlic powder and ground ginger in a pinch bowl and then sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the vegetables.
3. After those 4 minutes, take a large spatula and do your best to flip the vegetables over. The goal is to now let the other side get some brown color going. We’ll let this sit for another 3 – 4 minutes.
4. While you’re waiting, combine the marmalade, soy sauce (or substitute) and water in a small bowl to create the sauce. This is also a good time to prep and measure out the black beans, if you haven’t already.
5. Once those 3 – 4 minutes are up, give those vegetables a good stir and then add the sauce and black beans. Stir a couple more times and then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 2 minutes.
6. Pile some cooked rice or quinoa on a plate or in a bowl and add generous helpings of the vegetable stir fry right on top. Serve immediately.

The Best Vegan Beauty and Skincare Brands

New Year can be a great start not only in terms of the clean diet, but for beauty and skincare too.

More and more brands are becoming cruelty free and vegan-friendly, so we've rounded some of our favourite options below.

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• Shop B. Vegan beauty products

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• Shop all Holland and Barret Vegan Beauty

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• Shop all Boots Vegan Brands

Best Vegan dining experiences:

• Two Course Vegan Meals with Wine at Stem and Glory, £59 from Red Letter Days -
• Vegan Three Course Meal and Smoothie for Two at Paradise Plantbased, £59.99 from Red Letter Days -
• Mediterranean Vegan Cooking Class for One in London, £49 from Buy A Gift -

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