5 Lessons from a Veganuary Diet

By Lance Gould

A month without meat? Thirty-one days without dairy? The first time Veganuary crossed my radar, I found the idea nearly incomprehensible. Who would willingly give up such simple, earthly delights as a beef burrito, roast chicken and mashed potatoes, or even an egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich?

It was the holidays, at the end of 2017, just before the fifth edition of Veganuary — the UK-founded month-long adherence to an all-vegan diet — was about to commence.

I must admit, I’m a sucker for good marketing, and the name “Veganuary” got my attention. (To this day, as with “GIFs,” I’m still not sure if you pronounce “Veganuary” with a hard or soft “g,” but I’m pretty sure my kids would appreciate it if I stop trying to say the latter.)

Intrigued enough, I tried it that January four years ago to challenge myself and see how I’d fare, as if it were a Buzzfeed quiz or a TikTok dance craze. (With neither of which I have much proficiency.)

Truth be told, I was shocked by the profundity of the experience, and how many different avenues of discourse and exploration a simple change in diet led to — including, of course, culinary, but also cultural, political, social, spiritual, health, environmental, and philosophical.

First, it should be noted, I quite enjoy meat, poultry, and seafood. And let’s not forget cheese. My mother was a food writer, and though my early-childhood rebellion manifested in refusal to eat anything but burgers, I later discovered the joy of cooking, the sensations of spices, and the home-bound international “travel” afforded by global cuisine.

But it wasn't until I became more involved in the environmental movement — and I learned how planet-destroying the meat industry was — that each morsel of juicy steak, every tantalizing shrimp, further amassed my guilt. Note that much of the destruction of the Amazon comes from farmers clearing rainforest for land that will be turned over to factory farms. And, reports the Guardian, the combination of that deforestation and methane emissions from cows creates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all the world’s cars, trucks, and airplanes.

So who wouldn’t want to at least try and commit to a greener, healthier, and Earth-sustaining diet for at least one month a year?

Here are five lessons I have learned from my last few Veganuaries.

Lesson 1: The Gift of Exploration

Once I made the commitment to Veganuary, I went shopping to make sure the house had plenty of options, and loaded up on plant-based butter, almond milk, veggie sausages, meatless burgers, vegan ice cream, and the like. And I took a few fliers on items that turned out to be new year-round staples — like pineapple habañero vegan jerky.

Whether shopping or dining out, the vegan diet pushes you to explore the fringes of the menu that might otherwise seem underwhelming, or frightening, but can lead to delightful discoveries.

Three years ago during Veganuary, my extended family went to a fantastic Japanese sushi restaurant in lower Manhattan. I had long wanted to try the renowned fish there, but it was Veganuary, so I was mopey and jealous of my family, all of whom were enjoying delicate and delicious fish dishes. I had no option but to go way, way off the main road and down other, seemingly less satisfying menu pathways. But that was the wrong attitude, because I might not have otherwise ordered the delicious wakame (green seaweed salad), squash norimaki, braised tofu, vegetable tempura, and edamame. My self-imposed set of limitations instead became a gift of exploration. Though it seems counterintuitive, because you are imposing limits on your choices, in many ways a restricted diet allows you to open yourself up to more meal options.

Lesson 2: Vegan Vim and Vigor

I had previously paid moderate attention to what foods I ate, but I can’t say I did so consistently. Eating a vegan diet forces you to more closely monitor your intake — reading labels carefully — and generally avoid the unpronounceable crap that haunts so many processed foods. That’s a healthy way to start the year. 

Any change in diet can have other consequences on your body’s system, and the vegan diet is no exception. The first few days of Veganuary, I feel inordinately hungry between meals. But once in the Veganuary groove, I feel motivated to go to the gym more frequently, notice my weight comes down just a bit, and I have less moments where I just want to collapse in a post-meal coma on the couch.

Lesson 3: Challenging Social Conventions — and Yourself

On a social level, there are times when it won’t be easy to be vegan, but there are valuable lessons for personal growth and seeing a larger prize while enduring the ribbing — or irritation — of friends. Most people with whom I share meals during Veganuary are supportive and intrigued by the idea. But others have expressed annoyance or derision at the fact that I was maintaining a vegan diet.

(Interestingly, some of the derision I received was from vegetarians, who don’t eat meat, but who seemed irked that I was giving up dairy, too. That, for many, was a step too far.)

There’s also a certain toxic masculinity that pervades the anti-vegan camp, positioning non-meat diets as weak and unmanly. Nevermind the superstar athletes, UFC fighters, and movie-action heroes, featured in movies like Game Changers, who all have gone vegan and note how their diet has taken them to another level of success in their respective sports.

I try to explain to my fellow diners what the intent of the experiment is — better for the planet, a personal challenge for myself. Some are reassured that I intend to go back to a “normal” diet when the month is over — that I’m not a traitor to the protein diet to which many of us have pledged our allegiance.

Lesson 4: Making Room in the Middle

In the current climate where nearly everything seems political, a commitment to a vegan diet almost seems like a declaration of war. But to me it’s more an exploration of moderation. I’m not out to take anyone’s burgers away — I like burgers, too! But can we each try to see what other options there are, which can be just as tasty, just as satisfying, and have beneficial consequences for the globe?

Lesson 5: The Rogan Rule

I recently learned that Joe Rogan has been on a meat-heavy “carnivore” diet for the month of January this year. A good rule of thumb: whatever Joe Rogan does, do the exact opposite.

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Remember, just because you try a vegan diet for a month, or a week, or even for a meal (Meatless Mondays, for example) doesn’t mean you are forever swearing off bacon, or steak frites, or turducken (though you might want to reconsider that last one anyway). Rather, it means you are expanding your palate. It means you are redressing the tyranny of the Meat Marquee Menu, that you are likely eating more healthily, and that you are making a small step toward greater sustainability for the planet.

As the last few frozen hours of January slide into the even colder first few hours of February, I’m dreaming of a Brooklyn bagel with double-smoked Irish organic salmon, horseradish cream cheese, and wasabi-tobiko fish eggs. But I’ll wash it down with an oat milk coffee.