Veganuary is getting more popular year by year, and with plant-based eating dominating the 2021 media headlines, 2022 is looking to be the most successful to date. Veganuary aims to exceed its 2021 impressive impact:

• 1 in 20 UK individuals experimented going vegan in Veganuary
• 1 in 5 households have at least one member avoiding or reducing meat intakes
• 6.6 million households regularly include vegan products in their baskets

The Veganuary statistics continue to demonstrate a growing awareness and willingness to experiment with vegan products and vegan options when eating out.

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that few are adopting a 100% vegan diet at just 600,000 (less than 1%) of the population.¹  And the percentage of those individuals who are adopting a healthy vegan diet has yet to be established – with many of the new ‘vegan’ alternatives hitting the shelves high in saturated fat, salt and/or sugars. 

What we do know is that few of us are adopting a healthy plant-based dietary pattern.  Less than 0.1% of the UK population is in fact consuming healthy plant foods such as wholegrains, vegetables, nuts and seeds in any appreciable quantities.²  And the benefits of incorporating more healthful plant foods to both human and planetary health cannot be underestimated.³

Clearly there is a growing willingness for more plant-based foods and Veganuary is a great opportunity to drive more sustainable plant-based eating habits.  Registered dietitians’ and nutritionists’ involvement during Veganuary can be a powerful vehicle to help motivate all individuals to incorporate not only plant foods within their day-to-day repertoire – but more importantly, we are best qualified to help individuals navigate towards the healthy plant-based food options proven to benefit both human and planetary health.