Veganuary 2019 – A Roundup Post

(This blogpost is also available in German / auf Deutsch)

Wow, it’s already February 5th and January went by so fast! I remember last year in January the “The Fat Jew” tweeted a meme that said “Literally feels like January the 74th …” – and that’s exactly how I felt last year. The first month of 2018 just seemed to drag on …

This year, however, it’s exactly the opposite. Time is flying by fast and I notice that even more with this article, because I feel like it was only yesterday that I published my “Veganuary 2019” post. In between I posted some updates and tips on Instagram, as well as my “7 Days of Vegan Cooking” articles on the blog. I also was able to answer some of your questions through the posts, many of you started experimenting and learned something new about the vegan cuisine. That really made me happy. Here are a few of your reposts and some of your feedback, thanks for all your messages! Do not forget to follow me on Instagram as well:

But there are still a few questions from you guys that I would like to answer:

• Vegan Quiche – that was requested a few times, I already answered to this in the Veganuary blog post, but it was really very long. So here again my recommendation: Vegan Quiche from Ohsheglows
• Vegan Dressings – I shared a few ideas about dressings here in my Buddha Bowl blog post!
• Vegan Recipes in General: I shared a lot of tips in my Veganuary blog post, but maybe the article was just too long. Should I split the article up?

My experience

I have been vegan for a long time, so I was more in the “expert” position, though I would never actually call myself that. I have just been doing it for a very long time. However, I learned many new things myself, tried new recipes and increasingly engaged myself with the topic of sustainable, vegan leather. But more about this soon. What kept me personally very busy, were a few viral videos on YouTube on the topic “I’m no longer vegan”. I actually don’t find these types of videos so cool. I’m very open, do not live 100% vegan myself, I’m not a dogmatic plant eater, but for some reason many of those videos bugged me… My conclusion: Do not listen to YouTube and blogger gurus when it comes to concrete health advice. Do not follow any strange, pseudoscience, nonsensical food trends. Don’t be stressed about Clean Eating, Detox & Co. Balance is the keyword, as well as a relaxed relationship to food. Rely on your common sense, your own motivation and scientific studies (and that’s my opinion: if you’re sick, get help, go to the doctor and do not try to “heal yourself” for years). That’s my two cents, because these topics are currently what keep my busy.

My conclusion about Veganuary? Should everyone be vegan now?

I’m probably unpopular with vegans now, but I don’t need everyone to start eating 100% vegan overnight, but it would make me happy when the majority of people reduce their meat and milk consumption in the next few months. Even if you do not want to become 100% vegan, nowadays I find it very important to think about where our food comes from. Due to the serious environmental problems of producing animal products, milk, eggs, meat, and the catastrophic conditions under which animals live due to mass production and cheap meat, we can no longer argue with “live and let live”.

• Even if you can not or do not want to give up meat and milk completely, you can have a big impact by simply reducing the amount of animal products in your diet. According to a study, in the Western world we must reduce our meat consumption by 90%, so that by the year 2050 we can sustainably feed 10 billion people! Yes, it’s about radical choices, but definitely feasible and necessary to protect our climate, the animals and our health.
• Inform yourself! There are so many recent studies on climate, environment and nutrition. Here’s a quote: “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car, as these only cut greenhouse gas emissions” – Joseph Poore, University of Oxford, UK
• A book that I also highly recommend is Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, it’s a book that anyone who eats meat should read.

And a reduction in the use of animal products works best if you follow mainly a vegan diet. Because simply omitting meat & dairy won’t make you full, satisfied or happy. In my opinion, you really should replace it, so that such a change will be sustainable and healthy (I hate using the word, but I can’t think of a different one right now). In my Veganuary article, as well as in a few other articles of mine, you will find all the information that you need. I have linked them all below!

Here are a few of my articles about the topics:

• Eating out as a vegan
• Why I started eating a plant based diet
• Veganuary – Tips & Recommendations
• Vegan Diet – you questions and my answers part I
• Vegan Diet – you questions and my answers part II
• My Veganuary Recipes!!!!

Please leave me your feedback! Did you join in on Veganuary? Are you still vegan? How was it for you??