The implications of Veganuary

diversifying the movement and the conversations it sparks

Jan 10, 2024

It’s here. 31 days where vegans are allowed to rant about which documentaries they watched before going vegan and spill their ranking of yogurt brands and be as annoying as they want to be and nobody can say a word.

Just kidding. That’s not what Veganuary is about! And (most) vegans aren’t annoying. (Some definitely are though.)

I didn’t pay much attention to Veganuary before this year, and that may be because my own transition to plant-based eating had nothing to do with it. (Here’s the first essay I ever wrote about said transition if you’re new here.) Some background about Veganuary, straight from the organization’s website:

“Veganuary is a non-profit organization that encourages people worldwide to try vegan for January and beyond…Throughout the year, Veganuary encourages and supports people and businesses alike to move to a plant-based diet as a way of protecting the environment, preventing animal suffering, and improving the health of millions of people.”

After skimming Veganuary’s website, I was mostly satisfied with the ground it covers, from animal rights to climate change to public health. Sure, it focuses a little too much on measuring success by celebrity endorsements and media buzz. Regardless, the organization has prioritized shedding light on systemic issues where individual choice has a place but is only part of spurring collective action.

Although the organization’s leadership is lacking diversity, the globalization of the campaign is reflected in the recipes on the site. Or at least I thought so, until I saw that there are over 200 American recipes and British recipes and only 10 African recipes and 18 Chinese recipes, and the eating guide looks like it could be on Danny Tanner’s fridge if he made the family do Veganuary in the 90s. (Another way of saying it’s very white.) Critiquing Veganuary’s website isn’t really what I was planning to do here, and I wondered if it’s counterproductive to do so, but no – it is indeed relevant to examine how a growing organization communicates its message and how that message can improve to highlight more voices and nuances.

For example, I think there is plenty of room for growth in how Veganuary discusses veganism and culture, which became quite clear on the recipe page, but also through what is left unsaid. Veganuary lists animal rights, sustainability, and health as its main areas of focus while neglecting a history of white veganism and the cultural and socioeconomic implications of veganism. I would’ve liked to see more about how veganism may fit into the food justice movement and concerns with accessing a plant-based diet in various communities, so perhaps that will be a topic for another week.

That’s all I’ll say about Veganuary the organization for now, as I don’t think the organization itself is the most attention-grabbing aspect of Veganuary anyways. When I first heard of Veganuary, I didn’t even know there was an organization behind it – I thought it was a cute but monstrous-to-pronounce term invented by vegans on the internet!

To me, what stands out about Veganuary is that it’s January, a month where media and businesses prey on wellness-related New Year’s resolutions. The timing of Veganuary perpetuates perhaps unintentional yet complicated messaging about veganism’s place in wellness culture. Especially on platforms that promote plant-based recipes for personal health reasons, veganism becomes tied to a narrative that appeals to the masses. The only feasible alternative to January that I can think of is April because of Earth Day, but I can’t imagine that would ever receive as much hype or attention. Frankly, people are more receptive to change in January, and regardless of when Veganuary is, veganism has always had a place in mainstream wellness culture, both the positive and toxic sides of it.

About a year ago, I wrote a piece called “Social Media Made Veganism About White Wellness. How Are We Changing That?” for

Antiracist Dietitian

, an incredible newsletter by

Anjali Prasertong

. A brief and relevant excerpt about veganism on the internet pre-2020, aka the time I was an impressionable teen:

On the internet, a quick search for vegan recipes led you to blogs run by predominantly white women. On Instagram, the same people tended to have the largest followings. A 2020 study by Virginia Braun and Sophie Carruthers ¹ analyzed popular vegan vlogs that would show up for a user with no prior search history:
“Our brief analysis captures the dominant ontologising practices: veganism in these vlogs was located within neoliberal healthist and contemporary privileged (white) wellness imperatives. Other constructions of veganism – as ethical eating from an animal rights perspective or as environmentally responsible eating – were sometimes present, but appeared only as minor characters in the story.”

I’d like to think that the digital space studied by Braun and Carruther has evolved since 2020, but their study is a testament to what it once was. My introduction to plant-based eating was via the internet and likewise, my introduction to Veganuary was mostly informed by social media. And by that, I mean every vegan content creator’s Veganuary series. I’m inspired by what people are putting out there and excited by how plant-based food represented in food media has expanded in the past few years! Gone are the days where vegan American comfort food is the poster child or where certain bloggers are the go-to for every cuisine.

As the phrase “self-care” has been increasingly glorified, I feel like we’ve seen it morph into something seemingly more inclusive and flexible. It’s self-care to sleep in, have a treat, take yourself on a solo date, romanticize life. What doesn’t fit into this relaxing idea of self-care is a radical change that may be stressful – the kind that may be a New Year’s resolution. For some, it’s a point of pride to have no resolutions and for others it’s an expression of self-acceptance – not necessarily a resistance to change, but perhaps an inclination to more gradual change.

I understand the latter way of thinking, for New Year’s resolutions come with a stifling pressure to strive for perfection. I’ve felt it in the first week even without any specific resolutions! Personally, my transition to veganism was a slow climb that unfolded without thinking much about the pace I was going at: a year of more plant-forward eating, a month with no meat, and then a month with no dairy or eggs. And then some growing pains as I tried to fit veganism into the social fabric of my life. That’s one of many ways to do it.

We can laugh all we want about the gym crowds that will dwindle down by March, but there is also something pretty cool about people waking up everyday and trying, given that they have the energy and resources to do so. Trying to do something for themselves and in the case of Veganuary, something bigger than themselves, which means the conversations we have about plant-based diets should also be about more than ourselves. Obviously I have no evidence that this hasn’t been the case – I just have a feeling that the individual responsibility to nourish ourselves is highlighted in January, preventing some of the more nuanced messaging about our food system and collective action from being at the forefront this month.

This isn’t to say that individual choice doesn’t matter. Aligning with our values is a significant part of reimagining the food system we want to see. It takes whispers and discussions and screams to create systemic change, but it doesn’t take “perfect” choices to be part of making that change, which is where I think some of Veganuary’s messaging is valuable. It invites people to try veganism, and regardless of whether it’s a temporary shift or a more lasting change, I hope the movement encourages openness toward plant-based meals. And that’s where recipes can be helpful, because plant-based cooking does have a learning curve and any time a friend asks me “wait what’s nutritional yeast” I am reminded of that curve.

I truly believe recipes can be a form of activism – by using ingredients that reflect seasonal changes, a resourceful approach to cooking, and the world we want to see. At the very least, recipes provide an easy avenue for conversations. When you’re sharing food with people at the table, you will inevitably talk about the food. Maybe I overestimate how deep these conversations can get because I’m from a family that truly dissects the food we’re eating with our tongues, both physically and verbally.

Whether you’re a whisperer or a screamer or somewhere in between like most of us, here’s a little tip I appreciated from a Guardian article about food sustainability resolutions in 2024:

“Even if you could vaporize your entire personal footprint tomorrow, the current food system would keep everyone else around you locked into an ecologically destructive status quo – which means that it’s more impactful to shift the systems that keep us locked in unsustainable cycles than to achieve personal moral purity. So if you have limited time or energy to spend on sustainability efforts, prioritize actions that produce collective rather than individual change whenever possible.”

mini spice rack

cooking

I didn’t feel excited about developing recipes or filming videos for almost all of last year, so the moment I could sense the energy filling me up again, I figured why not join the fun. My own Veganuary series is a collection of recipes I’d consider essential in my kitchen, with some playful experiments. Below you’ll find photos and links to the recipes so far!

achaari oyster mushroom galette - Mushrooms, homemade achaari masala, caramelized onions, flaky crust…what’s not to love! Recipe here, video here

dal tadka - Comfort in a bowl. Recipe here, video here.

Malaysian-inspired eggplant tofu curry - A version of one of the first things I ever cooked for my family. Use any veggies you want! Recipe here, video here.

schezwan brussels sprouts - I’m obsessed with schezwan chutney and not ashamed of it. Recipe here, video here.

chole/chana masala - The one with the black tea bags, the way I like it! Recipe here.