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Happy New Year and Happy Veganuary! Since launching in 2014, Veganuary has inspired over 1 million people to go vegan for January across the UK. Last year was Veganuary’s biggest year yet with 400,000 people taking part worldwide. 

Not only are our products highly natural and cruelty-free, but much of the Q+A range is also vegan-friendly too. We are proud supporters of the Veganuary campaign - veganism is not only great for your health (38% of people chose to participate in Veganuary for a healthier start to their year), but great for the environment too, which as you may know is hugely important Team Q+A! This January, Veganuary predicts that 2.5 million litres of water, as well as 41,200 tonnes of CO2, can be saved by those who participate in this campaign.

If you’re looking to go vegan to kick-start the new year, we’re here to help! What better place to start than with your morning regime, and who better to team up with on this blog than our Sales and Purchasing Assistant, Eliza! Her journey to veganism began three years ago but it wasn’t an instant swap. Her transition to a vegan lifestyle came in three key stages… 

“I was vegetarian for 6 months before I decided to cut everything out and go fully plant-based. Going vegan is time-consuming as you have to check all packaging, whereas vegetarianism is slightly easier.”    

 Stage one of Eliza’s journey focused on swapping out some of the food she was eating every day for plant-based alternatives, like cow’s milk which she swapped for soya milk and then eventually for oat milk. Eliza recommends taking time to find your perfect plant-based alternatives, “some people love tofu, others hate it. But a vegan diet isn’t restricted to vegetables and lentils! Be adventurous – there are loads of options available now.” There’s a stat to prove it, last year alone more than 1200 new vegan products were launched for Veganuary!

During stage two, meat took the cut and Eliza’s diet was completely vegetarian but also included lots of plant-based options. “There are a lot more alternatives for vegetarians (which often contain egg), so you have more choice and can easily swap out your meat.” So, if going cold turkey (no pun intended) isn’t for you, try veggie first! At this point, Eliza began making vegan swaps in other areas of her day-to-day life too, like her skincare and makeup products, replacing empty products with a vegan alternative.

Stage three, the final (and most challenging) stage of Eliza’s journey to become vegan was cutting the things that everyone says they can’t live without - cheese and chocolate! But surprisingly for Eliza cutting these treats out came easier than eradicating the sneaky egg! “Eggs are actually the hardest to cut out because, similar to milk, they’re in everything – I accidentally brought cake decorations the other day (icing carrots) and they’d put eggs in them! That’s after 3 years of veganism so always check your packaging.” 

 Now, let's help you make your morning regime vegan-friendly with a few top tips from Eliza: 

1. Make your morning skincare regime vegan friendly. Our Daily Essentials bundle is a great place to start as it includes a vegan Cleanser, Toner and Moisturiser. If Q+A takes centre-stage in your skincare collection, it’s likely your regime could be vegan-friendly already. All of our products (except for the Collagen Face Cream which uses sustainably sourced beeswax) are vegan - look out for the Veganuary love heart logo! Eliza’s favourite is the Zinc PCA Facial Serum!     
2. Switch out your cow’s milk for an alternative. Choose one that tastes good in cereal and coffee. This is an easy swap with Eliza recommending Minor Figures Oat Milk. 
3. Choose vegan alternatives but check the food you already have. A lot of popular food is already unintentionally vegan including Coco Pops, Curiously Cinnamon and Weetabix. 
4. Head to the Veganuary website for lots of tips and tricks including vegan eating guides and recipes, and a huge directory of vegan-friendly brands waiting to be discovered (including Q+A)!

And if you’re still searching for more inspiration, why not follow some of our favourite vegan social media influencers and accounts:   

•  @emmasditto 
• @accidentallyveganuk 
• @crueltyfreebecky 
• @vegan_food_uk 
• @ellierhianstennett  

Are you taking part in Veganuary this year? If yes, I hope these tips from Eliza will make your path to veganism a little less rocky.    

 If this blog has tempted you to take part in the 2021 Veganuary campaign, head to the Veganuary website to learn more and sign up to the challenge!

Here's to a healthier and more sustainable 2021!

Lucy @ Team Q+A