Two thirds of Brits already given up on Veganuary ventures by third week of January
22 January 2024, 17:42
Two-thirds of Brits have already given up on their Veganuary ventures by the third week of January, and one in 10 dropped the diet after the first week, it has been revealed.
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New research by Pure has revealed 42 per cent of UK adults believe January is a particularly difficult month to make any drastic lifestyle changes amid the post-Christmas indulgence.
Instead of taking part in Veganuary - where many chose to eat a plant-based diet for the first month of the year - some 64 per cent of adults think it is healthier to make less drastic dietary changes throughout the year.
Rather than going cold turkey and implementing a vegan diet immediately after the festive period, the majority of UK adults believe it is more sustainable to make smaller and less sudden changes to what they eat.
Veganuary is one of the most popular and fastest-growing resolutions set by Brits in the new year. The diet change has grown even more popular on social media, with one in six admitting they have been inspired to take part in the venture by an influencer.
According to 59 per cent of participants, the top reason for taking part in Veganuary is to try something different in their diet.
But while having the right intentions, less than a third (28 per cent) manage to make it through the whole month without noshing on animal products.
Many believe the reason for not making it through the month is because they find a lack of meal variety in the vegan diet, and struggle to make the changes all at once.
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According to research from Pure, over half of UK adults believe it has a better impact on the planet if they make small changes all year round rather than just in January.
If there was less pressure to take on the vegan diet all at once in January, almost half believe they would attempt to go plant-based - and one in eight would take part in Veganury if they didn’t have to make so many changes to their diet in one go.
Switching some specific products to vegan alternatives may also help some Brits consume more plant-based products. Some 12 per cent of adults said they would partially get involved in Veganuary if they knew there were good vegan alternatives available for their favourite dishes.
After trying vegan cheese, over a quarter of dairy-eating respondents said they would try the product again, and even more said they would sample the vegan alternatives to butter and spreads again.
Alexandra Moston, Senior Brand Manager at Pure said: ‘With so many Brits struggling to keep up with the huge number of dietary changes that come with going completely plant-based in January, we are encouraging everyone to make small, everyday swaps throughout the year instead.
"Changing your whole diet overnight is notoriously tricky to maintain, but with Pure’s range of plant-based spreads you can still create your favourite meals and snacks with just a simple change to your weekly shop."
