The Veganuary initiative has encouraged people to go vegan for January, and this year KCLSU is jumping on board too!

Whether you’re a meat-eater, vegetarian, or a flexitarian, there is no doubt that there are many ethical, environmental and health reasons to go vegan: an average vegan diet produces nearly half the CO2 of a meat-eater’s diet – 1,055 kg v 2,055 kg. Health wise, going vegan can reduce your chances of getting type two diabetes, heart disease and even premature death. If you’re an animal lover, you might be conscious of the negative effects on the animals we farm for their meat, milk and eggs.

Despite these startling statistics, the vegan lifestyle can be very daunting for someone who has no experience avoiding meat and animal products, which seem to be everywhere. Even those who try can find the diet expensive and lacking their favourite foods – but the Veganuary initiative tries to change that by giving the vegan-curious more options than they could dream of!

At KCLSU, we are doing our bit this Veganuary to make vegan options accessible to all! We’re offering free alternative milks for all drinks at the Shack – that’s soy, oat, coconut and almond milk – and charging 20p extra for cow’s milk – so why not give one of our alternative milks a try?

What’s more, The Vault and Guy’s Bar have 20% off a selection of vegan meals including the Super Green Burger, Tofu Green Thai Curry, Tofu Caesar Salad and – perfect for this cold season - Vegan Macaroni Cheese!

Let’s not forget Nought, our zero waste shop that opened this academic year, which is home to many vegan & sustainable products you can use to spice up your January. The dried fruit selection – including mango and pineapple – is the perfect study-snack. While the lentils, nuts and quinoa are a great source of protein.

The unsung hero of Nought is their Vegan Burger Mix that doubles up as the perfect alternative to meatballs – just add water and roll into little balls, chill for an hour and then cook in the oven. Add tomato sauce (throw in some spices from Nought for extra flavour! I recommend paprika, cumin and garlic powder) to some cooked spaghetti (also available at Nought) for the perfect Spaghetti No-Meatballs!

With these great little incentives, we hope we can encourage you to try Veganuary this month – even if it’s only for a day or two, a little goes a long way – and you might just discover something you love!