Vegan Life Magazine

30 December 2021

Happy New Year! I hope that you all had the loveliest Christmases and festive celebrations, enjoyed with your most cherished friends and family. And I hope that you got to sample lots of delicious vegan food and drink! I, for one, savoured an incredible seitan roast with all the trimmings and indulged in one or two (or 10!) mince pies… With Christmas been and gone, it’s time for, what many of us will refer to as ‘Vegan Christmas’, AKA, Veganuary. We refer to it as such, well, because of all the amazing new product launches that tend to come about at this time of year, in line with the month-long ‘go-vegan’ challenge. Welcome to everyone that has picked up this magazine because you are taking part in Veganuary — we can assure you, you’re in very safe hands. Throughout our pages, we will share with you a myriad of divine recipes for beginner plant-based cooks as well as seasoned food creators. You’ll find tonnes of recipes that veganise traditional favourite foods, a beautiful assortment of gluten-free breakfasts, super-speedy five ingredient lunches and raw delights (don’t be afraid, raw cooking isn’t scary!). Head over to our Veganuary special, where the charity shares with us real-life stories from families that have taken part in the challenge in the past; you’ll discover that with the right support, eating vegan is not as difficult as it may first seem. In fact, it only takes a few alterations and a little bit of practice to make flavour-packed vegan grub. We’ve also got an abundance of essential food swaps for you, as well as Veganuary cooking tips from our cover recipe creator, plant-based chef, Hannah Sunderani. If you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint, vegan cooking and eating will certainly help. The state of our planet has been the focus of much attention of late, with COP26 taking place at the end of last year. Climate anxiety is on the rise — 60 per cent of young people report to have feelings of panic related the state of our planet (bbc.co.uk), and it’s really no surprise. In this month’s issue, published author Rab Ferguson talks about how we can support young people’s mental health right now, without removing the urgency of the climate crisis. If you have experienced such feelings — you’re not alone. By being vegan, you are certainly already helping to alleviate all of the wrongdoing that happens on planet Earth each day. Keep it up! Also in this issue, we look at how to beat the ‘January blues’; vegan chef Niki Webster chats to us about her newest cookbook, and Maria Slough talks to Jan Taylor, the incredible founder of the Evesham-based haven for animals that is Farm Animal Sanctuary. Veganuary-participants, you’ve got this!