Vegan January (Veganuary) | Try Going Vegan for a Month with International Cuisines!
Veganuary is upon us (Vegan January)!
The month where plant curious people try to go vegan for about a month, all throughout January.
You’re going to hear a lot of useful tips this month, but I want to layout the number one tip I’ve used that helped me transition to a plant-based lifestyle.
Draw inspiration from international cuisines!
There are so many plant-friendly cuisines around the world to draw inspiration from that going vegan for the month of January need not be difficult! I usually pick an international cuisine to draw inspiration from each time I meal prep.
I’ve included my favorite international cuisines to experiment with below and included lists of some awesome recipes you can make that are vegan! I hope this list of amazing international vegan food gives you some inspiration for Veganuary!
Vegan Indian Food Ideas
Not only can you take any regular vegetarian dish and sub out any dairy for vegan dairy products, but you can also take regular meat dishes and sub out chicken and beef for vegan substitutes, tofu, or chickpeas!
I would highly recommend choosing 2 or 3 of your favorite curries and meal prepping them for dinner or lunches throughout the week!
Some awesome vegan Indian dishes to try for your month of eating vegan are:
Butter Chickpea Masala (or you can use vegan chicken pieces)
Tofu in Spinach Curry - Palak Tofu “Paneer”
Chickpea Tikka Masala (can also make with cauliflower instead of chickpeas)
Vegan Samosas (I buy mine! Yay store-bought)
Vegan Greek Food Ideas
Believe it or not, plant-based Greek food is possible and delicious!
Some awesome vegan Greek dishes to try for Vegan January are:
Greek Salad (pretty simple)
Dolmades (you can buy large cans of these already made!)
And so much more!
Vegan Japanese Food Ideas
Perhaps this is less commonly thought about as a vegan-friendly cuisine, however, it is truly delicious.
Some of my incredible Vegan Japanese dishes to try for Veganuary are:
Vegan Ramen (adapt with plant-based dairy)
Japanese Curry! (so many different varieties to try that are surprisingly easy!)
Tofu Don - Japanese Tofu Rice Bowl
Ready-made Mochi as a treat!
Vegan Mexican Food Ideas
Again, the possibilities of either creating authentic, tex-mex style or Mexican-inspired foods that are vegan are limitless.
Some awesome vegan Mexican dishes to try for your month of eating vegan are:
Vegan Power Nachos with Cauliflower cheese (pictured above, all the toppings!)
Sweet potatoes & Kale enchilada casserole (great for multiple meals)
Vegan burritos (get creative with your toppings!)
Mexican Power Bowls. Google it! There are so many delicious-looking bowls!
Portobello Steaks with sauteed pepper and onions, Mexican rice, refried beans, fresh salsa, diced onion, and cilantro.
Vegan Tacos! Also so many options.
Taco salads with lots of beans, avocado, and veggie ground round to keep me full.
Vegan Persian Food Ideas
Vegan Persian food is new to me but oh my, is it ever delicious. This cuisine is so fragrant and beautiful, your whole kitchen will smell magical whenever you cook it.
Some awesome vegan Greek dishes to try for Vegan January are:
Different versions of “polo” - Persian rice with different herbs, beans, legumes, spices, and vegetables. Sub out real ground meat for vegan ground meat and real butter for vegan butter or oil.
There are many different Persian stews to try!
Vegan Vietnamese Food Ideas
If you haven’t tried making vegan Vietnamese yet, you are missing out my friend.
Some of my incredible Vegan Vietnamese dishes to try for Veganuary are:
Vegan Spring Rolls (buy them, or make them if you’re up to it)
Deconstructed salad roll bowls with spicy peanut sauce and hoisin sauce
Vegan Thai Food Ideas
Kind of like Indian Food, with the plethora of stir-fries and curries, it is so easy to turn any vegetarian or meat-filled dish into a vegan version.
With incredible new vegan products that simulate chicken and beef, you can recreate these dishes as close to the real thing as possible.
Some awesome vegan Mexican dishes to try for your month of eating vegan are:
Tom Yum Soup (pictured above)
Vegan Yellow Curry with Veggies and Tofu (Panang & Massam)
Chili Basil Stir-Fry with Tofu or vegan chicken (eat with noodles for extra fun)
Kee Mow - Spicy Noodles with Tofu and vegetables
Vegan Lebanese Food Ideas
I grew up in a household with a Greek dad, who lived in Egypt most of his life, and a Lebanese Uncle who wasn’t blood-related but was definitely family. Therefore I grew up with a lot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food in the house.
When I began going plant-based, I drew on my knowledge from these cuisines to help me out! Lebanese food is an incredible plant-friendly food that will help you eat vegan for a month.
It’s common to eat a bunch of small things such as lots of salad, olives, hummus, lemon, fresh tomato, vegan garlic dip, pita bread, and pickled items such as turnips, cabbage, actual pickles, and more.
Some of my incredible Vegan Lebanese dishes to try for Veganuary are:
Hummus and veggies or pita
Vegan Makenak (spicy vegan sausages)
Vegan Shawarma with chickpeas, vegan chicken, or mushroom shawarma
Why experimenting with international cuisine is the best way to go vegan for January (Veganuary).
There are 2 main reasons this method is the best.
Number One - As you can see, there are so many countries to pull inspiration from and only 4 weeks in a month! Therefore this method provides weeks of possible inspiration to draw from.
Number Two - Grocery shopping with one cuisine in mind is more cost-effective and efficient. For instance, if I’m making Greek food for the week, I know lots of my dishes are going to include, rice, olives, tomatoes, lemon, fresh dill, garlic, and olive oil.
I can buy a bunch of these ingredients and use them throughout the week in different combinations.
I might make a greek pita with hummus one day, a big plate of Greek goodies another day, and a hefty Greek pasta another day. All of which will efficiently use similar ingredients.
This helps cut back on waste and makes your grocery shop and a more pleasant experience.
I hope you found some international vegan cuisine ideas to help you in your journey of going vegan for a month!
Veganuary Vegan for a month inspo!