We’re halfway through Veganuary! Here are some reasons to be (realistically) cheerful

Or, how to maintain your vegan resolutions without banging your head against a brick wall and sobbing uncontrollably.

Kicking off the new year with a grand declaration of self-improvement is par for the course. Whether it’s exercising more, drinking less, learning a new skill or saving money, that unwavering commitment on the 1st of January tends not to be quite so unwavering by middle of the month.

Give yourself a break

While there’s only so much fridge magnet wisdom a girl can withstand while scrolling through some health nuts’ feed of 6am yoga classes and superfood acai bowls, sometimes these unnaturally cheerful influencers have got a point. Flick past the new age mantras and you’ll find a hidden, somewhat sweet message nestled in between – stop being so hard on yourself.

Be realistic

Are you surrounded by meat-worshipping carnivores? Does your family refuse to set aside a nut roast while they baste some poor turkey? You have a choice here: either be the awkward pariah who brings their own Tupperware to the party or you’re going to have to bail from these social gatherings every now and again. Get used to feeling like the odd one out.

Apportion time

Set aside time at the beginning of each week to make ahead your meals. Buy in all the ingredients you’ll need, cook in batches and figure out a time when you tend to have the most energy and basic wherewithal to organise your life. Should that time never come, sack it all off and spoil yourself to a lovely meal out. Who even cooks at home these days anyway?

Concentrate on the options, not the limitations

New ingredients I’d barely considered before are now a shining beacon of hope across a swirling sea of tasteless tofu. I’ve used more maple syrup in the past couple of weeks (in brownies, on cereal etc.) than I’ve used in a lifetime and now I could happily mainline it directly into my system.

Rather than cry over pasteurised milk, think of all the lovely alternatives you can try out. Rustle up a new meal and dig deep in the recipe book. All cuisines lend themselves to meat-free reworkings of classic dishes and you’ll be continually surprised at just what's available.

The end is nigh

With less than two weeks until February, there really is light at the end of the tunnel. It’s time to start deciding where to go from here; whether you’re fully committing to veganism on a permanent basis, fancy attempting vegetarianism or just plan on cutting back on your meat intake, start making preparations (and make sure you’ve given yourself a window of TLC and feasting to reward your hard work).

Put some gratitude in that attitude

In an act of self-flagellation after tucking into a sly hungover Full English, I rewatched some of the animal docs that piqued my interest in Veganuary in the first place. Cowspiracy, Food Inc., etc. – the options are endless and while injecting yourself with some misplaced Catholic guilt isn’t the answer to most problems, it may spark a fire under your caboose and remind you what this strife has all been about.

Accept defeat where necessary

By this point it’s probably getting harder to claim jackfruit ‘tastes just like pork. Seriously, it does! TRY IT IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME!’ with any degree of conviction. The hummus you just bought out of desperation at the service station is less a taste of the Mediterranean and more like dragging your tongue across a salt gritter. Parts of going vegan, as with anything, are just plain difficult. But it’s fine to complain; in fact, it’s your God-given right. So throw that nutty lump of nothingness they call falafel at the wall if you have to. Life is hard and then you die.