The rise of veganism and plant based eating has been well documented but the trend has often brought with it confusion and an all or nothing hesitancy when approaching it.

Veganuary started small back in 2016 but has grown in popularity to align with healthy eating new years resolutions and the growing appetite for conscious consumerism. The initiative helps raise awareness for the importance of including more plant based whole foods, such as fruit and vegetables, in ones diet, which has been shown to have a number of benefits: from disease prevention, easier weight management and even a lighter environmental footprint.

⚖️ Easier weight management, research has shown that people who eat plant-based diets tend to be leaner than those who don’t.

👩‍⚕️ Disease prevention, a review of 99 studies found that diets rich in whole plant foods were associated with significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with diets high in meat and dairy products.

🌍 A lighter environmental footprint, studies have shown that producing plant based whole foods require less land and water per kg than animal products whilst also producing fewer GHG emissions.

On top of all of this, we firmly believe food is best when shared and enjoyed - berries add some fantastic flavour to your plate and offer a great way to share some plant based goodness.

To carry on the benefits of eating more fruit and vegetables, for you and for the planet, here's a few helpful hints:

🍓 Go plant based, at your own pace

Even if you missed Veganuary, it's not too late to start eating more fruit and vegetables. Sometimes it's easier to make small incremental changes, like having a bowl of fresh berries after dinner, rather than go all out and quit cold turkey (pun intended).

🛒Get inspired & sort your shop

New habits take some pre-commitment, so consider planning your shop around the foods you want to include (we've got some great recipes to help with inspiration part) and have an awareness of the foods you want to exclude. If you buy your groceries online, consider adding your new go-to fruit or vegetable to your favourites so they easily pop into your basket every week.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Share the goodness to spread awareness

We all know food tastes better when shared with friends and family (unless you're like Joey from Friends) so consider sharing your fruit and vegetable journey with your friends and family: shop together, cook together and eat together for a a genuine burst of goodness.

Being more mindful of what you eat throughout the year is a brilliant way to bring about healthy changes towards a world of good.