Veganuary And Dry January: Kicking Off The Year With Two Dining Movements

The long holiday period is finally over, and people are heading back to work this week with New Year’s resolutions in the front of their minds.

Two of the trends you’re probably hearing about are Veganuary, in which people pledge to follow a diet free of animal protein for the month, and Dry January, when imbibers decide to give up alcohol.

Interestingly, both have roots in Britain, where vegan and vegetarian restaurants abound, and where grocery store and chefs have made efforts to promote meat-free dishes.

Veganuary began in 2014.

The British charity encourages people to eat vegan during January, in hopes they will continue to do so for the rest of the year.

It was in line for a high profile win on Sunday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced it planned a vegan menu for the dinner following the Golden Globe Awards.

The menu was a last-minute switch from one announced in December that included fish, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The new menu begins with chilled golden beet soup with locally grown chervil and amaranth. The entree is king oyster mushrooms meant to evoke scallops, with wild-mushroom risotto, accompanied by roasted baby purple and green brussels sprouts, globe carrots and pea tendrils.

Meanwhile, Veganuary announced on Instagram that it had signed up 350,000 people to participate, a new record. This is the first year it has been promoting the movement in the United States.

According to a news release, if that many people participate, it will save the lives of more than 1 million animals and the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions of 450,000 short plane flights.

The movement has high-profile followers, including Paul McCartney, who has been a vegetarian for more than 40 years.

This year, he said in the news release that he is observing Veganuary with his daughters Stella, the fashion designer, and Mary, a photographer and proponent of the Meat Free Monday movement.

“We’re all trying to make the world a bit better, so why not sign up, take part, give it a go, and see how you feel? It could be the best thing you ever did.” McCartney said.

In the U.S., the vegan movement has yet to translate to big demand in fast casual chains.

Placer.ai, which follows retail foot traffic, said vegan chains Vegan Grill and Loving Hut saw flat or declining foot traffic between January, 2017 and November 2019.

But Placer.ai says that might be due to competition in the fast casual market, where mainstream restaurants have been adding vegan offerings to their lineups.

“With the popular diet hitting peak popularity, it’s critical for brands to continue to find ways to optimize their overall footprint and marketing efforts in order to cater to this niche market,” the analysis said.

Dry January began in 2013, and is overseen by a charity called Alcohol Change UK.

About 4,000 people took part the first year, but about 4 million participated in 2018 and 2019, according to the organization. This year, the campaign appears to have caught on in a more visible way in the United States, as well.

Over the past couple of years, the food scene has seen the emergence of dry bars — not the kind where hair is styled, but bars that serve alcohol-free drinks.

Numerous bartenders and restaurants are featuring craft drinks made without alcohol, and the phrase “sober curious” has popped onto the landscape.

I had an interesting experience two years ago when I gave up drinking for Lent, and I cut way back on my alcohol intake after spending six weeks without a drink.

I had six alcoholic drinks in 2019 and have yet to imbibe this year, although I usually will have a glass of champagne at a celebration.

Apparently, cutting back is a common result.

According to a study of 800 Dry January participants by researchers at the University of Sussex, drinking days per week dropped from 4.3 to 3.3, while the frequency of drunkenness fell from 3.4 times per month to 2.1 per month.

There is continuing debate over whether a month away from drinking really does much long term good, but some researchers say there are benefits, including better sleep, weight loss and lower blood pressure.

Whether you spend January making any dietary changes, you’ll have company if you decide to do so.