We are well into January and that, for many, means Veganuary, a month of adopting a vegan lifestyle. Initiated by Jane Land and Matthew Glover—founders of the eponymous UK-based non-profit organization, Veganuary encourages its participants to be vegan every January, whether it’s diet or skincare range. In 2021, more than half a million participated in Veganuary; but what’s fascinating is that about 60,000 sign-ups were from India alone, driving Veganuary to launch its chapter in India. During this month, vegans across the world try out new recipes and dip their toes in vegan eating that often turns into a lifelong commitment. We’ve been making hummus and soy kheema ourselves! Whether you want to put together an elaborate meal of ramen with bok choy, tofu, and mushroom or make sourdough toasts with avocados, Veganuary presents an excellent reason to experiment with gourmet meals at home. Of course, you can keep it simple by introducing pulses, millets, oats, and dairy-free alternatives like cashew cheese, almonds, or soy milk.
The many health benefits aside, a vegan diet has a positive impact on the environment.
According to The Vegan Calculator, a monthly vegan diet saves around 125,000 litres of water and 900 square feet of forest. What’s more, it also cuts down almost 300 kg of CO2 emissions.
Source: Veganuary
If you’ve been meaning to try veganism for a short period, the first month of the year is a good time for new beginnings. Apart from environmental benefits, Veganuary is a great reason to sample different and exciting new brands. Wondering where to start? These homegrown vegan brands, of snacks to skincare, that have fallen in our good loop is a good place to start.
7 Indian Vegan Brands Worth Checking Out
GoodDot: We get it—tender, juicy meat is irreplaceable, but what if we say there are vegan alternatives that taste just like meat? GoodDot, an Indian vegan brand, offers a range of vegan kheema, tikkas, and biryani that doesn’t compromise on the taste of the real thing. While GoodDot’s motto is to deliver a sustainable plant-based diet, they’re also particular about offering dishes rich in fibre and protein. We think their Unmutton Kheema will remind you of mutton kheema, and you won’t mind replacing your mutton with Unmutton.
Source: GoodDot
Curious to know how vegan meat consumption can make a difference or reduce your carbon footprint? We recommend reading our article on vegan meats.
Kiro Clean Beauty: Kiro is remarkable not only for its vegan range but also for its inclusive and thoughtful campaigns. Committed to offering 100 per cent vegan, cruelty-free, and clean cosmetics, Kiro is a PETA-approved brand. They ethically source ingredients such as murumuru butter, mango butter, jojoba oil, avocado oil, shea butter, vitamin C, and a lot more. You can effortlessly make a bold and conscious statement with their highlighters and lip lacquers. They’ve got eyeshadows, blush, and combo packs too.
Source: Kiro Beauty
Jus’ Amazin: Ever since we tried the cashew butter from Jus’ Amazin, we’ve made it a breakfast staple. This brand doesn’t use soy and prefers other plant derivatives like millets, nuts, legumes, and seeds. With a focus on providing a wholesome nutritious diet, every product page carries its nutritional value. For quick snacks, you can also check out their flavoured seeds and nuts. Three things you must try: Cashew Butter, Peanut Flax Chutney, and 5-Minute Chocolate Mousse. What’s not to love?
Source: Jus’ Amazin
Broke Mate: For those keen on switching to vegan bags, Broke Mate is all about great options. A PETA-approved vegan brand—artisans handcraft Broke Mate’s bags in hygienic and safe working conditions. From laptop bags to sling bags, this label prioritizes minimalism and functionality. Besides, they’re quite sturdy and remain as good as new for years.
Source: Broke Mate
Urban Platter: Urban Platter has been whipping plant-based condiments, flour, and milk long before the vegan diet created its mark in India. With a strong background in R&D and a love for food and the planet, Urban Platter is particular about what they put in their products and offer top-tier quality sauces and spreads, noodles, and seeds. They also curate various vegan brands that produce coffee, tea, vegan meat, kombucha, etc. and share a similar philosophy. This means you get to pick from the best organic and sustainable Indian brands.
Source: Urban Platter
Daughter Earth: This PETA-approved brand donates a certain portion of its revenue towards Plan India, Project Greenhands, One Tree Planted, WWF, and Vipassana International Centers. While that makes it a beauty brand with a heart, what makes it a must-try are its serums and oils. Using ingredients such as bakuchiol (extracted from Babchi seeds), berries, apricot oil, and coffee, Daughter Earth is transparent about its ingredients. They use ethically sourced ingredients from places like Spiti Valley and Araku. We recommend their Succulent Gel Moisturiser with Kombucha Essence and Lip & Cheek Tints.
Source: Daughter Earth
No Nasties: Goa-based No Nasties is all about organic, vegan, and fair-trade clothing, with a focus on being planet positive. They’ve even introduced outfits, where a certain shirt counterweights about 18.9 kgs of CO2. Apart from being conscious, their design philosophy is top-notch. Minimalistic with the occasional splash of prints, their clothing is chic and comfortable and lends itself to layering and styling in different ways. We are loving their newly revamped website that puts the well-being of the planet at the centre of all that they do.
Source: No Nasties
Whether you switch to a vegan lifestyle completely or not, adopting veganism for certain days or weeks of your choice is still beneficial. The miracles of a plant-based diet and how it is beneficial in bringing down cholesterol levels are well known. Vegan living is good for the body but it is good also for the planet which makes for a compelling case for veganism. On that note, a happy Veganuary! May the force of tofu keep you strong.
