More people have signed up to the Veganuary pledge this year than ever before. At the time of writing a record-breaking 500,000 people had committed to eating only plant-based food during the first month of the year.
Many will have taken the plunge for ethical or health reasons. However, the realisation that what we choose to eat is one of the most influential ways we can reduce our carbon footprint is also influencing Veganuarians. In fact, 18% of people who committed to Veganuary in 2020 cited the environment as their reason for signing up.
There is no doubt that the food we choose to put on our plates has a huge impact on the planet. Our Future 50 Foods report, published by Knorr in 2019 with the WWF-UK, clearly highlighted this fact and provided a guide to help everyone identify the planet-friendly foods we should all be eating more of.
How we’re helping to make plant-based food mainstream
Since then, our commitment to making plant-based food accessible, affordable and appetising has continued to grow. In our recent Future Foods announcement, for example, we committed to hitting a €1 billion annual sales target for meat and dairy alternatives over the next 5–7 years.
“It’s not up to us to decide for people what they want to eat,” said Hanneke Faber, President of Unilever’s Foods & Refreshment division. “But it is up to us to make healthier and plant-based options accessible to all.”
Our brands have been eager to take up this challenge. The Vegetarian Butcher’s plant-based meats, for example, are now available in more than 45 countries on four continents, while behind the scenes food innovators at The Hive, our research centre at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, are leading research into plant-based ingredients and meat alternatives.
Hungry for a peek at what our brands have been putting on their menus for Veganuary? Just click through the images below.
1. More is more with Hellmann’s (1 of 5)
Just in time for Veganuary, Hellmann’s has launched three new varieties in its vegan mayo menu. Joining the classic version launched in 2018, the new garlic, baconnaise and chipotle flavours are hitting the shelves in the UK and across nine European countries in 2021.
As an added incentive to trying vegan cooking this month, US and Canadian consumers will also be able to access Hellmann’s handy 20 ingredient shopping list from which they can create ten meat-free meals, including chilli-stuffed baked potatoes, pumpkin salad and breakfast tacos.
2. Pigging out with The Vegetarian Butcher (2 of 5)
The Vegetarian Butcher doesn’t believe in compromising on anything. Not on taste, not on texture – not even for New Year resolutions. Which is why they have launched some new mouth-watering recipes guaranteed to make Veganuary the most delicious month of the year.
3. Making plant-based food easy with Knorr (3 of 5)
New Year, new meals. January is the perfect time to refresh your cooking with some plant-based meals that are good for you and for the planet. Cutting back on meat is simple with Knorr’s Veggie Pots, these #cheatonmeat recipes and the Knorr Future 50 Foods cookbook, available to download.
4. Measuring the need for treats with Magnum (4 of 5)
Magnum is on a mission this January to make Veganuary an ice cream dream! Alongside the launch of the new Vegan Sea Salt Caramel flavour, Magnum has launched the Veganuary Pleasure Measure in the UK.
Designed to react to the nation’s mood swings, the Pleasure Measure uses social listening to analyse how people are feeling and serve up special discounts on Magnum Vegan ice cream when moods start to dip. The less happy the nation is, the higher the discounts will go.
5. Dressing salads for stardom (5 of 5)
New plant-based dressings from Unilever Food Solutions are offering chefs a simple way to elevate salads with unique flavour combinations such as Apple-Avocado and Tomato-Strawberry.
“Salads have long been considered boring and just a side dish on the menu. But we think they can be way more. This is why we are rewriting the rules,” explains Nuha Alqaisi, Global Foods Category Manager, Dressings at Unilever Food Solutions. The new vegan vinaigrettes are being rolled out in Europe this month.