How To Be Involved In Veganuary As A Driver
At this time of year, many of us promise to improve ourselves one way or another. Whether it’s keeping a journal, hitting the gym, or starting a new diet! This month, we’re challenging some of you to take on the Veganuary challenge.
Healthy eating can be a difficult task for truck drivers. They spend up to 14 hours a day on the road, delivering goods and fuelling the country. But when it comes to mealtime it’s often about speed or doing the best with what they have.
It’s easy to forget about healthy eating or meal prep, but this doesn’t have to be the case. We’ve put together some quick tips on how you can get involved with Veganuary.
Start Small
As we mentioned before, baby steps! No one is expecting you to cut out all meat and dairy and never be tempted again, maybe start with one night a week you make a meat-free meal when you get back from a shift? Or, try a small change like swapping your regular milk for oat milk or almond or soy… Or whatever tickles your fancy (we’re partial to a little coconut milk).
Prep Your Meals
Prepping your meals the week / weekend before really does take the stress out of meal times, especially when you’re trucking. It also minimises food waste, washing up time and money spent on meal deals or takeaways too. Meal prepping, especially for Veganuary as a driver, can be an all-round great quick fix at mealtimes when all you have to do is heat up your food (or eat up cold if the dish you’ve prepared is better suited to that)!
There are many meal prep ideas online, on social media and in print. A few of our favourites include Quorn Bolognese, ‘Chicken’ Tikka Masala and Noodle dishes.
Stop And Swap
Shopping is often draining and most of us can switch to autopilot, buying the same / similar things week in and week out. At Drivers Direct, we’re challenging you to stop and swap. Stop and think about what easy changes you can make, and swap a few things in your basket for their vegan alternatives for Veganuary. See how it goes.
Keep An Eye On Your Options
Vegan Meats
When adjusting your diet to try our Veganuary, looking at meat-alternatives is a great place to start as there are SO MANY options! Whether you’re looking for a thick burger or a vegetable fritter alternative, the supermarkets will have you covered. Look out for brands like Quorn, Meatless Farm, The Tofoo co., and Linda McCartney, as well as supermarket own brands.
Don’t forget companies like Richmond that do meat-free sausages that are some of the best alternative sausages on the market too. There are also high-protein options and non-soya products for those with allergies.
Rice & Legumes
For days when you’re off the road and you feel like cooking or have no meal preps left, rice and legumes are a great way to feel full and satisfied after a quick and easy vegan meal. It’s always great to have some on hand for when you find yourself in a pinch or parked up for the night with no shops in sight.
Now that you have a bit more information on how you can get involved with Veganuary, see if there are any simple and easy swaps you can make to your weekly shop. Even if it’s one meal a week, every little decrease in meat consumption helps lessen the impact that the meat industry has on the environment. We’d love to hear about how you get on via our social media on Twitter and LinkedIn.
