Veganuary and Dry January: a balanced guide to trying plant based eating and an alcohol reset without judgement
January has become the UK’s unofficial reset month, with Veganuary and Dry January offering a simple way to test new habits without a permanent identity shift. For some it is about health; for others curiosity, budget, energy, sleep, training goals or regaining control after a busy December.
The best way to approach both is as a practical experiment, not a moral statement or an attack on anyone’s choices. This guide outlines each challenge, the evidence on benefits and trade‑offs, and how to do it safely and sensibly while still enjoying food, social life and a realistic routine.
Table of contents:
1) What Veganuary and Dry January actually are
2) The potential benefits of a plant based or vegetarian style of eating
3) Key nutrients and common pitfalls when eating more plant based
4) What alcohol does in the body, in plain English
5) What people often notice during Dry January
6) A balanced way forward after January
7) References you can link to.
What Veganuary and Dry January really are
Veganuary encourages people to try a vegan diet for a month, often as a prompt to explore new foods and routines.
Dry January, run by Alcohol Change UK, invites people to take a month off drinking as a temporary reset and a chance to reflect on their relationship with alcohol.
Neither has to be “all or nothing” to be useful; Alcohol Change UK’s evidence shows benefits even when the month is not completely alcohol free, because the key change is awareness and control. The same applies to food: some go fully vegan for 31 days, while others simply aim for “more plants more often”, which can still be a meaningful, enjoyable shift.
The potential benefits of eating more plant based, without labelling it “better”
A sensible plant‑based approach usually means eating more meals built around vegetables, beans, lentils, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and minimally processed foods. When done well, vegetarian or vegan patterns are linked with better heart and metabolic health, though results depend on overall diet and lifestyle.
“Plant based” does not automatically mean healthy. Ultra‑processed vegan swaps can be useful, but a diet based mainly on them can still be high in salt, saturated fat or calories, so the overall pattern matters most.
If you are considering Veganuary, a helpful framing is: can you add more fibre‑rich foods, colour, variety and meals that leave you feeling energised rather than heavy. Plant‑focused meals can be practical, budget friendly, good for batch cooking and make it easier to hit fruit and veg targets.
How to do plant based properly, the key nutrients and common pitfalls
Most people do not struggle with a plant based month because of willpower, they struggle because they do not plan the swaps. If you remove familiar foods without replacing key nutrients, you can end up hungry, low energy, and frustrated. Focus on the essentials.
Protein: include a protein anchor at most meals, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, soya yoghurt, edamame, plus nuts, seeds and wholegrains.
Vitamin B12: the key nutrient for vegans, plan for fortified foods or a supplement from day one.
Iron: use pulses and leafy greens, pair with vitamin C foods to improve absorption.
Calcium and vitamin D: if you cut dairy, use fortified plant milks and yoghurts, and consider vitamin D, especially in winter.
Iodine and selenium: easy to miss on plant only diets, so check your intake and use fortified foods where needed.
Omega 3: include walnuts, flax, chia and rapeseed oil regularly.
Energy and satiety: avoid eating too lightly, build meals around protein, fibre rich carbs, healthy fats and plenty of veg. Refined carbs are fine sometimes, just balance them with fibre and protein so you stay full.
What alcohol does in the body, in plain English
This section is not here to tell anyone to stop drinking, it is here to explain what happens in the body so you can make informed choices. Alcohol is psychoactive and the body treats it as something to process and clear. Most is metabolised in the liver, and because your body prioritises clearing it, it can affect blood sugar regulation, sleep, hydration and decision making in the short term. It can also add a lot of calories without making you feel full.
UK lower risk guidance is commonly summarised as no more than 14 units a week for men and women, spread across several days, with drink free days and avoiding binge drinking. Patterns matter because heavy episodes increase the risk of accidents, poor sleep and next day performance issues. Over the long term, risks rise with regular intake, including for some cancers, and organisations like WHO and cancer charities note risk increases as consumption increases.
This is not about fear, it is about context, many people drink socially and moderately, and can do so more confidently by understanding units, pace, and alcohol’s impact on sleep and recovery.
What people often notice during Dry January, and why it happens
People’s experiences vary, but several changes come up repeatedly.
Sleep: Alcohol can make you feel sleepy but disrupts sleep quality and can affect REM sleep, so many people notice more consistent sleep after a couple of weeks off.
Mood and energy: Better sleep plus fewer hangovers is an obvious win, but some also report feeling more steady in mood and concentration. Alcohol Change UK cites survey findings where many participants report better sleep, more energy, and feeling more in control.
Weight and appetite: Alcohol is calorie dense, and it can also lower inhibition around late night food, so some people notice weight changes. Others do not, especially if they replace alcohol with sugary alternatives, so the key is what you swap in.
Blood pressure and heart rate: Alcohol Change UK summarises research indicating that a month off can reduce blood pressure and heart rate in some cases.
Money and habits: A month off can be a reality check on how often drinking is linked to routines, pub catch ups, home “reward” drinks, or stress relief. Again, this is not about judgement. It is about noticing patterns.
A practical note on safety: If someone drinks heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be risky and they should seek medical advice. For most moderate drinkers, a month off is safe, but it is always sensible to listen to your body and speak to a professional if you are worried.
Doing both at once, Veganuary plus Dry January, without becoming miserable
Some people try both and love the clean slate feeling. Others find it too much change at once. If you are combining them, keep it simple. Focus on additions not just removals: add two new plant based recipes a week, add one new alcohol free drink you genuinely enjoy, add earlier nights and a walk after lunch, add a new café style lunch you can make at home. Plan for social moments: Decide in advance what you will drink at the pub, alcohol free beer, sparkling water and lime, a decent zero spirit and tonic.
For food, check menus online, or eat a satisfying meal before you go so you are not hungry and annoyed.
Keep the “why” personal: Better sleep, training goals, digestion, saving money, curiosity, energy for work. When the reason is personal, it is easier to stick with it.
A balanced way forward after January, without labels January is a great prompt, but the real value is what you learn.
You might discover you feel better with more plant based lunches, or that drinking on weeknights was a habit not a joy, or that alcohol free options make socialising easier than you expected. The aim does not have to be permanent abstinence or permanent veganism. A realistic “after January” approach could be: keep one or two fully plant based days each week, keep alcohol for occasions you truly enjoy, keep the unit awareness, keep the habit of having drink free days, and keep the idea of building meals around whole foods most of the time. For anyone who enjoys meat and alcohol, this is not an instruction to stop. It is a toolkit to help you choose with intention.
To wrap up, the real win with Veganuary and Dry January is not perfection, it is discovering what helps you feel your best and what fits your routine. If you want to keep the momentum going in Wilmslow, you have got easy options so you can still enjoy a great meal while keeping it vegan for the day, Nourish, Cafe on Water Lane, and Unico all have plenty of vegan friendly choices, and Buzzy Bee and Potyo offer a vegan range too.
For quick, practical food at home, you can build a brilliant plant based week from the main supermarkets in and around town, including Sainsbury’s on Alderley Road, Waitrose on Church Street, and Co-op on Water Lane. And if you are cutting down or taking a break from alcohol, the good news is you do not have to make do with plain water anymore.
Swapping in great coffee, herbal teas, kombucha style soft drinks, sparkling water with citrus, grown up cordials, and alcohol free mixers can still give you that ritual moment at the end of the day or something decent in your hand when you are out. Most venues now stock a huge variety of zero alcohol beers, lagers and stouts, plus ready to drink mocktails and alcohol free spirits, so you can keep the taste, the occasion, and the social side, without the alcohol, and you will also find more places serving properly built mocktails rather than sugary kids drinks, so you can still enjoy a Friday night feel while staying on track. If you want a great meet up spot that does not serve alcohol, Juniper is a brilliant choice, and the bigger point is this, you do not need a label to benefit, just make small choices that feel good, keep what works, and leave the rest.