World Vegan Day is a time to recognise how far the vegan movement has come and to raise awareness of the many benefits of a vegan lifestyle. It is commemorated through exhibitions, seminars, public debates and workshops.

The day presents a perfect opportunity for anyone looking to adopt the vegan lifestyle – and the Vegan Society has today launched an innovative new app to help people switch.

There are now more vegans than ever, with recent polling suggesting that the number of UK vegans has quadrupled in the last four years alone – there really is no better time to try out the lifestyle for yourself.

VeGuide app

The first World Vegan Day was celebrated in 1994, and since then 1 November has attracted greater significance and international recognition every year.

Plant-based food ranges are expanding and are a far cry from the typical hummus and veg sandwich you were lucky to find in a café a few years ago, or the sad reality of having to order chips and an undressed side salad when out for dinner with friends. Quite the opposite – options are becoming more creative, flavourful and exciting than ever before.

VeGuide is perfect for anyone considering transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. If you’d like to give plant-based living a go but you’re not quite sure where to start, VeGuide has you covered – simply download the app to follow our easy 30-day programme.

Each day, you will be treated to a short video covering the most common topics that arise in the early days of going vegan. You can also select your personal reasons for going vegan to receive regular encouraging boosts along the way, especially tailored to you!

Get involved

VeGuide features recipes, shopping tips and nutritional information, and is brought to life by video content featuring our friendly vegan presenters.

We currently have a UK and a US version of the app, with advice customised to include resources and products available in each area of the world, with plans to expand to include more countries in the future.

If you are not yet vegan, then World Vegan Month presents an opportunity like no other to give it a go. You could try downloading the app and see how you get on over the course of your month, or if that feels like too big a step then simply try experimenting more with vegan food over November.

You could organise a vegan potluck and invite your friends to all bring over a different vegan dish. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with vegan cooking while having fun and trying something different.

There are also many easily accessible documentaries on veganism which you can access online or through a Netflix account. World Vegan Month would be the ideal time to find out a bit more about veganism, from whatever angle takes your fancy – whether that be the environmental benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, the hard-to-ignore animal rights angle or motivations related to health and wellbeing.

There are so many reasons to find out more about veganism, and World Vegan Day and Month could be the little nudge you need. We would love to hear about your adventures in veganism throughout November – please tag #WorldVeganDay and #WorldVeganMonth on social media and let us know how you’re getting on.

This Author 

Elena Orde is communication and campaigns officer for the The Vegan Society.