How to do Veganuary 2021 right

As a card-carrying carnivore, going fully vegan gives me the fear. Yes, I understand that a plant-based diet is ultimately better for the environment. But, well, I really like steaks, burgers and rotisserie chicken. Plus, I’m a massive fan of cheese, which is another no-no in the world of veganism.

Now don’t get me wrong, there have been times when I’ve dabbled in vegetarian and vegan dishes in the past. These were usually at specialist restaurants or cafes, mind. Making the same sort of tasty vegan dishes at home is tricky. I’m not a bad cook, but when it comes to making a full meal without meat, I tend to lack the finesse needed to deliver a star dish that’s completely plant-based. So, I don’t. But I was still intrigued by the benefits of a vegan diet so I sought help.

Dubai-based Freakin’ Healthy has launched Root’d – a vegan meal plan that takes the legwork out of delicious meals. It consists of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack and is delivered to your door. In short, it’s never been easier to give veganism a whirl.

As someone who has been on similar food plans before, I can tell you that the worst part is always the lack of variety. Before long everything starts to taste the same and opening each bag to see what’s inside becomes a fairly depressing exercise in disappointment. I only did Root’d for five days, but I’m pleased to report that it doesn’t suffer the same fate.

Taste the difference

Each of the carefully crafted vegan dishes is packed full of flavour. Whether it’s the moreish overnight turmeric apricot oats or the delicious vegan burger, each one is tasty in its own right. So good is each meal, that I can’t remember a day where I was disappointed or hungry with what I was sent. Snacks such as grapes, apples and Freakin’ Healthy’s popular peanut butter protein balls were the perfect complement to help keep hunger at bay throughout the day.

I’d heard that a vegan diet does wonders for energy levels, but wasn’t quite expecting the immediate impact. I usually hit a lull in productivity around 3pm, but the clean eating that comes from Root’d’s fare meant I remained focused all day. This in turn made me more positive, which is reason enough to sign-up for a plan, right?

My only gripe with it is the amount of packaging it comes with each day. Although cardboard is used to help sustainability, there’s still a lot of needless plastic. An individual apple in a plastic bag, for example. It’s a conundrum that all meal plan businesses share, but hopefully it’s one Freakin’ Healthy can solve soon.

This aside, Root’d is the easiest way to dramatically switch up your diet this Veganuary. It’s menu of exceptional dishes will help sway even the most ardent meat-eater into a new plant-based future. I might never be able to shake the urge to eat a juicy steak or burger, but at least I’ve found something that I can rely on to break-up my carnivorous streak when I feel like it.