There’s ‘meatless Monday,’ but these DC restaurants have you covered for ‘Veganuary’

If you’ve already given up on “Dry January,” there’s another healthy challenge you can try. It’s called “Veganuary” and it encourages people to try vegan eating to end animal farming, improve their physical health and protect the planet.

“It is the New Year’s time where people … are noticing that there’s more and more studies coming out about veganism or plant-based as helpful to reduce some of the world’s killers like diabetes and sometimes even cancers and cholesterol and things like that,” said Sandra Hungate, Veganuary’s director for their U.S. team.

Veganuary said its goal “is to inspire and support people to try eating vegan, drive corporate change and create a global mass movement championing compassionate food choices.” The campaign started in the United Kingdom and has been in the U.S. since 2020, along with 15 other countries now. There’s even a billboard campaign currently in D.C.

“The last campaign, 28% of the participants stayed vegan,” said Hungate. “And that was reported six months later. Six months later, at the end of January they were still vegan, and then another 50-ish percent additional to the 20% … said that they reduced more than half of their animal product consumption. So overall, almost three quarters of all the participants reduced or completely eliminated animal products, which is huge for us.”

A part of Veganuary also is restaurants, retailers, brands and even celebrities supporting the effort.

Washington Wizards offensive coach Joseph Blair — who is himself a vegan of nine years — is an ambassador of the nonprofit, and several local restaurants in D.C. have special vegan menu items or discounts in celebration for the month.

Some of this year’s highlights in D.C. include:

&Pizza — Two new vegan pizzas featuring Daring Chicken, named “The Sheriff” and “Hot in Here”
Rush Bowls — A Detox Bowl, that includes a blend of banana, pineapple, apple, pitaya, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and oat milk, topped with fresh apples and pomegranate seeds
DC Vegan/Botanical Bar — The special Veganuary mocktail called “Green Queen”
RASA — Celebrating the launch of the Vibes + Veggies Bowl and offering 15% off during January
Ben’s Chili Bowl — Launching a limited-time offer “Vegan Rice Chili Bowl” with vegan cheese and sour cream, and adding vegan cheese on the menu that can be added to any other dish
PLNT Burger — Added two new chik’n sandwiches with Meati Foods patties and will launch two salads across in all its locations
Hard Rock Cafe — A Veganuary menu with cauliflower wings and chili sin carne tacos
Pow Pow — Offering 20% off all online orders during Veganuary