Many people started the new year with good intentions. According to a representative Forsa survey, most people put avoiding stress and spending more time with their family at the top of their list. But nutrition and fitness also play a central role: 61 percent of those surveyed want to do more sports and 53 percent want to eat more healthily. Thirty-four percent of respondents are planning to eat less meat, and 64 percent want to live more environmentally and climate-friendly lifestyles. Many see the Veganuary New Year Challenge as combining some of these aspects.

Many restaurants in Bonn specialise in vegan food and many more have some plant-based dishes on their menus. The so-called grande dame of plant-based restaurants in Bonn is probably Cassius Garten, which has been serving vegetarian and vegan whole foods since 1989.

Vegan food in Bonn is definitely diverse. For example, there’s Middle Eastern at the "Kichererbse" and "Mr. and Mrs. Hummus", Bavarian-Austrian specialities at the "Kaiserhüttn", homemade dumplings at the "Homei Gyoza", and many cafes have vegan cake and pie specialities. Big chains like Burger King, Hans im Glück, Subway and even Ikea are also coming out with new dishes for Veganuary.

All German supermarkets and discounters now offer their own range of vegan products. Asian supermarkets are a good place to shop, especially for tofu, where you can buy the right kind of soy curd for every dish, for example silken tofu for scrambled egg alternatives or desserts, pressed tofu and deep-fried tofu for soups, rice or noodle dishes. Tempeh (fermented soybeans) and seitan (wheat gluten) are also very popular and are available in most supermarkets and Asian markets.

Bonn's weekly markets offer fresh and often regional produce. And there is good news for anyone who wants to switch to organic produce as well as not eating animal-based food. Because while the rate of inflation rate in Germany was around 10.4 per cent in October and food prices rose by some 20.3 per cent across the country, the increase in the price of organic produce since the start of the invasion of Ukraine has been less steep. There is now less of a price difference between organic and non-organic produce. There are many farm shops and organic markets around Bonn and the surrounding area that sell regional products with organic labels.

The organisation Veganuary has made it its mission to support people in trying a plant-based diet. But how effective is the one-month challenge? Measurable results from a change in diet only set in after a longer period of time. A long-term vegan diet also requires an understanding of nutrients and a certain amount of preparation and planning. However, today there are more than enough offers and support for starting a vegan lifestyle.