Thinking of trying Veganuary? Here are 3 cookbooks to order right now

Goodbye, festive period and hello new year.

January can be a cold, hard slap of reality after the hygge-haven that is December, but somehow, I feel like this year will be different. I feel like after the 2020 we all had, collective we are all ready for a fresh, new and healthier year. We know that most pandemics – including this one – started because we, as humans, are abusing nature and animals – and if that doesn't make you sit up and take stock of how you yourself can contribute to a better future, then I don't know what will. So how about trying out a plant-based diet for the month of January – you know, just to see if you enjoy it and end up feeling a million times better and healthier for it? With the demand for plant-based products booming as the number of vegans increases every day, eating plant-based has never been easier – or tastier.

The driving force for many behind going vegan is concerns over animal welfare, but adopting a plant-based diet also has endless benefits for the planet and your health, too. And if you are thinking about trying out veganuary this year, here are three seriously great plant-based cookbooks to order now:

1. 5-Ingredient Vegan Katy Beskow is the expert on making easy meals for home cooks - even if you're not confident in the kitchen or with vegan cooking. Using ingredients available from your local supermarket and with a list of larder essentials, plus helpful tips throughout, you'll have everything you need to eat tastier than ever before – and completely plant-based. With 100 recipes covering delicious meals like baba ganoush, 3-ingredient beer bread, citrus tabbouleh, spicy noodle soup, pantry minestrone as well as baked aubergine with dukkah, pumpkin and sage macaroni and sweet treats like coconut panna cotta and blood orange granita), you too can get maximum flavour with minimal fuss - all with just five ingredients. €18

2. The Happy Health Plan Written by David and Stephen Flynn of The Happy Pear, The Happy Health Plan brings you 90 brand new, mouth-watering recipes and four bespoke meals straight from the Happy Pear kitchen. Want to improve your health, lose weight or gain more energy? A plant-based diet might be the answer you're looking for. The recipes in this book have been specially designed with medical experts to look after your heart, give you glowing skin, calm your gut and help you lose weight, without counting a single calorie. Cooking with more plants means that every meal is full of fibre, high in vitamins and low in saturated fat, which means they boost your energy, reduce cholesterol and keep you fuller for longer. Including lots of classic dishes, from a creamy carbonara to a katsu curry, a fluffy pancake stack and even a berry crumble, this book will help you to look after your whole body health, inside and out, with tastier food than ever before. €16.99

3. Thug Kitchen – Eay Like You Give A F**K Thug Kitchen started their wildly popular website to inspire people to eat some Goddamn vegetables and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow and with half a million Facebook fans and counting, Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates and cook up some real f*cking food. Yeah, plenty of blogs and cookbooks preach about how to eat more kale, why ginger fights inflammation, and how to cook with microgreens and nettles. But they are dull or pretentious as hell - and most people can't afford the hype. This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real. €16