Dissecting Veganuary: A Seasonal Mismatch
It’s January.
It's bitterly cold.
The days are short.
And it's so very dark.
But that isn't, necessarily, a bad thing. It just means we need to adapt our diet appropriately.
A time when our ancestors would have relied on nutrient-dense, warming foods to sustain themselves through the winter. Yet, here we are, embarking on Veganuary a campaign
that pitches plant-based eating as the ultimate health and environmental solution.
At a time when no plants are growing in the northern hemisphere.
But does it really make sense? Spoiler: no.
Veganuary vs. Nature’s Design
The statistics don’t lie.
Vegan diets frequently crumble under the weight of nutrient deficiencies. The movement clashes with the realities of biology, seasonality, and sustainability.
Look outside your window.
Frost blankets the fields, allotments lie dormant, and seasonal UK produce is sparse. Nature isn’t churning out tropical fruits, soybeans, or cashew nuts right now.
Yet Veganuary asks us to embrace a diet dependent on imported, industrially processed products. It’s a diet divorced from the seasons, the soil, and, ultimately, common sense.
At Oath, we’re not here to bash veganism or promote extreme carnivory.
We simply believe in eating with the seasons and embracing the wisdom of nature: a nose-to-tail approach paired with local, regenerative plants.
No fads. No ideologies. Just real, practical food that works with not against our biology.
The Illusion of “Healthy” Plant-Based Eating
Some people feel better during Veganuary, but why?
Because for the first time in years, they’ve reduced their intake of ultra-processed junk. Chips and ketchup don’t count as vegetables, after all.
But here’s the catch: the initial improvements have little to do with plants and everything to do with removing the worst offenders oxidised oils, refined sugars, and calorie bombs.
Long-term, however, the cracks begin to show. Vegan diets often lack sufficient protein and unique amino acids like glycine and taurine, healthy fats like stearic acid and DHA, and key micronutrients like vitamin A, B12, zinc, selenium, iodine and choline.
These aren’t optional extras; they’re the building blocks of detoxification, immunity, and energy metabolism.
Let’s be clear: without modern conveniences like central heating, imported avocados, and fortified foods, a strict plant-based diet would collapse in a UK winter.
Where’s the protein? Where’s the warmth-inducing fat? Without these essentials, your health and vitality take a hit.
What Nature Knows That We’ve Forgotten
Nature’s ecosystems don’t run on ideology; they run on balance. Winter calls for rich, grounding foods like meats, fats, and fermented vegetables—foods that warm us from within and fuel our mitochondria.
At Oath, we embrace this seasonal wisdom. Our products, whether it’s our venison sausages or everything burger are packed with nutrient-dense fats, proteins, and peptides. They’re simple to prepare yet profoundly nourishing.
Pair them with sautéed tender stem broccoli or a spoonful of kimchi, and you have a meal that supports your body through the cold months.
Contrast that with the effort it takes to prepare a vegan feast from scratch: soaking, sprouting, cooking, and blending legumes into something that barely resembles food. It’s not practical. It’s not sustainable.
And it’s certainly not aligned with the rhythms of life.
The Seasonal Advantage
Our commitment to pasture-raised, regenerative farming ensures that our food reflects the environment it’s raised in.
Animals raised outside, connected to the land, and adaptable to the seasons produce better, healthier food. The same goes for plants - greenhouse captive indoor plants are inferior to their sunkissed counterparts.
The Bigger Picture
Veganuary and similar movements fail because they ignore the fundamentals of nutrition and ecology.
It’s not about sides vegan vs. carnivore it’s about common sense. The best diets work with nature, not against it.
They’re rooted in local, seasonal food and respect the interconnectedness of ecosystems. We’re not shooting for 100% perfection with this approach (perhaps if you’re new to this concept, it might even sound extreme to you) – we're talking about creating a base of 70-80% of your diet. Improving your health is about purpose, progress, and practicality. Perfection does not exist in reality.
Instead of chasing dietary dogma, we need to return to first principles:
Eat with the seasons.
Prioritise nutrient density.
Embrace balance over extremes.
At Oath, we believe in being a beacon of common sense amidst the chaos of January diet trends.
Our food isn’t just seasonal it’s timeless.
So, this January, skip the fads. Go outside. Feel the frost. Eat in a way that grounds you, nourishes you, and connects you to the rhythms of life.
Yours,
R, J & N