Veg Pledge 2022: To pledge or not to pledge?

You might have heard of vegan awareness days and vegetarian recipes trending all over the web. Contrary to popular belief, these events aren’t exclusive to just the health-obsessed. In fact, these events are open to anyone who could be interested in the cause, and to those who even just want to give them a quick go. Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to do so, with one of them being to sign up for the Veg Pledge this November. 

The Veg Pledge is a challenge people can take to experience vegetarianism or veganism for a month. It’s a slight push towards trying something that they wouldn’t usually do, aiming to encourage people to stick to these habits after the month of November. 

What’s special here is that when people take part, they can also help to raise money for UK Cancer Research who, after identifying a few connections between meat consumption and the higher risk for cancer, called for a change in our eating habits. Here, their aim is to guide people towards eating more greens.

The more people who decide to take the pledge – or even just want to be introduced to it – the better. So to support them, it could be helpful for any leader to spread the word and stand by those who are willing to start their one-month journey. 

 

Treat or Treat?

To begin, an idea could be to take your team by surprise, and welcome them into the office one day with a vegan breakfast buffet. 

Since many people decide to try something new when someone familiar cooks it, why not involve them too? You could try encouraging your team to bring in one vegetarian dish each to share for lunch. This could be a great way to get your team all in one place and give them a break, which could help encourage team socialising to ultimately boost staff morale. 

For this, a fancy salad party would also be a doable option. With those who might need extra incentive, try shaking things up to give your staff  a change of scenery. To give them a bit more fun, try taking your team out for dinner and drinks at a local vegetarian restaurant.

 

What about “peer pressure”?

We’ve seen it happening when people start going to the gym with a friend, or even when it comes to doing things together with your work colleagues. So, why not take the Veg Pledge together as a team? 

This way, your employees can keep each other accountable, all while giving them the opportunity to share their experiences. 

It is important to acknowledge that cutting out meat can be an overwhelming change. However, you can let them know that it doesn’t have to be an “all or nothing” approach, so like tackling any other big change, make them aware that taking it one step at a time is key. 

This will help emphasise that any effort — big or small — to support the cause will be appreciated, which will count towards making a positive impact.

What’s great about harnessing the power of positive peer pressure, is that it can help your staff encourage and motivate each other to sign up to the pledge, making a meaningful contribution to the cause.

For this, you could even encourage your staff to document the process on video to help generate excitement and engagement among them for further involvement and participation. For more inspiration on ways to fundraise, you can have a look through this resource from Cancer Research, here.

 

Are you doing your bit?

No matter how you decide to get involved in the pledge, here are a few things to think about when it comes to helping them get started. 

Especially when you’re at the office, think about how many people go to grab lunch in your presence. This gives you a great chance to be there for them to offer the right guidance. Here, you could: 

 

• Offer a few side salad options, as well as some vegetarian dishes in the office canteen
• Consider always having a bowl of fresh fruit in sight for when your employees are feeling peckish 
• Have a vegan recipe book in the office for your staff to flick through, which could get them one step closer to trying something new
• Consider if they have any new starters looking for somewhere to grab a bite. If not, why not share with them a few places where they can find something delicious and healthy?
• Think about your fellow staff who may already be vegetarian or vegan. Here, you could ask them for their input, which could even contribute to enhancing their sense of involvement.  

 

Learning matters

Some people may be resistant to change. However, you are not out of choice – as another way to support your staff’s health and wellbeing, you could consider seeing this as an opportunity for education. 

To get started, you could have a read through this informational piece on the benefits of the Veg Pledge, as well as give your employees a few top tips on how to go vegetarian or vegan. 

Besides this, let’s not forget that choice, value, and convenience are big factors in people’s decision-making. That’s why with an Asda For Business gift card or e-gift card, you’re already one step ahead when it comes to making it easier for them to get their hands on a healthy meal, all while giving them great value for money. 

Having signed up with the Food Foundation’s Veg Pledge, we make sure we offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as vegetarian and vegan meals for you, your people, and the organisations you support, too.