The new year often brings a wave of resolutions and fresh starts. Many people look at January as the perfect time to reset their habits, particularly when it comes to food. One of the most popular challenges gaining momentum every year is Veganuary. This global movement encourages participants to try adopting a vegan or vegetarian diet for the entire month of January.
While the idea of cutting out meat and dairy can feel intimidating or expensive, savvy home cooks are proving that eating plant-based can be both simple and budget-friendly. A viral tip from TikTok creator Jackie Mitchell ( @jackiemitchellll), offers a great bit of advice that makes going meat-free a little more frugal and a whole lot tastier.
A Simple Tip Using Kitchen Waste
Jackie’s video highlights a practice that is as good for your wallet as it is for the planet. She suggests keeping a large gallon-sized bag in your freezer specifically for vegetable scraps. Every time you chop an onion, peel a carrot, or trim celery stalks, those leftover pieces go directly into the freezer bag instead of the garbage bin. It takes almost zero effort to divert these bits and pieces away from the landfill and into your future dinner plans.
Over time, that bag will fill up with a colorful assortment of vegetable ends, peels, and stems. Once the bag is packed tight, Jackie shows viewers the next step. You simply dump the frozen contents into a large stockpot. After covering the scraps with water, you can add a bit of salt and some herbs like bay leaves or peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it bubble away gently. After straining out the solids, you are left with a rich, golden homemade vegetable stock that cost virtually nothing to make.
Making Plant-Based Eating Accessible
Tips like this are crucial because they break down the mental barriers often associated with veganism. There is a common misconception that adopting a plant-based diet requires buying expensive meat alternatives or fancy specialty ingredients. People worry that their grocery bills will skyrocket or that they will need to spend hours in the kitchen learning complicated new techniques. Jackie’s scrap-stock method proves the opposite. It shows that frugal, sustainable cooking is accessible to everyone. By utilizing every part of the vegetable, you stretch your grocery budget further. This is especially helpful during Veganuary, when you might be cooking with fresh produce more often than usual. Knowing you can get a second use out of your ingredients makes the challenge feel much more manageable.
Endless Possibilities for Delicious Meals
Once you have a batch of this “liquid gold” on hand, the culinary possibilities really open up. Homemade vegetable stock is the backbone of countless comforting winter recipes. It is far superior in flavor to the boxed versions you buy at the store, which can sometimes taste metallic or overly salty. With your own stock, you control the flavor profile entirely.
You can use this rich broth as a base for hearty soups, such as a classic minestrone packed with beans and pasta, or a creamy blended butternut squash soup. It adds depth to grain dishes like mushroom risotto or quinoa pilaf. You can even use it to braise greens or cook lentils for a savory stew. Having quality stock ready to go means you are already halfway to a nutritious meal. It transforms simple grains and vegetables into something that tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen.
@jackiemitchellll cutting down on waste AND making something from nothing?? I’m in. #homemade #cooking #frugal #budgetfriendly #cheap #cheapmeals #easyrecipe #soup #veggies #vegetarian #stock ♬ original sound – Jackie Mitchell
Starting the Year on a High Note
Participating in Veganuary is about more than just changing what is on your plate. It is about exploring new flavors, reducing waste, and finding joy in the kitchen. Practical hacks like this one remind us that healthy living doesn’t have to be a burden, it can be a creative and rewarding process. As you step into this new year, embrace the challenge with an open mind. Small changes, like saving your veggie scraps, can lead to big improvements in how you cook and eat. Here’s to a fresh and flavorful new start, to a brand new year.
