New Year is the perfect time for people to try new things, like changing their diet or habits. Some people take part in Veganuary, an annual challenge where they avoid eating animal products like meat, dairy, or eggs during January. Veganuary first started in 2014 as a fun way to explore a vegan lifestyle and see how it feels. Since then, plant-based eating has gained popularity, and it's not uncommon for restaurants to offer at least one vegan option on their menus. But a study has found that many meat-eaters end up feeling disgusted by meat after trying Veganuary. Researchers studied 40 meat-eaters before and after Veganuary. They found that, although most participants went back to eating meat when the month had ended, they felt more disgusted about doing so. And people who ate the least amount of meat during the challenge felt the most disgust afterwards. A separate 2023 study on 46 Veganuary participants found that they were much less likely to describe themselves as meat-eaters after taking part in the challenge. Scientists suggest that this change happens because people feel uncomfortable when their actions don't match their beliefs. Many enjoy the taste and convenience of eating meat, but they also feel guilty about the cruelty of factory farming. So by giving up meat during Veganuary, participants may start to think more about these issues and develop negative feelings toward eating meat. This research shows that even a short-term change in behavior can change the way you think, says Natalia Lawrence, a scientist from the University of Exeter who worked on the studies. "Normally, the idea is to educate people first to change their attitudes, and hopefully they end up changing their behaviour," she told The Guardian. "But if you persuade people to change their behaviour for a month, it seems that these things follow."