Table 5.

Results from thematic analysis of challenging and helpful factors in maintaining a meat-free diet during Veganuary.

Theme		No of meat-free (MF) and lapsed (L) responses	Exemplar quotations from meat-free (MF) and lapsed (L) participants (typos corrected)
Psychological factors: Responses in this theme mention internal factors, such as self-control, motivation, and, in the case of lapsed respondents (not being able to overcome) habits.		MF: 3	I did not think about what I was missing out on
		L: 11	I didnt have enough self-determination/perseverance to not eat meat
Tools and resources: These were external factors of a very practical nature and were divided into two sub-themes:	Vegan option availability: Responses that mention availability of vegan options at home and in supermarkets.	MF: 8	It was helpful that a lot of the supermarkets were doing new products and launches for veganuary, so there was more choice than usual, but being under lockdown I couldn't go to the ones out of my local area.
		L: 4	I went to the shops early January and there wasn't a lot of veg options—no fresh veg, I bought vegan food but decided easier to stick to meat and cheaper also
	Information/knowledge: Having or lacking information on vegan recipes, meal planning or the benefits of a vegan diet.	MF: 3	A really good vegetarian recipe book by Nigel Slater, being intrigued by different, appealing recipies encouraged me to enjoy eating vegetarian food and helped me stick to eating no meat
		L: 5	I wasn't getting enough protein and didn't know what to replace it with
Social influence: Exclusively mentioned by lapsed participants, this theme focused on the influence of other people, usually in the household, including family or a partner, who made it impossible or inconvenient to follow a vegan diet		L: 12	I ended up eating meat as my partner wasn't willing to give it up fully, most meals I cooked myself an alternative however for some meals it was a lot of effort and easier to cook one meal for us both