You may have heard of "Veganuary" and wondered what all the fuss is about, well it's basically just to get people to try a plant based, animal product free diet for 31 days and see how they feel for doing so. You can sign up on their website at https://veganuary.com, which offers loads of great recipes as well as a helpful meal planner and loads of other support to help you along your journey.

I decided to take part in the challange myself, but as a lactose intolerant vegetarian, I didn't find it to be much different to how I would usually eat. The main concern is always eating out but Vegan options are becoming much more widely available and even Tesco have just released a new vegan range called "wicked kitchen" for Vegans in a rush. I managed to survive two restaurant birthday meals, various family days out and a staff outing without starving to death! 

Another challange I found is other people's ignorance, "where do you get your protein from?" "won't your bones get really weak?" are just a couple of things I hear on a regular basis, and thats just from my mum!

All joking aside though, where do vegans get their key nutrients from if they are not consuming animals?

Tofu, lentils, beans, tempeh, quorn and quinoa are all great sources of protein and tasty too. Amnio acids are forms of broken down protein needed for growth and repair of the body's tissues. Essential amino acids are the ones our bodies cannot produce itself, so therefore they need to be obtained from our diet and seem to cause the most arguements when it comes to which is the best source of protein; animal or plant. "Complete" sources of protein are proteins that contain all nine essential amino acids and are found in meat and fish, but this doesn't mean vegans have to miss out. By consuming a varied diet you can make complete proteins by mixing two or more incomplete proteins.

Vitamin B12 is ncessary for the healthy function of the brain and nervous system as well as the production of red blood cells. Although its usually found in meat, fish and eggs, there is good news for vegans; it's in marmite! If you're not a lover though you can get fortified breakfast cereals or take a supplement.

Calcium is an important mineral needed to build bones and keep them healthy and can be found in most dairy products. So where do you get it from if you are not consuming any animal products? We actually absorb Calcium far easier from plant sources than we do from cows milk. Most plant based milks, such as almond or coconut, are fortified with calcium, just be sure to check the label, but other sources include green leafy vegetables, tofu, oranges and brazil nuts.

Although January is coming to an end, you can take the pledge throughout the rest of the year and sign up for your free starter kit to help you on your journey. Every Vegan saves more than 100 animals a year but ultimatley its a personal decision and you need ensure you're getting all the nutrients you need to sustain your lifestyle, be healthy and happy.