It's coming up to a year now since we made the shift as a family to a fully vegan diet. It seemed like a good time to reflect on the whole experience and what things have gone smoothly and what challenges we have faced. A few friends have recently been moving towards this way of living and that has given me the push to finally get some things written down.

There are many reasons why more and more people are choosing a vegan lifestyle and depending on which category you fit into there are different approaches to a smooth transition. I had been vegetarian for 20 years for ethical reasons and then subsequently gave up dairy whilst breastfeeding for my son's health but quickly realised I felt health benefits myself. A couple of years later having done lots of research on the subject (and watched some incredible documentaries) I made the full switch to being vegan for both ethical and health reasons.

Once I realised that this was a lifestyle which was also so crucial supporting the environment it felt like a no brainer to me. Arguably this is a fairly 'small steps' approach, first vegetarian, then dairy free vegetarian then finally vegan over the space of many years. Despite being fully vegan myself I have never been purist about the movement and fully support any move towards anyone eating/using less animal products. If giving up meat one day a week is all you and your family can do at the moment, that is ok and a good step in the right direction.

There are others for whom a radical overnight change works really well. Depending on your reasons for making the diet changes, with the right support this can be very effective. Kind of a "cold tufurkey" approach : )

Like any lifestyle change, it is something that is always easier with support from family and friends. I have been very lucky to have had mostly positive support from the people around me and people had trusted that I would be well researched and make the right decisions for my family. Along this journey we have made sure that we have talked to the kids honestly about our reasons for making changes. I don't believe in scaring them with gruesome slaughterhouse images but gentle explanations of what goes on behinds the scenes in the dairy and egg industry helps them to feel a part of something important. Kids are really committed when they understand the why. They understand that we have ethical motivations but we also always emphasised that we believe this to be the best way for them to build strong healthy bodies. There is no talk of good and bad food in our house, just eating what nature gives us to grow well.

We have a rule at home that the kids can help themselves to food at anytime as long as its fruit, veg or nuts. Anything else they have to check with us first. That way the fruit bowl is their first go to source when they're hungry and its always kept topped up. The kids wellbeing and health will always be my top priority and I fully believe that I am giving them the very best start in life. I also believe that this way of living will help them to grow into kind compassionate human beings who realise we have a part to play in the welfare of other living things and our planet.