Today marks the first day of Lent, and many people around the around the world – even those who don't consider themselves practising Christians – are gearing up for 40 days of abstention from some perceived vice or other. We've all heard that Theresa May has given up crisps – a popular choice, alongside alcohol, chocolate, and fizzy drinks.

But what if there was something you could give up that could not only improve your own health but also help combat climate change and save lives? Who wouldn't want that kind of bang for their buck?

Well, for those of you still undecided about what to forgo, you're in luck, because you can do exactly that by choosing not to eat meat, eggs, and dairy products – and giving them up may be easier than you think.

Can people tell the difference between real and vegan cheese?

The days when vegans brought their own cartons of soya milk to the coffee shop are long gone. As people have become increasingly aware of the systematic cruelty endured by animals raised for food – as well as the devastating impact that animal agriculture has on the planet and the health problems linked to the consumption of animal-derived foods – more and more of us are choosing to leave them off our plates. Google searches for "vegan" have increased by 380 per cent in the last five years, while supermarkets, restaurants, and other businesses are falling over themselves to meet the ever-increasing demand for vegan food.

As a result, there's a greater choice of widely available vegan options than ever before for those of you who are new to the game. In fact, half of Britain's top restaurant chains now offer a vegan main course, according to research by Ethical Consumer. There are veggie fajitas at Las Iguanas, a chilli sin carne at Le Pain Quotidien, miso dumpling Ramen at Yo! Sushi, vegan cheese pizzas at Zizzi, and even a vegan curry at JD Wetherspoon. Plus, dedicated veggie spots are popping up all over the country – in London, you'll find a queue right down the road for Temple of Hackney's vegan fried chicken, while Bristol is poised for the opening of a vegan fish and chip shop.

Although most of us were raised eating animals and have been conditioned not to think about the terrified living being who was killed for our steak, we cannot deny that cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals used for their flesh have feelings, thoughts, and personalities – just like the millions of beloved cats and dogs in this country who are viewed as part of the family. How, then, can we justify the way in which they are treated like machines and endure enormous suffering in the food industry? Cows on dairy farms, for example, are repeatedly forcibly impregnated, and their calves are torn away from them shortly after birth. The males are killed or sold for meat, while females – who are destined for the same cycle of misery as their mothers – are mutilated and kept in filthy and severely crowded conditions.

Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Show all 25 1 /25 Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Ariana Grande, pop star "I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding. But I am a firm believer in eating a full plant-based, whole food diet that can expand your life length and make you an all-round happier person." Ariana Grande/Facebook Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Paul McCartney, musician "I've been a vegetarian for a long time now and over the years I've seen how the attitudes have changed around the world, so I'm not surprised when I see new research that shows more and more people are increasingly adopting 'meat free eating'." Getty Images Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Ellen DeGeneres, TV Host "It doesn't make [Thanksgiving] harder at all. It makes it easier on the turkeys, too. They get to live." Reuters Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Morrissey, musician "I see no difference between eating animals and paedophilia." Getty Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Bill Clinton, former president of the US Dr Dean Ornish, Clinton's doctor, said: "I asked him, 'Why do you want to live longer?' and he said, 'I want to live long enough to walk my daughter down the aisle and to see my grandkids born and grow up.'" Getty Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Peter Dinklage, actor Dinklage has been a vegetarian since childhood and featured in PETA's 'Face Your Food' film. WireImage Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Russell Brand, comedian "I'm now vegan, goodbye eggs, hello Ellen." PA Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Ellie Goulding, singer "I've got taxidermy, I've got animals.... deer and all sorts. But weirdly, I'm a vegetarian and I don't eat meat. I'm a walking contradiction." Getty Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Ellen Page, actor Page was named as one of PETA's 'Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities' in 2014. Getty Images Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Al Gore, American politician "There are 10 vegan restaurants in Nashville now." Speaking about how he maintains his vegan diet in the city. Getty Images Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Tobey Maguire, actor Maguire said he was a vegan and "stopped consuming any mind-altering substances" when he was 19. Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Stella McCartney On her website, McCartney said that "the decision not to use leather or fur is not just because I don’t eat animals or that I think that millions of animals each year shouldn’t be killed for the sake of fashion. It’s because I also believe in the connection between fur and leather and the environment. There’s a huge connection." Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Natalie Portman, actor Portman converted from being a vegan to vegetarianism. Getty Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Woody Harrelson, actor "I've always been relatively healthy except for my vices." HBO Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Jared Leto, actor and musician "I'm pretty healthy... I've been that way for a long time - 20 solid years of eating vegetarian/vegan and taking care of myself. That probably helps the preservation process." WireImage Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Jessica Chastain, actor It was reported that the vegan actor bought her mother a vegan food truck. AP Photo/Sony - Columbia Pictures, Jonathan Olley Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Joaquin Phoenix, actor Featuring a PETA advert to promote vegetarianism for Thanksgiving, he said: "Holidays can be murder on turkeys. Let's make this one for the birds." Celebrity vegans and vegetarians In March 2018, Beyoncé revealed she was following a plant-based diet when preparing for her headlining performances at Coachella music festival, while Jay-Z wrote about going vegan in a 2013 blog post, describing it as a “spiritual and physical cleanse". Getty Images Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Kate Mara, actor Mara told E! Online that she stayed fit and healthy by being a vegan. Getty Images Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Alanis Morissette, musician "I'm predominantly vegan, which my friends hate because it's not monogamous; 80% is vegan; the other 20% is following what my body needs." Reuters Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Alicia Silverstone, actor Silverston has a blog called The Kind Life which discusses vegan and vegetarian food. Rex Features Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Kate Nash "I became a vegetarian last September - I used to suffer from OCD and it got stuck in my head that if I didn't eat meat then my bunny rabbit, Fluffy, would survive a dangerous operation she had to have." Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Jennifer Lopez, singer and actor Lopez said that she recommended a vegan diet "because you wake up and feel great". Getty Images Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Mark Hoppus, member of Blink 182 Hoppus announced he was a vegan on Twitter. Getty Images Celebrity vegans and vegetarians Olivia Wilde, actor "[Being vegan] is not always easy and accessible. But it's a way of life and makes me as a person feel really good and physically look better." Getty Images

When chickens are only a few weeks old, they endure a stressful and terrifying trip to the abattoir, where many are killed while they're still conscious. On occasion, animals such as pigs have made extraordinary dashes for freedom while on their way to slaughter – by jumping from moving lorries, leaping fences, or swimming across rivers – because they value their lives just as we do.

Last year, the World Health Organisation listed processed meat – including sausage and bacon – as a carcinogen in the same category as tobacco. Its research found that consuming 50 grams of processed meat a day (less than two slices of bacon) increased a person's chances of developing colorectal cancer by 18 per cent. Another study found that eating exclusively plant-based foods lowers the risk of developing prostate cancer by 35 per cent. Being vegetarian or vegan also reduces the risk of suffering from heart disease, strokes, and diabetes, some of the country's biggest killers.

Going vegan also helps ensure a greener tomorrow. The Worldwatch Institute estimates that a staggering 51 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are caused by "livestock and their by-products", which makes sense when you think about the vast swathes of rainforest that are being cut down in order to grow crops to feed the billions of animals we raise every year for meat – as well as the energy required to run the factories, the water wastage, the cows' methane emissions, the fossil fuels burned during transportation, the energy required for refrigeration, the materials used for packaging, and so on. Just imagine how much more efficient our food systems would be if we ate the crops ourselves instead of funnelling them through animals. It's no wonder the United Nations has warned that a global shift towards a plant-based diet is vital in order to alleviate the worst effects of climate change.

Veganism also goes hand in hand with Christian values of compassion and respect for all creation. After all, the Garden of Eden was vegan!