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January 1st no longer just marks the start of the year, but also Veganuary! If you’ve never tried going vegan before, there’s never been a better time to start with so many amazing meat-alternative products and recipes available.

To make your Veganuary even easier, we’ve pulled together some top tips to help make sure you and your family have a happy, healthy and paw-some Veganuary!

Every adventure takes planning!

A lot of people’s main concern with their kids going vegan is the worry that they won’t get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals they need. However, with careful planning and a good understanding of the vitamins that typically come from meat and dairy, it is absolutely possible for kids to have a healthy, Vegan diet.

The main vitamins that usually come from animal products include: Vitamin B12, Iodine, Omega-3, Iron, Calcium and Protein. There are lots of plant-based foods that can help provide these vitamins, however in some cases it is worth introducing daily vitamins to ensure your kids are getting all the nutrients they need. Why not check out the PAW Patrol kids' vitamins, available at Holland & Barrett .

The essential vitamins you can’t leave behind!

To help you with your planning we’ve rounded up a list of the key vitamins that are found in animal products, and some good plant-based alternatives!
• Vitamin B12 can be found in some fortified breakfast cereals and yogurt & milk alternatives, such as soya, oat, coconut and almond drinks. Make sure you always check the label though, as not all of these products are fortified, especially if they’re organic
• Iodine can be found in plant foods, such as cereals and grain, however the levels vary depending on the amount of iodine in the soil where the plants grow
• Omega 3 is found in flaxseed oil, ground linseeds, walnuts (ensure children under 5 have ground walnuts to avoid choking), chia seeds and hemp seeds
• Iron can be found in beans, chickpeas, lentils, seeds, nuts, nut butters, dark green vegetables, wholegrains like wholemeal bread and brown rice, fortified cereals and dried fruit, such as apricots, figs and prunes
• Calcium is most commonly found in milk and dairy products, but other sources include pulses such as beans and lentils, tahini, almond butter, calcium-set tofu, dried figs, bread and green leafy vegetables. The NHS says, “You can give your child unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, oat or almond drinks, from the age of 12 months as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Children under 5 years should not have rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula because they may contain too much arsenic.”

If you need some more information regarding the vitamins you need to be incorporating in your child’s Vegan diet, check out the NHS website , or consult a medical professional.

Lookout for fibre!

We all know that we need a variety of foods to provide energy and nutrients, but Vegan diets can often be high in fibre. This means that your child might fill up when eating, before they have taken in enough calories or nutrients and they may feel tired as a result.

If you feel concerned about your child not getting enough energy you should try and offer them higher calorie foods, such as hummus, smooth nut and seed butters, full-fat dairy alternative yoghurt and use vegetable oils or vegan fat spreads in cooking.

As with everything in life, one size does not fit all, so if you have any concerns about going vegan for the month make sure you chat to a doctor first. But we hope that this post has given you some good tips to get your Veganuary journey started!

Don’t forget, all of our PAW Patrol kids' vitamins are certified Vegan by the Vegetarian Society! Why not check out the full PAW Patrol vitamin range.