I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. Although I do see January as a time of renewal I’ve always thought the idea of going cold turkey and drastically changing your diet or joining the gym only to inevitably give up on it all the second February arrives, rather trite.

Call me a cynic, but why pretend that this month has some kind of magical power?

And yet, going against my usual grain, when Peta approached me to kick-off the year with their 30-day vegan pledge, I decided to jump in feet-first and go cold tofu.

Despite being a committed vegetarian for the past 12 years, I suspected that a month as a vegan would be a struggle for me. I practically live on cheese and eggs, and have a disgraceful weak spot when it came to gummy sweets.

But, Peta ensured me they’d be there every step of the way with recipes and handy tips, and my boyfriend, Ryan (a recent vegetarian convert), and I decided to take the pledge together – safety in numbers.

We’re not the only ones going vegan for January. Peta has been offering its 30-day pledge for years, while another organization, Veganaury - now in its third year - has proven to be hugely popular. This year, it supported an estimated 50,000 people to start their year off shunning meat, fish and dairy.

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