AROUND 20 years ago veganism was considered a bit extreme or even strange... fast forward to 2017 and St Helens has just held a second successful vegan fair.

The vegan lifestyle – not eating or using any animal by-product – has been welcomed by mainstream culture. It’s even considered a healthy option, as long as certain nutrients - particularly protein and calcium – are obtained from other sources.

When I was challenged to go vegan for a week by fair organiser Ann-Marie Owens, I wasn’t too daunted. I knew there were countless magazines and websites providing recipes and advice.

Saying that, I’ve never tried to change my diet before.. never been veggie, never cut carbs or dairy. I’ve always enjoyed a bit of what I fancy... in a balanced sort of way.

I would advise anyone intending to go vegan – or eat vegan sometimes – to plan carefully. It will take research and lots of cooking from scratch.

Vegans can eat lots of ‘normal’ stuff – potatoes, pasta, rice, some bread and cereal, pulses, fruit and veg. And there are some good alternatives out there: milks, yoghurts, margarine, cooking oils, tofu (try a popular brand's marinated tofu, it's yum on its own or in stir fries).

Fans of spicy or Mediterranean foods can still use all the garlic, chillies, spices and herbs to make curries, stir-fries and pasta sauces. And herbs and spices come into their own for vegans, as they add so much flavour.

What challenged me most – and probably gave a good insight of how it really is to be vegan – were the comments and raised eyebrows from non-vegans – who seemed all too keen to put temptation in my way!

‘Do you want to lose weight?’, ‘Are you OK?’, ‘You’ll make yourself sick’, ‘Go on, just have a bit of cheese’, ‘Bet you’re dying for a good steak’, and so on...

Yes, I missed a few foods and it was hard to bake without using eggs, but I was surprised at how easy, creative and cheap it was to be vegan.

This was a difficult article to put together - in advance, I thought I'd be writing about the struggle I had, but the truth is a lot more dull, it wasn't really a problem... I was going to list the foods I ate each day - I kept a diary - but again, that would not make for a riveting read and it would take up the whole word count for the newspaper article!

An edited food diary would have porridge with coconut milk and cinnamon or toast for breakfasts; lunches were baked potatoes with hummus and salad, home-made guacamole and pittas or soups. In the evening I tended to make veggie versions of the stuff I normally eat - curries, cous cous, casseroles, and so on. I made a vegan pear crumble which I ate over the week with vegan ice cream. Snacks were fruit, nuts, dark chocolate, chips, crisps (lots of regular brands are vegan).

And what's changed since the challenge? Well, there was no agenda, I was never intending to go fully vegan... but I do find I'm not craving meat much these days. The texture and taste of meat have lost their appeal. I'm eating more fish, more vegetable-based meals. I've stuck with the vegan breakfasts, although I've started using butter on my toast rather than vegan marg, and having a drop of dairy milk in coffee.

I'm thinking much more about what I'm going to eat - and what I want to eat - rather than going with the flow. As much as possible, anyway.

I must confess - I forgot once during the vegan week that I was on the challenge and ordered a cappuccino - oops! - but I guess happens when you change ingrained habits.

And as for losing weight? Well, I think I actually gained a bit, which just goes to show how tasty vegan eating is...