America’s first fully vegan menu at an elementary school will come into effect this Autumn. After watching the documentary Forks Over Knives, James and Suzy Cameron announced that MUSE, the private school they founded in Calabasas in 2006, would be going vegan.

For many, the transition into Veganism is done for health purposes. Celebrities such as Jay Z and Beyonce glamourised the lifestyle change, leading Beyonce to launch her own online delivery service. For the children of MUSE, the changes may have little impact to their day-to-day lives and the long term affects may be worth documenting. For the more carnivorous population, who are considering going over to the plant-side, such extreme changes to a diet requires being well informed. Here are some things you should know before converting.

Vegan doesn’t always mean healthy

It also doesn’t guarantee weight loss. The assumption that you will only eat healthy foods after switching to a vegan diet isn’t always true. There are a lot of processed vegan foods filled with unhealthy ingredients.

A B12 supplement will come in handy

B12 helps make DNA and regulates blood cells. A lack of this vitamin can lead to constipation, a loss of appetite and depression. It only occurs naturally only in animal foods, so you’ll want to stock up on B12-fortified foods too.

You’ll need to find new protein sources

Proteins break down into amino acids that promote cell growth and repair. Vegan substitutes include natural soy, lentils, beans and quinoa.

Plants are a great source of calcium 

Plants would contain a sufficient amount of calcium. Naturally calcium-rich foods include kale, almonds, soy beans, figs, cereals and plant-based milks.

Here’s a blog post by a woman who tried Veganism for a month. It’s probably better to ween yourself off animal foods slowly rather than going cold turkey and risking your health. It may be useful to document the changes in your body, as you may be shocked at the results especially as your body won’t be used to it.