A new (free) 36-page booklet illustrated with a mouth-watering chocolate cake on the cover, has been designed especially for vegetarians.

The new guide contains simple veggie and vegan recipes including some of favourite meals: lasagne, quiche, sausage and bean casserole and, of course, some indulgent desserts.

With nutritional advice, products to buy in the shops and tips for eating out, this is a comprehensive guide for anyone wishing to try a veggie or vegan diet.

Kelly Slade of Animal Aid said: "Anyone can go meat-free and it's a lot easier than you might think. The number of veggies and vegans in the UK is increasing and with it, the number of choices, from new cafes, bakeries, restaurants, and businesses to animal-free products in supermarkets and high street shops.

"In fact, being veggie or vegan opens your eyes to a variety of foods that you might never have discovered."

Animal Aid's campaigns officer, Kelly Slade, said: "Going veggie or vegan could be the best decision you ever made. "It's certainly the best one for the billions of animals who are needlessly farmed and killed every year.

"Not only will you be helping to save animals' lives, but you'll feel healthier too," she added.

Animal Aid's new guide is ideal for anyone who would like to eat more compassionately and it is available free of charge from www.govegan.org.uk