Research shows that 5% of Ameri sustainable farming (can consumers are vegetarians. Celebrities have not been left out on the plant-based diet bandwagon, with many being vegan. As opposed to when people perceived vegetarian diets as inferior to animal-based diets, the perception has changed today. Plant-based diets are nutritious, healthy, sustainable, and ethical.
With many plant-based food choices, celebrities are spoilt for choice and get all the nutrients their bodies need to function optimally. For instance, celebrities are shifting to soy protein from reputable online vendors due to its excellent nutritional profile and many health benefits.
You may wonder why celebrities are ditching animal-based diets for plant-based ones. Read to learn more about this trend and discover the celebrities who have embraced it.
Why Do Celebrities Shift to Plant-based Diets
While the reasons for choosing plant-based diets vary from one celeb to another, most do so for health, environmental, cultural, and animal welfare purposes. Here are a few factors driving celebrities to ditch meat for vegetarian diets.
1. Health Reasons
Since celebrities are public figures, they must keep fit and watch their weight. Consequently, many opt for vegetarian diets to maintain a healthy weight and shed excess pounds. A study published in the Journal of the American Nutrition Association found that people following a vegan diet were likelier to lose weight than those on a Mediterranean diet.
In fact, over 16 weeks, those on the vegan diet recorded 13 lbs of weight loss, while their counterparts did not see any significant weight loss.
Plant-based diets are nutrient-full and rich in antioxidants, fiber, potassium, folate, vitamins, and iron. Also, they have many health benefits, including lowering blood sugar, protecting against certain cancers, and reducing heart disease risk.
According to Healthline, refraining from certain meat products lowers a person’s risk of stomach, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
2. Ethical Reasons
Some celebs ditch meat-based diets because they believe animals have rights and freedoms. As such, they should not be exploited as food sources. In addition, some vegan celebs argue that plant-based diets are environmentally friendly and conserve the planet.
Animal-based diets are resource-intensive and pollute the environment, contributing to greenhouse emissions and climate change.
Personal Preference
A meat-free lifestyle can be a celebrity’s personal preference. Perhaps they enjoy plant-based foods or are allergic to dairy and other animal products. Lactose intolerance affects 30-50 million people in the US.
Vegetarian and Vegan Celebrities
1. Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian, a model, stress, entrepreneur, and media personality, follows a plant-based diet and is happy about it. Kim affirms that this diet helps with her psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition, and keeps her fit. Her vegan diet does not keep her from enjoying Tacos, and she eats dairy-free tacos.
2. Harry Styles
Harry Styles went meat-free in 2020, though he calls himself a pescatarian who eats fish but no meat. While performing in Madison Square Garden in New York, the British singer, actor, and songwriter affirmed his vegetarian diet, telling his fans, ‘I don’t eat meat’ after they threw chicken nuggets at him. Harry confesses to feeling better after ditching meat from his plate.
3. Moby
Richard Melville Hall, alias Moby, a staunch animal rights advocate, has maintained a vegan diet since 1987. Mob’s love for his pet cat, Tucker, made him vow to become a vegan and shun animal products contributing to animal suffering and cruelty. He actively shows his love for a meat-free lifestyle through tattoos and animal rights organizations’ donations.
4. Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart is an American actor and comedian renowned for his role in Jumanji Sequel and Central Intelligence. He has admitted numerous times to being a plant-based eater. In line with this, Hart started a vegan fast-food chain, Hart House, disrupting the fast-food industry with plant-based foods.
5. Chris Hemsworth
This Australian actor claims going vegan when filming the movies Thor and Avengers to enhance his physique. He contends that he was surprised that a vegan diet helped him maintain muscle mass even without his favorite food -steak. While Hemsworth is not a vegan, his set days made him one.
6. Serena Williams
The tennis legend observes a mostly vegan diet, with a cheat day for fish and chicken. Her vegan diet dates back to 2017 when she showed solidarity with her sister, Venus Williams, battling Sjogren’s syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disease.
Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, is also vegan. However, Serena maintains she observes a meat-free diet when training and competing to attain optimal fitness.
7. Stevie Wonder
The American musician and songwriter has been vegan since 2016, which keeps him looking vibrant. Wonder says that the desire to protect the planet and make it greener for future generations inspired him to a plant-based diet.
8. Katy Perry
Early this year, Katy Perry, an American singer and TV personality, announced on Twitter she is 95% to become 100% vegan. While Perry does not give a reason for this transition, there are many reasons to be vegan, so why not?
9. Sonam Kapoor
Besides Hollywood actors, Bollywood ones are also embracing plant-based diets. The queen of Bollywood, Sonam Kapoor, is a vegan, proudly showcasing her vegan food options on her social media. Kapoor is primarily a vegan due to lactose intolerance, though she is vocal on environmental issues, animal rights, and advocacy. She affirms ditching coffee for soya milk.
10. R Madhavan
This Indian actor and producer, best known for his Hindi and Tamil films, is a vegetarian. He is a food lover who loves trying out new cuisines and regional foods when traveling for work and leisure. The actor attributes his fit physique to his vegetarian diet, saying it keeps him fit and healthy.
Conclusion
More people follow plant-based diets, with celebrities leading the way, from Kim Kardashian to Kevin Hart and Katy Perry. Meat-free diets are cruelty-free, eco-friendly, ethical, and nutritious. Also, the availability of plant-based alternatives makes these diets even more attractive to celebrities and their fans.
Whether you want to switch to a plant-based diet for ethical or health reasons, there are many benefits. As seen, these celebrities are already embracing the new trend to reap from it. You can start your journey and begin seeing positive changes in your life too.