Plant-Based Eating: Celebrity Style

I’m always impressed when I hear of celebs who follow the plant-based lifestyle. One thing I find so interesting about celebrities & public figures eating plant-based diets is that these people, because of their fame, have access to the best physicians, teachers and information out there…and given all the resources they have access to, they choose to cut animal products out of their diets. Both famous people and us regular people adopt plant-based diets for the same reasons…to cure illness, to restore or maintain good health, to help the planet, and for the good of animals. Plant-based eating, or veganism, may seem new or extreme to you now (trust me, it used to seem that way to me too!) but it is definitely making its mark on this world. And, once you educate yourself on the topic, what once seemed extreme all of a sudden makes a whole lotta sense. Here’s a list of just some of the celebrities who eat diets rich in plant foods.

• Natalie Portman
  • Beauty Natalie Portman’s 2012 wedding was completely vegan and environmentally-conscious. So cool!
• Bill Clinton
  • Yup, the former president of the United States, who used to be known for his affinity for McDonald’s, no longer eats animal products. He credits Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a leader in the field of plant-based nutrition, with saving his life and curing him of his heart disease.
• Kirsten Bell & Dax Shepard
  • Covergirl on November’s issue of Naked Food Magazine and her husband Dax Shepard went plant-based after watching the documentary Forks Over Knives.
• Alicia Silverstone
  • Silverstone became vegan after learning the horrors of factory farming. She now has two books The Kind Diet, The Kind Mama and her website, The Kind Life, all devoted to teaching others about the kind lifestyle. I highly recommend checking these out! Her pinto bean stew from The Kind Diet is amazing.
• Ariana Grande
  • This pop star is vocal about the benefits of whole food, plant-based eating and her love of animals.

• Ben Stiller
  • Ben Stiller has transformed his health and eats a mostly plant-based diet with some fish. He also gave up coffee as well.
• Betty White
  • The 92 year old actress and animal advocate has been meat-free for almost three decades and attributes her youthful appearance and good health to her meat-free diet.
• Beyonce & Jay-Z
  • Beyonce credits veganism with helping her lose her post-baby weight. Her diet now is “mostly” vegan and the couple have done full vegan challenges together.
• Carrie Underwood
  • Underwood likes to consider herself a “practical vegan”. A concept I like. Read more about it here.
• Christian Bale
  • This Batman star gave up meat when he was just 9 years old!
• Christie Brinkley
  • This beauty has been a strict vegetarian since she was just 12 years old. Have you seen how fabulous she looks at 60 years old?
• David Cater
  • The NFL defensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars adopted a vegan diet alongside his wife. His instagram account is affectionately named @the300poundvegan. He shatters stereotypes as he’s literally 300 pounds of plant-built muscle.
• Forest Whitaker
  • Whitaker adopted a vegetarian diet many years ago and cites improved health, saving the environment and helping animals as reasons to adopt a meat-free diet.
• Jared Leto
  • This actor adheres to a holistic view of health and wellness and credits his vegan diet for his ability to stay in shape and healthy.
• Jennifer Lopez
  • How good does this 45 year old mother of two look? She credits her vegan diet for helping her look youthful and stay fit. Read more about her vegan journey here.
• Jessica Chastain
  • This gorgeous celeb has been quoted saying that she used to think about dieting a lot but now that she eats a vegan diet weightloss is never an issue.
• Joaquin Phoenix
  • Phoenix has been vegan since he was three years old. He has been devoted to bringing awareness to issues surrounding the planet and animal welfare. Check out the documentary Earthlings, which he narrates.
• Ellen Degeneres
  • Degeneres and wife Portia de Rossi are both vegan. Degeneres credits Earthlings, as the film that led her to adopt a vegan diet.
• Lea Michele
  • She goes between veganism and vegetarianism. She’s also known for posting lots of pics of her vegan meals, like delicious looking tofu scrambles, on instagram.
• Mike Tyson
  • During an intense detox from drugs and alcohol, Tyson decided to further cleanse his body by getting rid of animal products as well. He credits veganism with ridding him of his constant congestion, high blood pressure and arthritis.
• Steve-O
  • Similar to Tyson, Steve-O adopted a vegan diet, which he still maintains, while in rehab for drug addiction.
• Paul McCartney
  • A vegetarian for many years, and now vegan, he famously said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.” He’s also been quoted saying about plant-based eating, “Nowadays it’s so easy.” Daughter Stella McCartney is also vegan and has a cruelty-free upscale clothing line.
• Russell Simmons
  • The famous hip-hop mogul is now a major proponent of veganism, meditation and yoga. Simmons credits the three practices with transforming his life for the better. Read more about his practices, here.
• Samuel L. Jackson
  • The documentary Forks Over Knives (which you know I love!) led Jackson to adopt a plant-based diet. Like Bill Clinton, Jackson has worked closely with Dr. Esselstyn. He also lost 40 lbs after adopting a plant-based diet and says he has tons of energy now.
• Woody Harrelson
  • Back when he was in his young twenties, a chance encounter with a stranger would lead him to the plant-based lifestyle. He describes himself as congested and full of acne back in the day. While blowing his nose, a female stranger on the bus mentioned that if he gave up dairy, his bad skin and stuffy nose would get better within days. She was right…they did get better and he’s been vegan ever since.

Some other plant-based celebs are: Diane Keaton, Laura Preppon, Sarah Silverman, Tobey Maquire, Pamela Anderson, Al Gore, Jason Mraz, Alec Baldwin & wife Hilaria Baldwin, James Cameron, Ted Danson, Emily Deschanel, Ellie Goulding, supermodel Petra Nemcova, Richard Gere and more!

And while many of the names above adhere to strict plant-based diets, as you can see even for celebs it’s not necessarily about being perfect with what you eat, instead the focus is on eating predominately, mostly plants. If you’re able to make your diet all plants, awesome. But if you make it mostly plants, that’s also a wonderful, great, beneficial thing too!