Celebrity vegans...it's all the rage!

There was a time, not that long ago, when being vegan was similar to being from Mars. No one knew exactly what it meant or how to feed you, but thanks to a whole lot of people with very large social media platforms, veganism has become far more commonplace and approachable.

Of course, I'm talking about celebrities. Vegan celebrities. And there are lots of them out there. I'm not one to attribute any kind of special knowledge to celebrities by sheer virtue of them being celebrities, but when it comes to life choices, it's hard to deny that they do have an influence, and in this case it's a good one!

They're vegan???

The list of vegan celebrities runs the gamut from musical entertainers like Moby, Sia, Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder and RZA, to actors like Toby Maguire, Jessica Chastain, Jared Leto and Jennifer Coolidge. Even elite athletes like tennis stars Novak Djokovic, and Venus and Serena Williams, and NFL football legend, Colin Kaepernick, understand that a plant-based diet might actually improved their performance and help speed recovery from injuries (see documentary The Game Changers).

Like it or not, celebrities have a voice...a very loud voice...and they have the ability to normalize what might be thought of as fringe or eccentric life choices. Some celebrities are quiet about being vegan, and some, like Woody Harrelson and Joaquin Phoenix, will talk about it every chance they get!

The green room gets really green!

When a celebrity is vegan, it forces plant-based foods into the limelight. When A-list vegan actors like Roony Mara attend an event like the Academy Awards, for example, or vegan muscians like Will.i.am or Bryan Adams go to the Grammy Awards, the organizers of those events need to include plant-based options in the pre- and post-event menus exposing everyone at the event to a variety of delicious vegan choices. It's even better when celebrities like Mayim Bialik are on the set of a sitcom five days a week because you just know that the craft services buffet table has lots of vegan options available.

And, the award goes to...

All the vegan celebrities! Exposure to a wide variety of vegan foods is half the battle when it comes to realizing that eating a plant-based diet doesn't mean a lifetime of just beans, greens and tofu, and the more celebrities move to plant-based eating, the more other celebrities in their orbit and their fans will come to see all the benefits of being vegan and that the food is both delicious and not even a little bit weird.

(Left to right, more celebrity vegans: Ariana Grande, Jon Stewart, and Alan Cumming)

I hope this blog has helped you find your way to plant-based eating. Remember…the goal is not to be perfect. Do the best you can and enjoy the journey! Sign up for vegcurious to be delivered right to your inbox at vegcurious.ca.

Note: It is strongly recommended that you consult with your primary care physician before making any changes to your diet. This blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to recommend or endorse any particular product, diet or eating plan.