Celebrities are role models and it’s just fitting that they lead a healthy lifestyle to influence their millions of fans in a positive manner. Many Hollywood celebrities, in particular, have shun meat products and are now following plant-based and animal-free diets. They are called vegan celebs.
In the U.S., 2.5 percent of residents are vegans while five percent are vegetarians, according to a PETA report. Unlike what some people believe, those sticking to a plant-based diet can still consume vitamins and minerals while reducing their intake of calories and fats. They are also helping preserve the environment as they use fewer resources.
In support to this vegan lifestyle campaign, there are various groups now promoting vegan fashion. The Blue Rubies Faux Fur Collection, for instance, is using 100% vegan and cruelty-free merchandise and the company behind it emphasizes the essence of being fashion forward without having to harm animals.
Here are some of your favorite celebrities who now stick to a vegetarian diet.
Alec Baldwin
Actor Alec Baldwin was forced to follow a healthy lifestyle after being diagnosed as prediabetic in 2011. He became a vegan and in 2012 lost 30 pounds. This was during the time he bagged the SAG award for Best Actor in a TV Comedy.
Carrie Underwood
Did you know that Carried Underwood has been a vegetarian since age 13? Having grown up on a farm, she has witnessed animals being killed which discouraged her to consumer animal products.
In 2011, Underwood became a vegan but she clarified that her diet is not strictly without meat or dairy. She considers herself a practical vegan who still eats meat and dairy products on certain occasions such as for social or cultural reasons.
Casey Affleck
Casey Affleck is married to a fellow vegan and celebrity Summer Phoenix. This Goodwill Hunting star is an animal rights advocate.
Affleck related that her becoming a vegan was influenced by a childhood pet, his first dog. The was owned by an abusive couple who would not let him hold the pet.
Ellen de Generes
For popular comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, several books on animal rights and diets influenced her decision to become a vegan in 2008. She said that her love for animals was a major reason to follow a plant-based diet. Her wedding with Portia de Rossi also in 2008 featured a vegan menu.
As part of her commitment, DeGeneres started a blog called “Going Vegan with Ellen.” She and wife Portia are also owners of a vegan restaurant.
Jennifer Lopez
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez is another happy vegan celebrity. She claims her plant-based diet has given her more energy and has made her feel so much better.
If there’s any food she misses, though, it’s butter. For her, butter makes everything tastes better.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman was already a vegetarian for a long time before becoming a vegan. It was in 2009 when she went vegan after the book “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer. Unknown to her many fans, she also blogged about her becoming a vegan on The Hufftington Post taking note of the compromised welfare of slaughterhouse workers and the harsh effects of mass productions of animals on the environment.
In 2011, however, Portman went vegetarian again but only for a year while pregnant saying that her body was craving for foods with dairy products such as eggs and cheese. By 2012, she reverted to being a vegan and in fact, an all-vegan menu was served during her wedding in the same year.
Usher
Usher is among the male celebrities who follow a healthy diet. It was in 2012 when the singer-songwriter-dancer went vegan. Reports have it that Usher’s father died of a heart attack in 2008 and since then, he has committed to leading a healthier lifestyle.
He has, in fact, encourage Justin Bieber to do the same but the Canadian singer has not stuck with the plan.
