Veganism gets a lot of flak from regular meat-eaters, equating it with a “hipster” arrogance and generally being scoffed at. However, aside from those that require a vegan diet because of medical conditions or certain food allergies, veganism is a powerful health and wellness tool recognized by experts the world over.
Of course, that may not be enough to sway your friends into seeing how cool vegans are, but maybe it would help if they saw that some of their most idolized celebrities follow this lifestyle?
1. Zac Efron
That’s right, High School Musical to Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron is a fairly recent vegan card carrier. “I’ve been experimenting with eating purely vegan,” he told Teen Vogue in a 2018 interview. “That’s completely changed the way that my body works, and the way that I metabolize food, the way it turns into energy, the way that I sleep. It’s been brilliant. It’s been great for my exercise, and great for my routine.”
2. Ariana Grande
Singing sensation Ariana Grande has been vegan since 2013, when she was just 20 years old. “I am a firm believer in eating a full plant-based, whole food diet that can expand your life length and make you an all-round happier person,” she told The Mirror. “It is tricky dining out, but I just stick to what I know – veggies, fruit and salad – then when I get home I’ll have something else.
3. Venus Williams
The living tennis legend has been vegan since way back in 2011. That year, she was forced to withdraw from the US Open after being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease. On the advice of her doctor, she began experimenting with cutting out foods. What she ended up with was a vegan diet that she has maintained in one form or another till this day, keeping her in tip-top shape for competition.
4. Sir Paul McCartney
One of the only two living Beatles members, Sir Paul McCartney has been a public advocate of veganism for years now. He’s even released a documentary on the topic, ‘One Day A Week’. And at 77 years old, it’s clear that diet is doing wonders for his health given how good he looks.
5. Benedict Cumberbatch
Famous for playing TV’s Sherlock Holmes, and then his biggest role as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Universe, Cumberbatch follows a strict plant-based diet. And given how he had to seriously work out and get in shape for his role in the Avengers movie, it’s proof that the plant diet works.
6. Madonna
The timeless popstar still looks great at 61, and according to The Cut it’s thanks to a rigid vegan macrobiotic diet. Madonna says her daily intake includes cold pressed juices, fruits, vegetables and whole grains like quinoa.
7. Stevie Wonder
Living legend Stevie Wonder has been vegan for only a little over a year, but he says he’s loving it so far. He even composed a hilarious little ditty about his new lifestyle change that he belted out on an episode of James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke.
