In the U.S., almost 3.5% of the population say they have a vegan diet. That’s grown from just 0.4% in 2016. Veganism is trending, in part thanks to vegan celebrities.
But why are people switching to veganism in the first place? Well, there are three primary reasons. We’ll go into each of them, and then we’ll tell you 15 celebrities who follow a vegan diet.
For Health
The WHO announced research linking processed meats to cancer. So more of the population started looking at the role meat had in their diets. And they weren’t pleased with what they found.
Nutritionists still debate the exact impact of meat. But plants need to make up a bigger portion of our diets.
Fiber is the latest superfood nutritionists are hyped about. And where do we find fiber? Plant-based foods. Meat doesn’t have any fiber at all.
There’s a lot of research behind the pros and cons of veganism and meat. You’ll have to do the research yourself and come to your own conclusions. But there’s a case that veganism is one of the healthiest diets available.
For Non-Human Animal Rights
Other people have turned to veganism in light of the way we raise non-human animals for meat. Peter Singer first published his book Animal Liberation in 1975. Since then, it has been a voice and a turning movement for animal rights activists everywhere.
It made the case that non-human animals deserved to be able to live lives as free from suffering as possible. This was based simply on the fact that they do suffer. But in 1975, the meat industry was a cruel and brutal place.
What’s worse, is nearly 45 years later, very little has changed in the way we raise non-human animals for meat. Meat animals are born into inhumane and cruel conditions. They live in those same conditions their entire lives.
So people interested in animal rights have opted not to eat animals or their byproducts.
For the Entire Planet
And finally, people are switching to vegan diets because it’s good for the planet. Raising meat for consumption is a bad use of our land. We have to feed the animals. But animal meat returns even fewer calories, protein, and nutrients than the food we put into them.
If we’re interested in ending world hunger, we need to rank land for growing plant foods, not meat foods.
Plus, raising meat for consumption is a big contributor to greenhouse gasses. Animal agriculture is responsible for 13% to 18% of human-caused greenhouse gasses.
There are less than 11 years before climate change becomes irreversible. People are doing what they can to cut or eliminate carbon emissions. And a vegan diet helps.
Thankfully, zero waste, vegan, and vegetarian restaurant venues are opening up. They help more people realize they can enjoy meat-free meals. We have celebrities who help bring the conversation to the average consumer. Here are 15 Vegan Celebrities.
- Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande made the switch to protect animals. She’s spoken out about animal rights, and she’s against using animal products. She said, “I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding.”
- Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth switched to veganism in 2015. While he too switched out of concern for the way we treat animals, he also made the switch to protect his health. “My own health, and after all the information I gathered about the mistreatment of animals, I couldn’t continue to eat meat.”
- will.i.am
will.i.am is another surprising vegan. He did so out of concern for his health. He says, “I’m fighting for a healthier me and a healthier planet.” He’s pretty passionate about it too. He says, “I am tired of being pimped by food companies and then eating bad, poisonous food, and feeling bad in the morning.”
His new single “Vibrations pt.1 pt.2” even emphasizes his vegan choice. It’s not the first time an artist has used music to spread the message. Consider the song “I won’t eat Animals” by Melanie Safka from the ’70s.
- Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone switched to veganism and is raising her son on a vegan diet. She even wrote a vegan cookbook called the kind diet.
She said, “Being able to do something that is good for the earth, good for the animals, and good for you all at the same time seems like such a no-brainer. It’s like the biggest ‘Duh!’”
- Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde pays attention to the power her purchases have. She’ll have nothing to do with companies that treat animals so cruelly. She says, “Beyond my desire to boycott the torture factories, I am way happier when I eat a plant-based diet, and I feel about a thousand times more energetic.”
- Carrie Underwood
The star country singer doesn’t claim to be fully vegan, although she says she wants to. For her, finding vegan options on the road is too tricky.
So why is she on this list? She says, “I want to be vegan so badly, all the way, 1,000 percent. But traveling and stuff, it just kind of gets hard. Sometimes I may have to do some egg whites or something for breakfast.”
We think it’s important to acknowledge that becoming vegan is a process. You have to find solutions that work with your diet and your lifestyle. While you’re making the transition, admit that. Admit you’re “working on switching to veganism.” People will respect that.
- Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman hasn’t had meat since she was a 9, and is an adamant vegan. She’s passionate about protecting animals from the cruel way we raise meat. She also has an interesting perspective she realized while pursuing women’s studies.
She said, “Dairy and eggs don’t just come from cows and chickens; they come from female cows and female chickens. We are exploiting female bodies and abusing the magic of female animals to create eggs and milk.”
- Peter Dinklage
The Game of Thrones star recently switched to veganism. He’s so adamant about it, he even reportedly swapped any meat he had to eat on the show to tofu alternatives.
He’s a long-time vegetarian and recently switched to full veganism on ethical grounds. He’s a spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Farm Animals.
- Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres switched to veganism in 2008 after learning about the meat industry. She spent 8 years eating a completely vegan diet. But in the past has picked up eggs from happy back yard chickens, or the occasional fish.
As with Carrie Underwood, she found it hard to find vegan options while she was traveling.
- Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson has been vegan for 10 years. For him, he realizes we all have to live together. His message? “We have to realize we’re all related. We have to try to live harmoniously.”
- Bellamy Young
In college, Bellamy Young was served a piece of chicken. From a certain perspective, it looked just like her mom’s dog when it wanted a belly rub. And that was it. She couldn’t eat meat anymore.
She says, “I think veganism has a branding issue, but other than that, it’s a great way to live. I know a lot of people now like to go with ‘plant-based diet’ instead. I guess that makes it a little bit more palatable, but for me it was the answer to a myriad of things that weren’t working in my life. I had terrible cystic acne, no energy at all, I didn’t always digest food perfectly.”
- Daniella Monet
Money started working with PETA for animal rights. She and Ariana Grande partnered up to protest Sea World’s poor treatment of fish and animals.
- Moby
For the famous musician, he switched to vegetarianism because he loved animals. But after a while, he started to wonder about the impact his consumption of eggs and dairy had.
He said, “The cows and chickens in commercial dairy and egg farms are pretty miserable, so why am I still eating milk and eggs?’ So in 1987 I gave up all animal products and became a vegan. Simply so that I could eat and live in accordance with my beliefs that animals have their own lives, that they’re entitled to their own lives and that contributing to animal suffering is something that I don’t want to be a part of.”
- Sia
Sia was vegetarian for a long time before she switched to veganism. In a tweet, she said, “This can help out the world!”
- Stevie Wonder
He said very simply, “I like not eating meat.”
Remember, It’s a Journey
If you want to join the vegan or vegetarian movement, where do you start? It’s important to remember that your diet is a journey. We have strong personal ties to our diet and strong traditions with our food.
So if you want to switch to a vegan diet, don’t feel like you have to do so overnight. Try cutting out meat products one by one. Explain to people you’re working on switching to a vegan diet.
Life happens. Sometimes vegans cheat. It’s okay, just so long as you do your best to follow your values as often as you can. Every meatless or vegan meal helps to change the social standard.
Vegan Celebrities Help to Normalize Radical Changes
These famous vegan celebrities are making sacrifices in their diet. They make the call for their health, for the rights of animals, and our environmental health.
They help to normalise diets like veganism and bring its benefits to light. People consider vegetarian and vegan diets when those we admire make changes first.
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