Over the years, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have taken myriads of measures to promote their vision of vegetarianism. Every year, they publish calendars featuring some hot celebrities with their modesty protected by mere leaves. Another novel approach that PETA has adopted to promote vegetarianism is the annual list of sexiest vegetarian and vegan celebs. By releasing such lists, PETA aims to prove that you can look incredibly sexy while being on a plant-based diet.
The list is compiled via a voting process in which around 100,000 participants select celebs from the original list of 50 women and 50 men nominated by the organization. The contest was started in 2001 with only female celebrities, but a year later male stars were added as well.
The celebrities featured in this list opted for a plant-based food for several reasons. Some of them realized the vast benefits such as glowing skin and flawless complexion of vegetarianism, some of them can’t stand animal cruelty associated with meat-based food and lastly, some of them saw eye-opening documentaries. Some have been practicing vegetarianism from a young age, while some are just finding their way. Without further delay, here is the list of PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebs of 2015.
The “Queen of Country Pop” was the winner of PETA’s first-ever sexiest celebrity title, in 2001. Shania Twain turned to vegetarianism influenced by her friend’s experience. Incidentally, one of her friends, who was suffering from cancer was advised by her doctor to stay away from meat to have the best shot at recovering from the dreaded disease. Twain decided it was better to alter her lifestyle before she was to reach the same stage and got the advice to do so by a doctor. She has often attributed her plant-based diet for her ageless beauty, and calm and content life. Though she is a passionate vegetarian, she still doesn’t like to preach to others as she believes it is a personal choice. She insists that it has to suit you emotionally, spiritually and physically. And, in her case, vegetarianism suits her perfectly.
Natalie Portman is one of the many vocal supporters of the plant-based food. The multiple academy awards winning actress has been vegetarian since her pre-teen years and in 2009, she went a step ahead and publicly declared that she has become vegan. At her wedding, with Benjamin Millepied on August 4, 2012, in Big Sur, California, the guests were served only vegan food. Though she did step back from the vegan diet during her pregnancy to better cope with the physical demands and to ensure that her baby is born healthy, she is still a strict vegetarian.
In 2009, she came in defense of Jonathan Safran Foer’s vegetarian manifesto ‘Eating Animals’ and insisted that being polite to your tablemates shouldn’t trump morality. Portman believes that what we eat symbolizes our values. According to her, when we teach children to eat something, we are teaching them values as well.
Alicia Silverstone has been associated with PETA for years now. She was voted PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian in 2004. Also, in 2007, she shed clothes for the organization’s advertisement campaign in support of animal rights. Silverstone, who is well known for her iconic role as Cher Horowitz in ‘Clueless’ has a deep love for animals and in 1996 started a menagerie of rescued dogs in Los Angeles. In 1998, after meeting an animal rights activist, she became a vegan. In several interviews, Silverstone has revealed that she has struggled with vegetarianism since the age of 8. Apart from being a passionate animal rights advocate, she is also a successful writer. Her first vegan nutrition guide ‘The Kind Diet’ released in 2009 topped the Hardcover Advice & Misc. category of The New York Times Best Seller list. Her follow up book ‘The Kind Mama’ released in 2014 was also a resounding success.
Carrie Underwood, who is a fervent animal rights activist and vegan became vegetarian at the age of thirteen because she found the thought of eating one of her favorite animals repulsive. Underwood is a veteran of this list and has gone on to top the list on two occasions – in 2006 and 2007. In an interview with PETA, Underwood went on to stress that having animals around is more important to her than her singing. She claimed that if she wouldn’t be able to sing anymore, then it would be horrible, but if she would never be around animals, then she would just die. The seven Grammy Award winner does allow some laxity in her vegan preference during holidays and recently relapsed to a vegetarian diet to deal with her pregnancy.
Anthony Kiedis is one of the hottest 50ish rockers. His buff body and rock hard abs, which he often flaunts at his concerts also make him one of the fittest musicians. Kiedis, who has been vegetarian for a long time turned vegan after a doctor advised vegan diet for his son. Also, at the same time, he had watched a documentary on animal cruelty, which further hardened his resolve to maintain a vegan diet. He even has hired a special vegan chef to look after his diet requirements. However, he has also revealed in an interview that he isn’t true vegan as he sometimes does eat sustainable fish and eggs. However, like us, PETA loves Kiedis and therefore, gives him some liberties.
Olivia Wilde is another celebrity on this list who became a vegetarian at a very young age. She was named the PETA’s sexiest vegetarian celebrity in 2010. Wilde has also tried her hand at being a vegan but has struggled to stay away from cheese. She has often claimed that being vegan is a way of life, which made her feel really good and has made her look physically better. Better skin and improved levels of energy are other benefits as listed by Wilde.
Olivia has revealed that her inspiration to turn vegan was Alicia Silverstone. Wilde revealed that while shooting for movie ‘Butter’ in Northern Louisiana, Silverstone often used to cook delicious vegan recipes from her cookbook ‘The Kind Diet’ for Olivia every day. Talking about results of that diet, Olivia claims that she had never looked or felt better in her life.
Woody Harrelson turned vegan at the age of 24 after he found that he was lactose intolerant. Not only, he refrains from meat and dairy products, but Woody Harrelson also does not eat sugar or flour. Along with overcoming health issues, his raw vegan diet has helped him look younger and fitter. Harrelson, along with his family, lives on an organic farm, where he grows five different kinds of avocado trees and tons of coconuts. In November 2013, Harrelson took his interest in veganism to a new level by becoming a co-owner of Sage – the world’s first organic vegan beer garden. He is also the co-owner of a Canadian tree-free paper company.
Jessica Chastain, who has recently received well deserved critical acclaim for her acting skills has been a vegetarian for 16 years, and a vegan for seven. She topped PETA’s list for sexiest celebrities in 2012 and has been an outspoken animal rights activist for years now. Chastain’s love for everything vegan runs in the family. Her mother, Jerri Hastey is a vegan chef and used to run a vegan restaurant, until recently when Chastain bought a food truck for her. Chastain’s veganism stems from her determination to refrain from contributing to any sort of cruelty in the world. She wants to be grateful for every being that resides on earth and wants to cultivate a positive lifestyle.
Kristen Bell is actively involved in animal rights advocacy. She currently supports the San Diego-based Helen Woodward Animal Center and during her time in Michigan, she fostered animals from Michigan Humane Society. Also, she regularly attends fundraisers for the ASPCA and other non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting and supporting animals. Due to her love for animals, she became vegetarian at the age of 11. As a child, she didn’t like to eat meat, didn’t like to chew it, and didn’t like the taste or smell of it. Along with her husband, she turned vegan in 2012 after watching the documentary ‘Forks over Knives.’
Jared Leto has once again topped this list after sharing the first spot with Ellen Page in last year’s list as well. Apart from his incredible method acting skills, Leto is also commonly praised for his youthful looks. Leto, who has been practicing vegetarianism for more than 20 years, credits his plant-based diet and yoga sessions for his good looks. He turned vegan after discovering that there is pus present in dairy products. Currently, he is feasting on vegan tacos to get buff physique required to play the role of a Joker in upcoming movie ‘Suicide Squad.’
