Actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie recently denounced her prior vegan diet, claiming it “nearly killed” her and wasn’t nutritionally adequate. She explained that she loves red meat and that she jokes that “a big juicy steak” is her beauty secret.

I think the entire vegan community united in a face-palm after reading the widely adored actress’s comment. One of the most influential popular figures of the times, without meaning to, in essence, told her fans “Vegan diets are nutritionally inadequate.”

I can hear it now: “Hey, I’m thinking about becoming a vegan!” “Oh my gosh, don’t do it... Didn’t you hear what happened to Angelina Jolie?”

Understanding vegan nutrition could be one of the most important steps in gaining trust and improving the "public image" of veganism. From what I understand, dying from a healthy vegan diet is not a simple task. Sure, it's easier to under-consume some nutrients, but one would practically have to try to make a vegan diet lethal. I’m curious to know what exactly Jolie was eating and why she didn’t hire a nutritionist to help her-- or simply Google “vegan nutrition” for some helpful information.

More important than her ability to use Google keywords, though, is the message she is sending to so many people about eating meat. Contrary to her “secret,” eating a big juicy steak does little for beauty. In fact, eating steak, and meat in general, is one of the ugliest things one can do. In terms of bodily health, consuming animal products isn’t required to obtain the nutrients one’s body needs; to the contrary, it can result in numerous health conditions. In terms of environmental health, meat production harms the planet by using land inefficiently, degrading ecosystems and habitats, and contributing directly to greenhouse gas emissions (no pun intended). And finally, as we all know, the lives of the animals Jolie loves to eat are probably wrought with unnecessary suffering. Meat consumption, pretty much any way you cut it, is a downright ugly business.

Ironically, Jolie engages in environmental giving and, as a Goodwill Ambassador, is concerned about humanitarian issues. Isn’t there a disconnect? How can one possibly square a habit that causes environmental damage and is an extremely inefficient form of food production while simultaneously campaigning against environmental degradation and world hunger?

Sometimes it’s very easy to forget that one’s actions have real impacts on the world. Jolie seems like a woman who is kind, compassionate and aware of the world’s suffering, and yet, she eats meat. As does much of society. So many people commit themselves to any number of ethical practices and donate money to or volunteer with environmental and humanitarian organizations and yet still continue using animal products because refraining is too hard, or because “vegan food” doesn’t taste good, or because the mere taste of animal flesh outweighs all of the devastating repercussions of meat production.

So, I'm curious. What will it take for more individuals who care about the environment or who care about animal suffering or who care about the world’s hungry to stand up and embrace the fact that they can make a difference with their diet? And what can those of us who already adhere to meat-free lifestyles do to help demonstrate how good vegetarian life can be?

Are you contemplating vegetarianism/veganism, and if so, do you have questions? Please post them! And if you've converted to vegetarianism/veganism, do you have a story you'd like to share about how and why you made the switch? Please share!




Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore