Ariana Grande Says Going Vegan Was A ‘Life-Changing Decision’ (2024)

Cheeseburger, filet mignon, bolognese? Thank you, next. That's how I imagine longtime vegan Ariana Grande would respond if someone put a meaty, dairy-filled dish in front of her.

In case you didn't know, the pop star made the switch to a plant-based diet in 2013—and hasn't looked back. In the years since, she's rocketed up the charts, belting out multi-platinum hits on the reg, and earning herself a Grammy, a VMA, and People's Choice Award. And, honestly, she's just getting started.

Whether you're an Ari fan or not, there's not denying that the girl is a powerhouse—and she gets it done thanks to plenty of plant-based energy. In fact, Ariana is very proud of her animal-loving lifestyle and has a lot to say about her healthy eating habits.

So, how does she power up for her busy, song- and dance-filled days? Here's the low-down on Ariana Grande's diet—and the kinds of foods she eats in a typical day.

Watching the documentary Forks Over Knives inspired Ariana's plant-based diet.

“In America, almost everybody thinks you need to have meat for protein," she told V magazine. "Protein, protein, protein! And what’s in dairy? Calcium, calcium, calcium."

After watching Forks Over Knives in 2013, though, Ariana no longer bought into these ideas—and her love for animals sealed the deal: She decided to go vegan. To announce her lifestyle change, the pop star took to Twitter: "I've eaten organically since I was little and always kept meat minimal but today marks my first day as a 100% Vegan!!!! Joyous day," she wrote. She ended her tweet with a series of animal emojis and a heart.

Though health was a big motivator for Ariana, so was her consideration for animals. "I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding," she told The Mirror. "But 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. 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."

She doesn't eat much food from her Italian heritage.

Ariana is Italian and grew up eating meat and cheese—and a lot of it. "I’m very proud, my family has amazing history," she told The Mirror. "It’s great hearing stories of my mum growing up in Brooklyn, then moving to Florida, having me and growing up with this eccentric, fun family. Although, I don’t eat a lot of Italian things, because I’m vegan. I was raised on meat and cheese, so I’ve had enough for anyone’s normal life span." Bring on the veggies.

But, Ariana is a fan of Japanese cuisine.

Way back in 2011, Ariana tweeted to a fan during a Q&A: "I love Japanese food! You?"

According to her trainer, Harley Pasternak, Ariana's love of Japanese food hasn't faded. "She loves daikon, lotus, adzuki beans—almost like a macrobiotic Japanese [diet]," he told Glamour in 2015.

She also loves berries.

Over the years, Ariana has proclaimed her love of strawberries, specifically, on Twitter. In one tweet, she explained, "I've had at least five strawberries a day since I can remember. They're my favorite food!"

And though she's not typically one for food pics on Instagram, she did post one rare photo of a jumbo carton of blueberries.

She snacks on nuts and coconut water.

Ariana always keeps her favorite snacks with her in case she gets hungry, and loves to nibble on almonds and cashews. "They make great healthy snacks to keep me energized throughout my day!" she told Shape.

As for her go-to bevy? Coconut water. “I always have a bottle next to me,” she said.

Her workouts incorporate plenty of balance, too.

In addition to eating healthy and drinking lots of water, Ariana says that daily exercise is a key part of her healthy, plant-based lifestyle.

Her trainer, Pasternak, uses one specific technique to keep her moving: "I give [Ariana] a step goal every day, whether she'll be dancing to get that step goal or watching her favorite movies while walking down the treadmill really slowly," he told Popsugar. "Twelve-thousand steps a day and she hits it. I can't imagine her being still." Guess it's time to level up my 10,000 steps a day.

Ariana's also a smoothie fan.

Since working with Pasternak, Ariana has leveled up her healthy eats in a number of different ways. "Ariana eats incredibly well and she always had a healthy diet," he told Popsugar. "I think what I've gotten her to do now is to create a more balanced diet and feel okay about indulging and celebrating sometimes."

"She has widened the ingredients she puts into her diet," he added. "She makes a lot of my smoothies, so for the Body Reset smoothies, she'll make the white smoothie, red smoothie, and green smoothie." Nothin' wrong with a little liquid nutrition, right?

For Ariana, plant-based eating is about feeling good, not losing weight.

According to Ariana, going vegan "is not and was never about being skinnier," as she wrote on Tumblr, per E Online.

"I just wasn't taking care of myself at all. I was making really poor choices," she said. "This is about making sure the foods you put in your body will nourish you and be put to good use. The reason why I lost so much weight as I did is because I used to live on junk food. So I drastically changed my eating habits, started excising daily, and I'm all around a healthier me."

"I was happy with the way I was before and I'm still happy now! Just healthier," she added. “I'm eating as much as I was before, the content has just changed,"

Ariana noted that her vegan eating also had a noticeable impact on her long-time health struggles. "The way I'm eating now has actually helped even out my blood sugar," she wrote. "As some of you guys may know, I've struggled with awful hypoglycemia for my whole life and it's improved a ton since I changed my eating habits."

Ariana says her vegan diet has been nothing short of life-changing.

After one year of being vegan, Ariana shared an update for all of her fans on Twitter. "1 year of plant based eating happiest, healthiest, life changing decision I ever made. look into it & save some cute lil innocent lives."

She hasn't made any diet announcements since—and seems just as healthy and full-of-energy as ever—so it's safe to say the plant-based life is serving Ariana well.