Talented American rapper, drummer, and record producer Anderson .Paak always wears a wide, charming smile that keeps everyone wondering what the artist’s health secrets are, if any. How does Anderson .Paak stay healthy, energetic, and creative? Is he vegan?
Anderson. Paak is vegan. He is included in PETA’s 20 Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities of 2021, and has even shared some of his vegan recipes on his own Instagram page.
Here’s what we have on the dynamic musician’s eating habits, and some interesting tidbits on other celebs who are on the same train.
Anderson .Paak in Hot Ones
In 2018 while promoting Oxnard, Anderson .Paak appeared in Hot Ones, a show on the First We Feast YouTube channel. He and host Sean Evans talked about a variety of topics while snacking on increasingly spicy foods.
Early on in the video, it’s revealed that the artist is indeed vegan, with vegan nuggets laid out on the table between him and Evans. Typically, spicy chicken wings would be served to guests in the web series, but since .Paak is vegan, this adjustment was made to accommodate him.
But hey, Anderson .Paak was not the only celebrity guest who was served the vegan option in Hot Ones. Other vegan celebrities who appeared on the show include Russell Brand, Alexa Chung, Paul Rudd, and Billie Eilish among others.
Anderson .Paak on the PETA list
In 2021, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the organization’s recognition of vegan/vegetarian celebrities. Their first recognition went to Shania Twain, whom in 2001 they crowned “Sexiest Vegetarian.”
To commemorate twenty years of the ethical eating movement, PETA rounded up 20 celebrities in a list called “20 Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities.” It’s a mix of vegan personalities from different entertainment fields–music, sports, and acting.
Celebrities from the music world who made it into the list (along with .Paak) include Lizzo and Lenny Kravitz; from sports were Colin Kaepernick and Diana Taurasi; Ava DuVernay, Sadie Sink, and Christian Serratos came from TV/movies.
Anderson .Paak’s ethnicity
So we’ve established that Anderson .Paak is vegan and is quite proud to be one. Does this have anything to do with his ethnicity?
Anderson .Paak is of Asian (particularly South Korean) and African-American descent. His wife, Jaelyn Chang, is Korean as well. She was born and raised in South Korea until moving to the United States some years afterward.
Korean food, along with other Asian cuisines, consists of many plant-based dishes that are not present in the conventional American diet. It’s pretty common among Asian recipes to make use of several vegetables and herbs (individually or mixed in with others) in putting together a tasty and nutritious meal.
Having a rich connection to his own and his wife’s South Korean roots may have strongly influenced .Paak’s eating habits. With much access to Asian recipes new and old, .Paak and his family seems to be well-equipped in keeping a healthy vegan lifestyle.
Vegan celebrities
Veganism/vegetarianism is not an entirely new thing, and while many people have adopted this nutritional practice, it still has a “niche” feel to it. This is not a surprise at all since it requires a level of discipline to maintain.
Interested in adopting this lifestyle or just curious for curiosity’s sake? Whichever side you may be on, you’d probably be interested to learn who from the world of celebrities are vegan or vegetarian.
Here are a few celebs we have written about who went vegan. (Whether or not they still are vegan…can be tackled another time.)
A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky’s veganism journey did not happen overnight. He started by going pescatarian (no meat or poultry; only vegetables, fish, and seafood) first around 2012. After three years of doing this, he transitioned to a vegan diet in 2015.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber tried going vegan, but eventually returned to eating meat and animal products. His body didn’t seem to adjust well to it. Even though he’s dropped veganism, Justin Bieber continues his support for animal rights and ethical lifestyle options.
Lizzo
Lizzo is vegan, and has been one since 2020. She was previously vegetarian for some years before transitioning to being vegan. She shares her favorite vegan recipes on her TikTok page.
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix has been an avid vegan for most of his life, starting at age 3. He’s brought this commitment into his professional life as well, using his fame to spread awareness and promote animal rights. Remember his Oscar speech?
Ariana Grande
Singer and former tween star Ariana Grande has been vegan since 2013. She even announced this life-changing decision on Twitter!
The Weeknd
While he has not made any public announcements about his nutritional preferences, it is widely speculated that The Weeknd follows a mostly vegan diet. People from California-based food delivery app Postmates have commented on the singer’s orders, sharing that he seems to favor plant-based items from local mom-and-pop shops.