A lot of people are much more aware of the world these days, through climate change and the environment, humanely and cruelty-free sourced products, no animal testing, etc. It is no secret that Elon Musk is passionate about climate change and saving civilization. What about his diet though? Is Elon Musk Vegan?
Musk isn’t a vegan. Admittedly, he tried vegetarianism previously, but didn’t keep up with it, and has said that things get interesting if he goes out to dinner with a vegan. This is not to say, however, that he is against veganism or those who choose the lifestyle.
Musk has also admitted to enjoying sweets, often having a Mars bar for breakfast when he’s working long hours at Tesla and SpaceX. So, it would seem that he’s not too worried about his diet.
Veganism
So, what is veganism? According to the Vegan Society, which dates back to 1944, veganism is a way of living that excludes the exploitation and cruelty of animals for food and other products. In lamens terms, they do not eat animals or animal products, or use products that come from any part of an animal. Vegans will also not use products that have been tested on animals, even if there are no animal parts in the product.
Pros and Cons of Veganism
As with just about everything, there are pros and cons to going vegan. It’s a topic that people are very passionate about and generally take one side or another; either they are pro veganism or anti-veganism, there’s not a lot of middle ground.
Some of the pros for veganism include a positive impact on the environment, being more aware of what you eat, can help with weight loss (which is usually because they are more aware of what they are eating), increased health benefits, and more.
Some of the cons on the list are that it’s very restrictive and many people are unable to sustain it, some gaining weight back weight that was lost. While there are many health benefits, including lower risk of cancer, heart issues, etc., the downside is that many vegans are missing vital nutrients. There have been individuals who have had to give up veganism, after being on it for so long, due to health issues.
Like I said, there are pros and cons to everything. I’m not here to sway anyone one way or another, as with any change in your eating, do your research and check with your doctor.
Elon Musk and Veganism
Elon Musk might not be a vegan himself, but he has a lot of ties to veganism, and does try to support the environment as much as possible.
Tesla
Not only is having an all-electric vehicle good for the planet, but they have also revealed that they will be using vegan leather for the interiors of their vehicles, including the steering wheels.
SpaceX
In his quest to create a civilization on Mars, Elon Musk has stated that only a vegan diet will work for the trip there, and for the colonization. He has worked with his brother, Kimbal Musk, to come up with some farming options that will work on the red planet.
Kimbal Musk
Speaking of Elon’s brother, Kimbal is a trained chef and owner of multiples restaurants. He promotes farm to table eating, and is on a mission to bring access to fresh food to everyone in the U.S., while also creating learning classrooms, teaching kids where their food comes from.
Kimbal himself is not vegan, however, he does own a vegan restaurant. He is also very conscious of his own eating, limiting red meat, and having a diet that consists of mostly vegetables.
Grimes
His current partner, singer Grimes, was vegan for approximately 20 years, but gave it up when she became pregnant with their son. She had cravings for cows milk and also wanted to provide vital nutrients to her unborn child, that she felt she couldn’t give him while being on a vegan diet.
Familiarity
While Elon Musk isn’t vegan himself, he is quite familiar with the lifestyle and is surrounded by many who follow it, or at the very least, are conscious of it.