This famous martial artist and beloved action movie actor is known for all sorts of different things, including being a film director, stuntman, producer, and even a singer. But is this man of many talents also a vegan?
Jackie Chan is not vegan. While it has been rumored that he was a vegetarian in the past, and he does eat meat less than he eats other foods, he does not eat a fully plant-based diet.
Read more below to find out about Jackie Chan’s diet and his involvement in plant-based lifestyles and environmental issues.
What is Jackie Chan’s Diet?
It’s popular among martial artists to follow vegan, vegetarian, or other plant-based diets to boost their health and make their bodies stronger. As a celebrated martial artist, it’s natural to wonder if Jackie Chan follows one of the same regimens.
Chan must have some sort of routine–at 63, he’s still extraordinarily fit, having done all of his own stunts in his action movie days and remaining an icon of strength today. So then, if he’s not vegan, does he follow any other diet?
The answer to that question is yes. Chan’s main goal is healthy, clean eating, while not restricting things like ice cream or other tasty treats. This means focusing on eating fresh and sustainable food products, while being able to indulge every once in a while.
So, despite the majority of his diet being plant-based, he does eat some meals featuring lean meats and sometimes even dessert-ish goodies. In the past, Chan has allegedly tried vegetarian diets and currently lives a primarily vegetarian lifestyle.
While not strictly vegetarian himself, he is a proponent of having vegan and vegetarian meals available for people who need them. Mallika Sherawat, a vegan actress, is quoted speaking on this, saying:
“When he came to know that I am vegetarian, he specially ordered vegetarian food for me on the sets and saw to it that I got my food on time.”
Check out the link below to see Insider’s YouTube video on how Jackie Chan still does his own stunts.
The Game Changers
Questions around Chan’s diet were also raised in part because of his involvement with the recently released Netflix documentary, The Game Changers. Jackie Chan, along with James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic, and Chris Paul worked together to feature the benefits of plant-based eating for athletes and non-athletes alike.
The film follows the journey of James Wilks, a vegan activist and UFC fighter, as he searches for the best diet for anyone to reach their peak performance. While mainly focusing on athletics and other physically demanding jobs, the film argues that this plant-based diet can help anyone achieve their goals.
The documentary has received mixed reviews, garnering both praise and criticism. The goal of the film, as James Wilks described, was “encouraging people to shift towards plant-based diets, which are not only produced more safely, but are also healthier overall and much better for the environment.”
While persuading many to take up plant-based lifestyles, critics of the film have accused it of spreading false information and even using pseudoscience to give its arguments credibility.
Among the critics are many nutritionists and personal trainers, who are warning the public of this misinformation. Max Lugavere, author of the NYT bestseller Genius Foods and advocate for healthy eating, denounced the documentary on Instagram, calling it “a one-sided, agenda driven narrative of cherry picked science.”
Lugavere isn’t alone in his criticism. Others have dubbed it “vegan propaganda” and dissuade people from viewing the film as anything other than entertainment.
While the total effect of The Game Changers isn’t clear, Jackie Chan’s and the other producers’ main goal for the documentary was to promote a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
You can watch the trailer for the Game Changers documentary in the YouTube video below.