It’s been over a decade since Ariana Grande first announced that she was adopting a plant-based diet. In a 2013 tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, the actress and pop star said that while she had always “kept meat minimal,” she was beginning a “100 percent vegan” journey. And today, the Wicked star remains plant-based.
In a recent interview on the YouTube series Hot Ones, she told host Sean Evans while eating vegan wings: “My nonna always offers me meatballs and I’m like ‘No, thank you, I’m still plant-based.’” So we know she doesn’t eat meatballs (and she wasn’t a big fan of the Hot Ones hot sauce either), but what does Grande snack on in her daily life? Find out more below.
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What does Ariana Grande eat?
Grande seems to follow a predominantly plant-based, whole-food diet. This means that she keeps ultra-processed foods to a minimum, and instead, eats a range of minimally processed whole foods, like fruits, nuts, beans, and vegetables.
On Tumblr in 2013, she explained that she tries to make health-focused choices with her diet. “This is about making sure the foods you put in your body will nourish you and be put to good use,” she wrote. “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.”
Ariana Grande
Because it’s rich in nutrient-dense foods, a plant-based whole-food diet is associated with several health benefits, including a reduced risk of diseases like cancer and heart disease. Grande isn’t alone in opting to follow the diet—celebrities including Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, singer Billie Eilish, and actor Natalie Portman often speak about the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of going vegan.
“I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding,” Grande told The Mirror in 2014. “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.”
5 of Ariana Grande’s go-to vegan foods
Over the years, Grande and the people close to her have spoken about exactly what she likes to eat. Here are a few of her favorites, from strawberries to a range of smoothies to Japanese foods.
Kate Lewis
1 Berries
Grande is a big fan of berries. In fact, she once wrote on X: “I’ve had at least five strawberries a day since I can remember. They’re my favorite food.” She’s also posted photos of herself on social media eating blueberries (with the caption “blueberry break”). Berries are incredibly nutritious; they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Plus they’re sweet, delicious, and perfect to snack on alone or add to smoothies, desserts, or breakfast oatmeal.
Try this recipe: Vegan Chia Berry Breakfast Pudding
Lettuce Grow
2 Smoothies
In 2017, Grande’s trainer Harley Pasternak told Popsugar that the singer drinks a lot of smoothies throughout the day. “She makes a lot of my smoothies,” he said. “So for the body-reset smoothies, she’ll make the white smoothie, red smoothie, and green smoothie.” The red smoothies contain plenty of berries, while the green smoothies are packed with avocado and leafy greens. White smoothies contain ingredients like yogurt, almonds, and banana.
Try this recipe: Green and Fruity Vegan Farmers’ Market Smoothie
Mixed & Measured
3 Nuts
Per Women’s Health, Grande told Shape that she loves to snack on nuts like almonds and cashews, saying that they help to keep her “energized.” Nuts are great sources of fiber, and protein, as well as healthy fats and vitamins and minerals, like calcium and magnesium. They’re a tasty snack in their own right, but they’re also delicious in porridge, on salads, or blended into pasta sauces.
Try this recipe: Vegan Rainbow Thai Cashew Salad
The Yummy Vegan
4 Beans
Grande has long been a fan of Japanese cuisine. Alongside foods like daikon and lotus, adzuki beans are a favorite, says Pasternak. The red, slightly nutty beans are often used in Japanese desserts, like ice cream and Anko (which is made with adzuki bean paste). According to recipe developer Carleigh Bodrug, the singer also loves salads loaded up with edamame beans, which are also popular in Japan and across East Asia.
Try this recipe: Vegan Sesame Ginger Edamame Crunch Salad
Ashley McLaughlin
5 Plant-based chicken
It’s not all beans and berries. During her appearance on Hot Ones, Grande munched on vegan chicken wings, and she also enjoys hearty plant-based Italian food, too. Her former private chef Manouschka Guerrier once cooked Grande and her family a vegan chicken scarpariello, which was a hit. In fact, Guerrier told Delish that the meal even scored her an invite to Grande’s 18th birthday party.
Try this recipe: Vegan Nashville-Style Hot Tofu Chicken
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
