His Mr. Olympia days may be behind him, but there’s no denying that Arnold Schwarzenegger still takes health and fitness seriously. And the secret of staying in great shape at the age of 75? Veggie burgers.
OK, so not his diet all veggie burgers, but they are one of the retired bodybuilder’s top favorite protein sources. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast Arnold’s Pump ClubSchwarzenegger—who is also an actor and former governor of California—said that while he still eats eggs, salmon and chicken, he has “more and more veggie burgers with lentils and beans.”
He added that he regularly gets pea protein powder from Ladder Supplements, the supplement brand he helped create with basketball player LeBron James.
“The morning after my workout, I usually eat oatmeal with Greek yogurt or granola,” he continued on the podcast. “For lunch, I always have a salad, sometimes with a plant-based burger or maybe salmon or chicken. Other times, it’s with a scramble or an omelet. For dinner, I always have soup. I’m light for my last meal. I like to eat.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger continues to advocate for a plant-based diet
For years, Schwarzenegger has been trying to get the message across that meat isn’t necessary for health, wellness, or even “masculinity.”
In the 2019 documentary game changer, For example, one that focuses on debunking the myth that meat is mandatory for athletic success., He explains that the idea that meat is essential to masculinity is purely a marketing ploy.
“I lived in that world. Steak is for men. They show these ads—George Foreman with burgers, grills, and [an] Epic sandwich,” he says. “It’s great, great marketing for the meat industry, selling the idea that real men eat meat. But you have to understand, it’s marketing. It’s not based on reality.”
Although the actor still occasionally eats meat, according to his own newsletter, he is now about 80 percent vegetarian. And the lifestyle change has also done wonders for her health, she says. “My bad cholesterol numbers are so low that my doctor thought I might be a different person,” she wrote in 2022.
Celebrities look to plant-based diets to stay in shape
Schwarzenegger isn’t alone in looking to plants to stay healthy and strong. In the past, music legend Lenny Kravitz has revealed that he stays fit and healthy by following a predominantly vegetarian diet.
“One of the great blessings of living here in the Bahamas is that I can cook my own food,” said Kravitz—who regularly hits the gym. Men’s Health In 2020. “So I have a garden where most of this food comes from. You see, I’m vegetarian and primarily raw.”
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And last year, Australian actor Sam Corlett revealed that his training regime precedes his roles Vikings: Valhalla Involves well-planned exercise and a plant-based diet.
“Before Vikings: ValhallaI was playing this high school character [in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina] Who rarely had a shirt, so I was mostly intermittent fasting and high-intensity interval training, keeping lean,” Corlette told GQ UK.
“When I got vikings, The mission was to grow up as much as possible, I didn’t want to look like a 16-year-old,” he added, before revealing that his meals consisted of stir-fries rich in ingredients like microgreens, kimchi. tempeh, fibrous vegetables, spices, and beans.
A growing body of research supports the idea that a plant-based diet can help you get fit and strong. In March 2023, a study was published Journal of Nutrition It has been suggested that meat is not necessary for building muscle, as plant-based protein provides just as much support to athletes in training.
This plant-forward eating pattern also offers many other health benefits and may even reduce the risk of some chronic diseases, such as heart disease and certain types of cancer, research suggests.