Zac Efron reveals why he stopped being vegan: ‘Morally, of course, I still wish I was’

Actor says his body wasn’t ‘processing the vegetables in the right way’

Zac Efron has opened up about the factors that influenced his decision to stop following a vegan diet, with the actor revealing that he wishes he was still vegan from a “moral” standpoint.

The Baywatch star, 34, who was vegan for two years, spoke candidly about his choice to reintroduce meat into his diet during a new interview with Men’s Health.

According to Efron, who noted that his veganism attempt had been inspired by his Down to Earth cohost Darin Olien, he began to feel depleted after two years of a plant-based diet.

“My body wasn’t processing the vegetables in the right way. ​​So, I decided to stop it and try something new,” the actor said, adding that he chose to introduce all foods back into his diet and attempt intermittent fasting.

After undergoing a series of food-sensitivity tests, Efron said he has since settled on a protein-heavy diet, which sees him eat only two meals a day, each of which has meat, and drink apple cider vinegar before each.

According to the actor, who has continued intermittent fasting, his diet now sees him break his fast around 11am, at which point he has a bone broth soup and veggies with a “clean protein” like elk or chicken. Efron doesn’t eat again until later in the day, when he has a meal consisting of more meat and “a healthy carbohydrate like sweet potatoes or quinoa”.

In addition to feeling better, the switch from a vegan diet to a high protein one, which the actor said his body encouraged him to do, also means that Efron can enjoy one of his favourite foods again: organ meats.

“This is kind of weird, but I really like organ meats. I love liver and onions,” the High School Musical star told Men’s Health.

While Efron no longer follows a vegan diet, he admitted that he does have regrets about the lifestyle change, as “morally” he wishes he was able to be vegan. “Morally, of course, I still wish I was vegan,” he said.

Efron is not the first celebrity to open up about their decision to stop following a vegan diet, as Miley Cyrus revealed in 2020 that she quit being vegan because her brain “wasn’t functioning properly”.

“I was vegan for a very long time and I’ve had to introduce fish and omegas into my life because my brain wasn’t functioning properly,” the singer told Joe Rogan on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, adding that there were other health factors that influenced her decision as well, such as intense hip pain and her realisation that she was “pretty malnourished”.