The world seems to still be drunk in love with the new royal couple Harry and Meghan Markle. You'd think after reading article after article about the Royal Wedding and the honeymoon - explaining tiny details about why Meghan's veil was tilted at a 38° angle and why the Queen can wear a broach and the rest of the church can't - you guys would be tired. Apparently not.
So to quench your seemingly unquenchable thirst on all things newly royal, I'm here to tell you Meghan Markle could well be on the way to to turning Prince Harry into a vegan.
So, as we know, Meghan is a self-declared part-time vegan, according to an interview in Best Health in May 2016. “…When I’m filming, I’m conscious of what I eat. I try to eat vegan during the week and then have a little bit more flexibility with what I dig into on the weekends," she says. "But at the same time, it’s all about balance."
Because Meghan is also a beast in the gym, she's careful not to be too strict about her diet though. "Because I work out the way I do, I don’t ever want to feel deprived," she told Best Health. "I feel that the second you do that is when you start to binge on things. It’s not a diet, it’s lifestyle eating.”
In reality, Meghan's doing nothing new and simply following a flexitarian diet and lifestyle - something itself which is very sustainable and good for you, especially the way Meghan talks about it (I feel I have to put that in here before I get Markle super fans sending me death threats). Talking to Women's health, dietician Sharon Palmer explains:
“Some vegans are not full-time vegans, because they have made the choice to take a moderate step towards this lifestyle. This sort of lifestyle decision - a flexitarian vegan - is growing in popularity.”
So do you still get the health benefits of being vegan if you eat ice cream on the weekends? Absolutely. Palmer points out that research shows that the more plant-based someone’s diet is, the lower their risk of disease. “Clearly, you can gain benefits by eating a nearly vegan diet because you are increasing your intake of whole-plant foods: beans, lentils, tofu, oats, quinoa, berries, green leaves, almonds, flaxseeds, and more,” she says.
While it’s not clear exactly what Meghan’s eating on her “off” days, she did cop to a couple guilty pleasures, like French fries, pasta, and wine in that same Best Life interview mentioned earlier.
Before their special day, Meghan and Harry embarked on a strict diet for a few weeks to ensure they looked impeccable in their wedding day best. It was also reported that Meghan had been introducing Harry into a more healthy lifestyle for some time. Rest assured, the vegan lifestyle was a part of the process.
Want to give Meghan Markle's diet a try? Swap out meat-heavy faves for plant-based versions (think: a veggie burrito instead of steak), suggests Hever. Start with one meat-free day a week, and then add on more as you get accustomed to cooking and eating this way, she adds.
Palmer suggests planning meals around plants, such as curried lentils with quinoa and a tomato soup. “Do the things you enjoy within reason,” she said. Whether it will be enough to bag you royalty, or look like Harry and Meghan I can't really speak for, sorry.
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