Legendary Bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Mostly Vegan — Here’s His Diet Plan

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a great many things, but is "vegan" one of them? His daughter, Katherine Schwarzenegger, is a prolific animal welfare advocate, and he has acknowledged the realities of the threat of the climate crisis in the past.

Schwarzenegger has lent Greta Thunberg his electric car, narrated The Game Changers documentary, and so much more. Still, has the legendary bodybuilder matched his morals with his meals and maintained a vegan diet all of these years?

If you're wondering if the legendary fitness icon can also be one of your vegan role models, you are certainly not alone. Below, we explore Schwarzenegger's comments on a vegan diet over the years and relay details of what we know about his current diet.

Since about 2017, Schwarzenegger has maintained a mostly vegan diet. In February 2022, according to Business Insider, Schwarzenegger revealed in his newsletter that his diet is 80% vegan.

'To be clear: I'm not fully vegan, I just about eat 80% less meat than I used to," Schwarzenegger said, as relayed in a June 2023 story in Men's Health.

In a past edition of the Arnold's Pump Club newsletter, Schwarzenegger commented: "If you can consistently follow a vegan or vegetarian plan, that’s great." Referring to the You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment hit on Netflix, Schwarzenegger believes more-so in moderation and the long-term ability to maintain a healthy diet than strictly adhering to a vegan diet for any reason.

But, he did acknowledge that a plant-based diet has a slew of health benefits.

"Vegan diets tend to be higher in fiber and lower in saturated fat, which contributes to many benefits, such as lower LDL cholesterol, lower insulin, and feeling fuller for longer, which is an important part of eating fewer calories and losing weight," Schwarzenegger wrote.

Speaking on the benefits of a vegan diet in another newsletter, Schwarzenegger also mentioned that, "My bad cholesterol number is so low that my doctor thought I might be a different person."

Nevertheless, Schwarzenegger has often commented that building a lifestyle where one's diet is sustainable long-term is more important. To that end, he has revealed that he still incorporates animal-based products in his dietary regimen.

In an April 2023 episode of the Arnold's Pump Club podcast, he explained, "For protein, my staples are eggs, salmon, and chicken. But I have more and more veggie burgers with lentils and beans."

While certainly a blow to plant-based foodies and aspiring vegans looking for a role model who matches their diet entirely, it is nevertheless encouraging to know that Schwarzenegger will incorporate a pea protein-based protein powder into his diet. Though, he mentioned that he will treat himself to an Austrian wiener schnitzel, a steak, or a hamburger on occasion.

"My friends can tell you that I grill a fantastic New York Strip," Schwarzenegger said, per Business Insider.