When Shweta Bachchan thwarted mother Jaya Bachchan’s efforts to change her diet

Many celebrities go for a plant-based diet for reasons like health benefits and animal rights. Shweta Bachchan, who turned 51 on March 17, is among them. She focuses on whole, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Before diving into how this diet benefits her, here’s a look at her NDTV Food piece from July 13, 2017, titled "Of Being Vegetarian and Still Loving Caviar."Shweta Bachchan shared how she remained vegetarian despite her mother, veteran actor and politician Jaya Bachchan’s “efforts” to change her mind. She is the daughter of Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan and the sister of Abhishek Bachchan.She penned, “I am vegetarian, and no one who enjoys food, like a vegetarian. It is a stigma I have been plagued with my entire life. You see, I was born vegetarian! My mother says when I first started eating solids as an infant, she mixed my mashed potatoes with chicken stock, and I spat it all up; I have been thwarting her efforts to turn me non-vegetarian ever since.”“There was an episode in my youth where, exasperated by my finicky eating habits, whilst on holiday in the States, and growing concern over my nutrition, she passed off a cheeseburger as vegetarian, and I lapped it up and asked for seconds! It’s not like I haven’t flirted with the idea of non-vegetarianism, but let’s just say it remained that, never culminating into a relationship. I am periodically seduced by a slice of Viande Sêche (a dry cured Swiss meat—it was introduced to me by a senior when I was in boarding school there). It changed my life, Shweta added."Well, several other celebrities, including Anushka Sharma, follow a vegetarian diet. Studies have extensively researched and confirmed its benefits, which go beyond personal health—enhancing overall well-being and reducing the carbon footprint.