Is Cher Still a Vegan? The Truth Behind Her Decades-Long Diet

December 13, 2025 •

3 min read

Reports from 2023 confirmed that while Cher adheres to a predominantly plant-based and dairy-free diet, she does not identify as a strict vegan. Her famous dietary habits were largely influenced by a 1991 lifestyle change, detailed in her book 'Forever Fit', though recent endeavors show some flexibility.

Quick Summary

Cher is often mistaken for a vegan due to her lifelong focus on health and plant-based foods, but sources confirm she is a long-time vegetarian who avoids most dairy.

Key Points

Not a Vegan: Cher is not a strict vegan, as confirmed by her public statements and recent business ventures.
Long-Time Vegetarian: She has been a vegetarian since at least 1991, avoiding red meat and ham.
Dairy-Free Preference: Cher largely avoids dairy, considering cheese difficult to digest and high in fat.
Cherlato is Not Vegan: The launch of her gelato company, Cherlato, with both dairy and non-dairy options, provides proof that her diet is not strictly vegan.
Focus on Whole Foods: Her diet heavily favors fruits, vegetables, legumes, and brown rice for energy and health.
Holistic Health: Her famous vitality comes from a combination of a healthy diet, consistent exercise, and avoidance of smoking and excessive alcohol.

The question, "Is Cher still a vegan?", is a common one among fans interested in her longevity and famously youthful appearance. The short answer is no, she is not, nor has she ever claimed to be a strict vegan. Instead, the legendary singer is a long-time vegetarian who follows a largely plant-based and dairy-free diet. Her careful and consistent approach to health, which she credits for her vitality, has shaped her eating habits for decades.

The Roots of Her Plant-Based Diet: The 1990s Shift

Cher's major dietary changes date back to the early 1990s. In 1991, she co-authored the book Forever Fit: The Lifetime Plan for Health, Fitness, and Beauty with Robert Haas, a sports nutritionist. The book outlined a new wellness plan that focused heavily on a low-fat, vegetarian diet. During this time, Cher publicly emphasized her avoidance of certain foods and her preference for plant-based options. She stated that she avoided high-fat foods and considered cheese one of the "worst things for the body". This shift led to meals centered around foods like brown rice, legumes, vegetables, and pasta.

A Plant-Forward, Not Strict Vegan, Approach

While her diet is heavily plant-based, it is not strictly vegan, which requires abstaining from all animal products. Cher identifies as a vegetarian and focuses on healthy eating, rather than a full commitment to veganism. The launch of her gelato company, Cherlato, in 2023, which includes traditional dairy-based flavors alongside dairy-free options, confirmed she does not follow a strict vegan diet.

Cher's Diet vs. Vegan vs. Vegetarian

To better understand Cher's dietary philosophy, here is a comparison with standard vegetarian and vegan diets.


Feature	Cher's Diet	Typical Vegetarian Diet	Typical Vegan Diet
Meat	Excludes red meat and ham.	Excludes all meat.	Excludes all meat.
Dairy	Largely dairy-free, but not always strictly so.	Includes dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese).	Excludes all dairy.
Eggs	Not explicitly mentioned, but likely consumed on occasion.	Includes eggs.	Excludes all eggs.
Honey	Not specified, but likely consumed.	Includes honey.	Excludes honey and other bee products.
Focus	Low-fat, energy-boosting, plant-heavy foods.	Exclusion of meat for various reasons.	Exclusion of all animal products and byproducts.

Beyond Diet: Cher's Holistic Approach to Health\n\nCher's wellness strategy includes avoiding alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes, and maintaining a fitness regimen with a trainer five times a week. Her disciplined lifestyle and genetic predisposition for longevity contribute to her healthy image.

Cher's Lifestyle Habits

Regular Exercise: Cher works out with a personal trainer and enjoys activities like surfing and Wii tennis.
Avoids Unhealthy Habits: She abstains from drugs, smoking, and rarely drinks alcohol.
Prioritizes Energy: She focuses on eating foods that provide energy and avoids refined sugars.
Positive Mindset: Cher maintains a positive attitude towards aging.

Conclusion: Not a Vegan, But a Health Icon

While not a strict vegan, Cher is a health icon due to her decades-long commitment to a predominantly plant-based, vegetarian, and dairy-free diet, combined with her fitness routine and avoidance of harmful substances. Her diet, confirmed by her statements and ventures like Cherlato, is a personal approach to maintaining health and vitality. Her overall lifestyle is key to her lasting success and youthful glow.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Cher is not a vegan in 2025. While she maintains a largely plant-based and vegetarian diet, her involvement in a non-vegan gelato business and past interviews confirm she is not a strict vegan.

Cher has never claimed to be a strict vegan. She adopted a healthier, more plant-based, and vegetarian diet in 1991, which is often confused with veganism.

Many assume Cher is a vegan because she has publicly promoted a healthy, low-fat, and plant-heavy diet for decades. She also has a well-known aversion to red meat and most dairy.

Cher largely avoids dairy, particularly cheese, due to her belief that it is unhealthy and difficult to digest. However, the inclusion of dairy in some of her Cherlato gelato flavors indicates she is not entirely dairy-free.

Cher's diet is primarily focused on fruits, vegetables, legumes, and brown rice. She prefers foods that give her energy and avoids high-fat and processed items.

Cher began her dietary shift towards a more plant-based, vegetarian diet in 1991, following a wellness plan created with a nutritionist and documented in her book, 'Forever Fit'.

Cherlato is Cher's gelato company launched in 2023. While it offers dairy-free options, it also includes traditional dairy-based gelato, which confirms that her diet is not strictly vegan.