Is Dwayne Wade Vegan? Examining the Former NBA Star's Diet

December 17, 2025 •

3 min read

Based on a 2012 report, Dwyane Wade famously replaced junk food with healthier options during his NBA career, though he was not vegan. The question, 'Is Dwayne Wade vegan?', still circulates today as fans wonder about his post-retirement diet and eating habits.

Quick Summary

Former NBA star Dwyane Wade is not vegan, despite incorporating healthier, plant-heavy elements into his diet during and after his career. His eating habits include meat and fish, and he co-owns a restaurant that serves animal products, confirming he is not fully plant-based.

Key Points

Not Vegan: Despite a public focus on wellness, Dwyane Wade is not vegan and consumes animal products like meat and fish.
Dietary Evolution: He transitioned from a junk food-heavy diet early in his career to a much healthier one that includes more plant-based elements.
Guided by a Chef: His dietary changes were largely guided by personal chef Richard Ingraham, who helped him incorporate more vegetables into his routine.
Temporary Detox: In 2019, he completed a temporary, mostly plant-based detox, but it was not fully vegan as he included fish.
Restaurant Ownership: Wade co-owns a restaurant, 800 Degrees Woodfired Kitchen, which serves animal products, and he personally added meat-based dishes to the menu.
Wellness Focus: He prioritizes wellness through nutrient-dense juices and greens powder supplements, rather than strict veganism.

The question of whether athletes adhere to a vegan lifestyle is a common curiosity, and when it comes to the former NBA superstar with the legendary career, the answer is definitive. For clarity, it's worth noting the proper spelling of the basketball star's name is Dwyane Wade, though 'Dwayne' is a common misspelling. Despite a public shift toward healthier eating over the years, the answer to the question, "Is Dwayne Wade vegan?" is no. His diet, while increasingly healthy and plant-forward, still includes animal products.

The Truth: Dwyane Wade is Not Vegan

While Dwyane Wade has shown a strong commitment to wellness, his diet does not align with a vegan lifestyle. Throughout his career and in retirement, he has consumed meat and fish, as evidenced by reports from his personal chef and his own public actions. This is a key distinction, as his approach is focused on overall health and energy, not the complete elimination of animal products.

The Evolution of Wade's Diet

From Junk Food to Healthier Choices

Early in his professional career, Dwyane Wade’s diet was far from optimized for peak athletic performance. He fueled his body with comfort foods like Lil Debbie snacks, oatmeal cream pies, and fettuccine alfredo with fried chicken. As he aged, he realized this approach was no longer sustainable for his body, especially after dealing with injuries. This led him to work with personal chef Richard Ingraham to make a change. Ingraham slowly but surely introduced healthier options and cooking methods to Wade, including homemade versions of his favorite comfort foods.

The Post-Retirement Detox and Cheats

In 2019, following his retirement from the NBA, Wade underwent a widely publicized “detox.” During this time, his diet was nearly entirely plant-based, using ingredients like almond milk. However, he confirmed that he still included fish in his diet, which technically disqualifies him from being considered vegan. Furthermore, his commitment to a plant-based diet proved temporary, as he later celebrated receiving a box of Popeyes fried chicken sandwiches, sharing a video of himself enjoying them with his wife.

Dwyane Wade's Eating Habits: A Closer Look

The Role of Chef Ingraham

Richard Ingraham was instrumental in transforming Wade's eating habits. Knowing Wade's initial dislike for vegetables, Ingraham adopted a strategy of "baby steps" to introduce them into his diet. He successfully made healthy foods palatable and enjoyable, helping Wade to embrace a more balanced diet. Ingraham's approach included providing Wade with lean protein sources like chicken and turkey breast after games.

Juices and Supplements

Beyond his meals, Dwyane Wade incorporates other wellness strategies. His personal chef has crafted specific nutrient-dense juices, featuring ingredients like beets, chlorophyll, and ginger, to provide a natural energy boost. Even in retirement, Wade continues to focus on wellness, noting in a 2023 interview that he uses daily greens supplements from Thorne.

Dwyane Wade's Restaurant and Dietary Choices

Since retiring, Wade has ventured into the restaurant business, notably as a co-owner of 800 Degrees Woodfired Kitchen. The restaurant's menu features a variety of dishes, many containing animal products. Wade himself has played a direct role in shaping the menu, adding items like "UD wings" and a "DWade burger," catering to a broad audience and not specifically to a vegan clientele. This business decision further underscores his personal dietary philosophy, which is not strictly plant-based.

Dwyane Wade's Dietary Habits: Vegan-Adjacent vs. Non-Vegan


Vegan-Adjacent Habits	Non-Vegan Habits
Regularly drinks nutrient-rich juices	Consumes chicken, turkey, and fish
Undertook a mostly plant-based detox	Eats occasional fast-food chicken sandwiches
Supplements with daily greens powder	Co-owns a restaurant that serves animal products
Eats increased amounts of fruits and vegetables	Has added meat-based dishes to his restaurant's menu

Conclusion

In summary, while Dwyane Wade has significantly cleaned up his diet and embraced healthier habits throughout his career and into retirement, he is not a vegan. His dietary choices are best described as a flexible, health-focused approach that incorporates both plant-based foods and animal products. The myth of his veganism likely stems from his widely reported dietary improvements and the temporary, plant-heavy detox he completed, but his actions—from enjoying chicken sandwiches to his role in a meat-serving restaurant—confirm that he is not fully plant-based. For a deeper dive into his wellness evolution, you can explore the GQ interview about his diet's transformation.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Dwyane Wade is not currently vegan. While he has adopted a much healthier, plant-forward diet over the years, he has continued to consume animal products, including chicken, turkey, and fish.

Dwyane Wade completed a 'detox' in 2019 that was almost entirely plant-based, featuring things like almond milk. However, he still ate fish during this period, so it was not a fully vegan diet.

Dwyane Wade follows a health-focused diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, incorporating juices and supplements. He eats lean animal proteins like chicken and fish and focuses on overall wellness, rather than adhering to a specific dietary label.

Early in his career, Dwyane Wade ate comfort foods and junk food, but he transitioned to a much healthier diet later on, realizing it was necessary for his body to perform and recover effectively.

Dwyane Wade is a co-owner of the restaurant chain 800 Degrees Woodfired Kitchen. He is personally involved with the menu and has added dishes that include animal products.

While Wade famously disliked vegetables in the past, his personal chef Richard Ingraham helped him learn to appreciate them through a process of 'baby steps'. His diet now includes a significant amount of fruits and vegetables.

Dwyane Wade's diet is no longer focused on junk food, but he has been known to occasionally indulge. In 2019, after retirement, he publicly ate a Popeyes fried chicken sandwich, showing he is not strictly tied to a plant-based diet.