The Flexitarian Answer: Does Gisele Bündchen Eat Meat? The Truth Behind Her 'Mostly' Plant-Based Diet

October 8, 2025 •

4 min read

In a revealing career shift from her younger days of living on fast food and cigarettes, supermodel Gisele Bündchen today follows a diet that is predominantly plant-based but does include animal protein. Her nutritional journey and response to the question, "Does Gisele Bündchen eat meat?" highlight a key lesson in personal wellness: prioritizing what makes your body feel its best, rather than strictly adhering to a rigid label.

Quick Summary

Gisele Bündchen follows a largely plant-based diet, consuming small amounts of organic meat and wild-caught fish, a flexible eating style often called flexitarian. This approach was adopted after she experienced health issues, such as anemia, while attempting to be strictly vegetarian for several years. Her current regimen emphasizes whole, organic foods and listening to her body's needs.

Key Points

Not Strictly Vegan: Gisele Bündchen does eat meat and fish, debunking the common myth that she is a strict vegetarian or vegan.
Flexitarian Diet: Her diet is primarily plant-based, following an 80/20 ratio of vegetables to animal protein.
Experience with Anemia: She re-introduced meat after experiencing health issues like anemia while on a strict vegan diet.
Emphasizes Whole Foods: The core of her diet is organic, locally-sourced whole foods, with an emphasis on gut health.
Avoids Processed Foods: She strictly avoids processed foods, white sugar, and caffeine, a change from her earlier lifestyle.
Prioritizes Body Needs: Bündchen's philosophy is about listening to her body and adapting her diet accordingly for optimal energy and wellness.

Gisele Bündchen's Flexitarian Philosophy

Contrary to assumptions that she is a strict vegetarian or vegan, Gisele Bündchen has publicly confirmed that she and her family consume small amounts of high-quality animal protein. This was confirmed by her former personal chef, Allen Campbell, and has been reiterated by Bündchen herself in her book Nourish: Simple Recipes to Empower Your Body & Feed Your Soul. Her diet is structured around an 80/20 balance: approximately 80% of her intake consists of organic, plant-based foods, while the remaining 20% is made up of lean meats and fish. This flexible eating plan allows her to benefit from the nutrients found in animal protein while keeping her plate predominantly vegetable-based.

The Shift from a Strict Vegan Lifestyle

Before adopting her current flexitarian diet, Bündchen experimented with a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle. Driven by her deep love for animals and environmental activism, she initially aimed to align her eating habits with her values. However, this period came with unexpected health challenges. She experienced nutritional deficiencies, including anemia, which left her feeling low on energy. After consulting with her doctor, she made the pragmatic decision to reintroduce small portions of animal protein, such as grass-fed steak and organic chicken, back into her diet to restore her health and vitality. This experience taught her the importance of listening to her own body rather than following a prescribed dietary label that didn't serve her physiological needs.

Core Components of Gisele's Diet

Bündchen's nutritional philosophy centers on whole, organic, and locally-sourced foods. She views food as a form of medicine and focuses on consuming nutrient-dense ingredients that support optimal gut health and energy levels. Her daily menu is built around fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, prepared simply to aid digestion.

Common foods in her diet include:

Vegetables: A wide variety of organic, often raw or lightly cooked vegetables, such as kale, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes, form the bulk of her meals.
Whole Grains and Legumes: Quinoa, millet, brown rice, and beans are standard components, providing complex carbohydrates and fiber.
Lean Protein: Small amounts of high-quality animal protein are incorporated, such as wild-caught salmon, organic chicken, and grass-fed steak.
Healthy Fats: She uses healthy fats like coconut oil for cooking and olive oil for dressings.
Natural Sweeteners: Processed white sugar is strictly avoided, with honey, maple syrup, and dates used sparingly for sweetness.
Hydration: Lukewarm lemon water starts her day, followed by plenty of water and herbal teas throughout.

Gisele's Diet vs. Her Pre-Wellness Days

To fully appreciate her current approach, it's helpful to compare it to her earlier, less mindful eating habits. Her dietary transformation is a testament to the power of conscious food choices.


Aspect	Gisele's Current Diet	Gisele's Earlier Diet
Meat Consumption	Occasional, minimal, and high-quality; mostly organic chicken and wild fish.	Frequent fast food, including cheeseburgers.
Dietary Focus	80% plant-based, whole foods, seasonal, and organic.	High in processed foods, junk food, and sugar.
Sugar Intake	Avoids all refined white sugar; uses natural sweeteners sparingly.	Dependent on sugary drinks like Mocha Frappuccinos.
Beverages	Herbal teas, warm lemon water, and plenty of water.	Heavy consumption of coffee and alcohol.
Energy Source	Nutrient-dense whole foods and supplements.	Relied on stimulants like caffeine and sugar.

A Sustainable and Mindful Approach to Eating

Bündchen's flexible, whole-foods-based diet is more than a celebrity trend; it’s a sustainable lifestyle rooted in balance and self-awareness. By prioritizing nutrient density and minimizing processed foods, her regimen aligns with general wellness principles recommended by nutrition experts. It also allows for occasional indulgences, such as truffle fries or gelato, because she understands that rigid, deprivation-based diets are not sustainable long-term. Her message, especially highlighted in her recent cookbook, is to empower others to connect with their food and nourish their bodies in a way that feels best for them. She understands that a balanced relationship with food is key to maintaining vitality and a positive mindset.

Ultimately, Gisele Bündchen's journey illustrates that a healthy diet doesn't have to be defined by strict labels. It can be a personalized and evolving process that prioritizes high-quality, real foods while remaining adaptable to the body's changing needs. For many, her approach offers a more realistic and sustainable alternative to extreme dieting, proving that health is found in balance, not restriction. For more on her food philosophy, see her book Nourish: Simple Recipes to Empower Your Body & Feed Your Soul.

Conclusion

In summary, the answer to the question "Does Gisele Bündchen eat meat?" is a definitive yes, but with important context. Her diet is not strictly vegetarian or vegan but a flexitarian one, emphasizing whole, organic plants while including small, carefully sourced amounts of animal protein. This balanced approach, adopted after experiencing health issues on a stricter vegan diet, centers on gut health and listening to her body’s needs. By avoiding processed foods and refined sugars, she maintains a high level of vitality and mental clarity, providing a valuable lesson in sustainable and personalized nutrition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Gisele Bündchen attempted to follow a strict vegan and vegetarian diet in the past due to her love for animals and the environment. However, she developed anemia during this time, which led her to reintroduce animal protein.

Gisele Bündchen and her family follow a dietary approach that is approximately 80% plant-based and 20% animal-based, meaning most of her plate is covered in organic vegetables and whole grains.

Gisele Bündchen's animal protein sources include lean meats like grass-fed organic steak and chicken, as well as wild-caught fish such as salmon.

Gisele Bündchen stopped being a strict vegan because she experienced nutritional deficiencies, specifically anemia, which caused her to feel low on energy. She learned to be flexible and listen to what her body needed.

No, Gisele Bündchen strictly avoids processed foods and refined white sugar, which she has referred to as 'poison'. She prefers to use natural sweeteners like honey or dates sparingly.

She prioritizes her wellness by focusing on whole, organic, and nutrient-dense foods that support gut health. Her approach is also deeply mindful, focusing on preparing and consuming simple, clean food.

Yes, Gisele's diet shares many similarities with the TB12 Method, her former husband Tom Brady's nutritional philosophy. Both are largely plant-based, emphasize organic whole foods, and avoid processed ingredients, refined sugar, and nightshade vegetables.