Was Billie Eilish vegetarian? Unpacking her diet evolution

December 21, 2025 •

3 min read

While many fans know her as an outspoken vegan, singer Billie Eilish was actually raised vegetarian before making the switch to a completely plant-based diet in 2014. Her family's influence and her own discoveries shaped her path.

Quick Summary

Raised on a vegetarian diet, Billie Eilish adopted a full vegan lifestyle at age 12 after learning about the realities of animal agriculture, a commitment she continues today.

Key Points

Vegetarian Upbringing: Billie Eilish was raised on a vegetarian diet and never ate meat from a young age.
Vegan Conversion at 12: At age 12, she made the decision to go fully vegan, eliminating all animal products including dairy and eggs.
Ethical Catalyst: Her transition was driven by learning about the animal cruelty inherent in the meat and dairy industries.
Activism Platform: Eilish uses her fame to promote plant-based living, environmentalism, and animal welfare to her massive audience.
Corporate Influence: She has leveraged her influence to push major brands like Oscar de la Renta and Nike toward more ethical, cruelty-free practices.
Accessible Veganism: Through initiatives and restaurants, Eilish aims to make plant-based eating more accessible and less intimidating for the public.
Ongoing Commitment: She remains a committed and vocal vegan advocate, continuously promoting her lifestyle through various platforms and projects.

The Vegetarian Foundation

Born to a family that practiced vegetarianism, Billie Eilish never experienced eating meat as a child. This foundational experience meant that forgoing animal flesh was never a significant change for her, making her transition to veganism less about giving up a preferred food and more about an extension of her existing beliefs. In a 2018 interview, Eilish explained that because meat was never "a thing in my life," she never had anything to miss. Her family's choices and her mother Maggie Baird's own activism laid the groundwork for Billie's compassionate worldview.

From Vegetarian to Vegan: The Ethical Shift

The decisive moment came for Eilish when she was just 12 years old. After learning about the practices and ethical implications of the dairy and meat industries, she made the personal choice to eliminate all animal products from her diet, becoming fully vegan in 2014. In her own words, once she was educated on the treatment of animals in the food system, she no longer wanted to participate. This transition was a profound ethical realization for her, moving beyond the vegetarian practice of simply avoiding meat to rejecting all forms of animal exploitation for human consumption.

A Voice for the Voiceless

Eilish has since used her massive global platform to shine a light on animal rights. She doesn't shy away from expressing her beliefs, often using her social media to share videos and messages about animal cruelty. Her unapologetic stance and clear explanations of the negative impacts of animal agriculture have been influential for her millions of followers. In recognition of her advocacy, PETA named her their Person of the Year in 2021, praising her for promoting vegan food and fashion.

Plant-Based Initiatives and Business Ventures

Beyond verbal advocacy, Billie Eilish has integrated her vegan values into her professional work through various initiatives.

Influencing High-Profile Events: In 2021, when co-chairing the Met Gala, Eilish influenced the event to serve an exclusively vegan menu for the first time in its history.
Fashion Collaborations: She has collaborated with Nike to create 100% vegan shoe collections, ensuring cruelty-free options are available in mainstream fashion.
Cruelty-Free Products: Eilish has launched her own line of perfumes that are cruelty-free and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Sustainable Touring: On her "Happier Than Ever" tour, she included a plant-based food pledge for fans and ensured vegan food options were available at venues.
Restaurant Investment: Eilish and her brother Finneas have invested in a plant-based Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, aiming to make vegan food more accessible.

Comparison of Billie Eilish's Diet Progression


Feature	Vegetarian (Early Life)	Vegan (From Age 12 Onward)
Core Principle	Abstains from eating the flesh of animals, including meat and poultry.	Abstains from consuming any animal products whatsoever, including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey.
Dairy Consumption	Yes, included dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.	No, completely eliminated all dairy from her diet after learning about the dairy industry's practices.
Egg Consumption	Yes, eggs were part of her diet.	No, eggs were eliminated from her diet.
Primary Motivation	Rooted in a family upbringing that avoided meat.	Driven by a deeper ethical understanding of animal cruelty and environmental impact.
Impact & Activism	Personal choice that had less public visibility.	Became a cornerstone of her public platform and activism, driving institutional change.

Conclusion

While the answer to "Was Billie Eilish vegetarian?" is yes, it only tells part of her story. Her vegetarian upbringing served as a crucial stepping stone towards her full commitment to veganism at a young age, a decision rooted in her ethical and environmental beliefs. Through her music, social media presence, and business ventures, she has become a powerful force for change, proving that a celebrity's platform can inspire millions to consider a more compassionate and sustainable lifestyle.

For more insight into celebrity plant-based advocacy, visit VegNews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Billie Eilish was raised vegetarian and did not eat meat, but she was not a lifelong vegetarian. She transitioned from vegetarianism to veganism at age 12.

Billie Eilish chose to become vegan in 2014, when she was 12 years old, after learning more about the treatment of animals in the food industry.

The switch was primarily motivated by ethical concerns. After seeing footage and learning about the practices in the dairy and meat industries, she decided to stop consuming all animal products.

No, Billie Eilish has been a committed vegan for over a decade and has explicitly stated that she does not consume animal products.

She regularly posts about veganism and animal rights on her social media, advocates for plant-based options at major events like the Met Gala, and launches vegan products, such as her Nike shoe line and perfumes.

While vegetarianism excludes meat, her family's original practice included dairy and eggs. Her move to veganism meant cutting out all animal-derived ingredients entirely, including dairy and eggs.

Yes, through her outspoken activism and public promotion of plant-based eating, Eilish has influenced many of her fans to consider veganism or at least incorporate more plant-based meals into their diets.

Yes, Billie Eilish was named PETA's Person of the Year in 2021 in recognition of her ongoing efforts to promote veganism and animal welfare.