Was Nikola Tesla a Vegan or Vegetarian? Unpacking the Inventor's Diet

December 27, 2025 •

4 min read

Nikola Tesla, a towering figure in electrical engineering, was well-known for his eccentric habits, including his dietary choices. While he eventually gravitated towards a plant-based diet, he was a vegetarian, not a vegan, incorporating dairy and eggs into his routine for both health and philosophical reasons.

Quick Summary

Nikola Tesla was a vegetarian who included milk and eggs in his diet, not a vegan. His food choices were motivated by health concerns over uric acid from meat and a philosophical belief in moving away from animal consumption.

Key Points

Vegetarian, Not Vegan: Nikola Tesla was a vegetarian who consumed milk and eggs, making him not a vegan.
Health and Longevity: He adopted his diet partly due to his belief that meat caused uric acid, which he thought was detrimental to health and shortened one's lifespan.
Two Meals a Day: He practiced a form of intermittent fasting, consuming only two meals per day to maintain mental clarity and vitality.
Ethical Principles: Tesla also harbored ethical concerns, viewing the consumption of animal flesh as a "barbarous practice" that humanity would eventually evolve beyond.
Core Diet: His later diet centered on milk, egg whites, vegetables (like celery and onions), and cereals.
Avoided Stimulants: In pursuit of better health, he gave up stimulants like coffee and tobacco, which he had consumed in his younger years.

Tesla's Evolving Dietary Habits

Throughout his life, Nikola Tesla's eating habits evolved considerably. While not always adhering to a specific diet, his journey towards a more plant-centric lifestyle was a deliberate choice influenced by his observations and beliefs about health and the future of humanity. In his younger years, as a Serbian farmboy, he likely consumed a typical Eastern European diet, which would have included meat. However, as he matured and focused more intently on his mental acuity and longevity, his consumption of animal products began to change.

By his later years, Tesla had adopted a strict, two-meal-a-day routine, effectively practicing intermittent fasting long before it became a popular concept. He believed that skipping lunch prevented the digestive process from diverting blood flow away from the brain, thereby enhancing his mental performance. His meals consisted largely of vegetables, cereals, and milk, with meat and fish being consumed only very sparingly, if at all.

The Move Away From Meat and Fish

Tesla's primary health-related concern with meat and fish was their high content of uric acid. He believed that this compound shortened human lifespan and contributed to various ailments. In a 1935 interview, he stated that meat introduced more uric acid into the system, which he linked to conditions such as high blood pressure and rheumatic issues. This belief led him to almost entirely eliminate meat from his diet over time. Initially, he substituted meat with boiled fish but eventually reduced his fish intake as well, concluding that even fish contained an undesirable amount of phosphorous that he believed was acidic.

Milk, Eggs, and Vegetables: The Core of Tesla's Later Diet

Tesla's later vegetarian diet relied heavily on other food sources. He consumed a significant amount of dairy, particularly warm milk, which he considered a staple for its protein content and easy digestibility. He also incorporated egg whites, deliberately avoiding the yolk which he believed was another source of uric acid. Vegetables and fruits were also central to his diet, which he praised for their mineral salts and neutralizing properties. His personal favorite was a mixture of chopped onions and celery cooked in butter. For Tesla, the purpose of vegetables was not primarily for energy, but for maintaining bodily regulation and providing essential nutrients. This approach clearly defined his status as a vegetarian, as dairy and eggs were key components of his nutritional intake.

The Philosophical and Ethical Dimensions of Tesla's Diet

Beyond the physiological reasoning, Tesla's dietary choices were also rooted in deeper philosophical and ethical principles. He viewed the slaughter of animals as a "barbarous practice" that was detrimental to human morality. His forward-thinking vision extended to imagining a future where humanity would evolve away from consuming animals, living instead on simpler foods like "milk, honey, cereals, and vegetables".

Ethical considerations for Tesla's diet:

Against cruelty: He advocated against the cruel slaughter of animals, believing it was damaging to the human psyche.
Resource efficiency: He saw a vegetarian diet as a more efficient and economical way to feed humanity compared to the resource-intensive process of meat production.
Higher consciousness: Tesla believed that by abstaining from animal flesh, humanity could shed its "animal instincts" and progress towards a higher state of being.

Comparison: Tesla's Diet Through the Ages


Feature	Early Life (Youth)	Later Life (Post-65)
Dietary Pattern	Likely typical omnivore, occasional large meals	Strictly two meals a day, intermittent fasting
Meat and Fish	Regular consumption, including steak and duck	Almost completely eliminated, especially red meat and fish
Dairy	Consumed, but likely not as a dietary cornerstone	Consumed daily, particularly warm milk, as a primary protein source
Eggs	Likely consumed whole	Exclusively consumed egg whites, avoiding yolks
Vegetables	Standard part of meals	Consumed liberally, with favorites like chopped onions and celery
Stimulants	Heavy coffee and tobacco user in youth	Abstinence from coffee, tea, and tobacco
Rationale	Convention and personal preference	Longevity, mental clarity, and ethical principles

A Conclusion on Tesla's Diet

Nikola Tesla was indeed a vegetarian, but the common misconception of him being a vegan is inaccurate. His dietary habits, particularly in his later life, were carefully constructed around his beliefs in health, longevity, and ethical treatment of animals. By eliminating meat and most fish, he sought to reduce uric acid and prolong his life, believing that a mostly plant-based diet, supplemented with milk and egg whites, was the optimal fuel for his genius. His food choices were not just a series of quirks, but a testament to his holistic and often-idiosyncratic approach to life, with the ultimate goal of maximizing his mental and physical potential.

For more insight into his personal practices, the International Vegetarian Union has documented Tesla's journey towards vegetarianism.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, in his younger years, Nikola Tesla consumed meat. However, in his later life, he gradually phased it out of his diet, reserving it for rare occasions, if at all.

In his later vegetarian years, Tesla's diet included warm milk, egg whites (avoiding the yolk), vegetables such as onions and celery, fruits, and cereals.

Tesla stopped eating meat primarily for health reasons, believing that it produced uric acid which shortened one's life. He also held ethical and philosophical views against the consumption of animal flesh.

No, his diet was not consistent throughout his life. He transitioned away from a meat-heavy diet later in life, adopting a more strict vegetarian regimen after the age of 65.

Yes, as a vegetarian, Nikola Tesla did consume dairy (primarily milk) and eggs, though he preferred to eat only the egg whites to avoid uric acid.

Tesla believed his diet was crucial to his health and mental sharpness, connecting a simple diet and avoidance of stimulants to his vitality. He credited his food choices for his ability to maintain mental vigor into old age.

Besides his vegetarian diet, Tesla practiced intermittent fasting by eating only two meals a day. He also had peculiar habits like calculating the volume of his food before eating, likely related to his obsessive-compulsive tendencies.