What Diet Does Natalie Portman Follow? A Deep Dive into Her Vegan Lifestyle

October 8, 2025 •

3 min read

Since adopting a vegan lifestyle in 2011, Natalie Portman has become a prominent advocate for plant-based eating, a significant evolution from her younger years as a vegetarian. The diet Natalie Portman follows is rooted in ethical and health choices, though she has adjusted her nutrition dramatically for specific movie roles.

Quick Summary

Natalie Portman adheres to a long-standing vegan diet based on plant-based whole foods, though her specific dietary intake varies greatly depending on her role and fitness goals. She has publicly advocated for veganism, citing ethical, environmental, and health benefits.

Key Points

Long-Term Veganism: Natalie Portman has been a dedicated vegan since 2011, after being vegetarian for many years prior.
Ethical Motivation: Her decision to go vegan was influenced by reading Eating Animals, leading her to a deeper understanding of animal welfare and environmental impact.
Role-Specific Diets: She drastically altered her diet for film roles, from an extremely low-calorie, raw vegan diet for Black Swan to a high-protein, bulking vegan plan for Thor.
Balanced Everyday Approach: Her normal diet is balanced and relies on whole, plant-based foods, with an emphasis on intuitive eating and home cooking.
Supplementation: Portman takes regular B12 shots and vitamin D supplements to ensure she meets all her nutritional needs on a vegan diet.
Embraces International Cuisine: She enjoys cooking and eating diverse, naturally vegan-friendly foods, including Middle Eastern, Indian, and Thai cuisines.

Natalie Portman's Journey to a Plant-Based Life

Natalie Portman's food philosophy has evolved over her lifetime, driven by a growing awareness of health and ethics. Her journey began at age nine when she became a vegetarian. The turning point came in 2011 after she read Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals, which inspired her to become fully vegan. Since then, she has been a vocal supporter of the plant-based lifestyle, believing it to be a conscious choice for both personal health and planetary well-being.

The Extreme Regimen for Black Swan

For her role in Black Swan, Portman followed an intense and restrictive low-calorie diet to portray a professional ballerina. This involved consuming around 1,200 calories daily, focusing on raw foods like carrots and almonds, and using protein shakes. Portman has since shared that this extreme dieting was physically and emotionally draining and advises against such drastic measures.

The High-Protein Approach for Thor: Love and Thunder

In contrast, Portman’s diet for Thor: Love and Thunder aimed to build muscle, involving increased calorie intake and a grueling training schedule. A typical day included oats with berries, protein shakes, falafel with salad, and vegan curry across five meals. This high-protein plan supported her goal of gaining muscle mass.

Natalie Portman's Balanced Everyday Diet

Outside of demanding film roles, Portman maintains a balanced, intuitive vegan diet. She prioritizes whole foods, enjoys a variety of cuisines, and cooks dishes like vegetable green curry and Middle Eastern meals. She loves falafel, tacos, pasta, and Japanese food. To ensure nutritional needs are met, she takes vitamin D and B12 shots. Portman also enjoys farmers' markets and gardening, and allows for occasional treats like vegan ice cream.

A Comparison of Portman's Diets for Roles and Regular Life


Diet Type	Black Swan Diet (Restrictive)	Thor Diet (Bulking)	Regular Vegan Diet (Balanced)
Goal	Achieve dramatic weight loss and thin physique	Build significant muscle mass	Maintain overall health, support energy, and well-being
Calorie Count	Very low (approx. 1,200 kcal)	High (five meals + three protein shakes)	Moderate, based on hunger and activity levels
Protein Source	Limited, with added shakes	Ample, including three protein shakes daily	Legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds, supplements
Food Focus	Raw vegetables, almonds, extreme restriction	Whole grains, vegetables, protein shakes	Whole foods, diverse cuisines, legumes, fresh produce
Sustainability	Not sustainable, physically draining	Sustainable for the duration of a role	Highly sustainable, long-term lifestyle
Mental Impact	Negative, exhausting, and emotionally challenging	Positive, provided strength and energy	Positive, joyful, intuitive approach to eating

Conclusion: The Flexible Nature of a Vegan Lifestyle

Natalie Portman’s dietary habits show the flexibility of a vegan lifestyle. While the Black Swan diet was an unsustainable approach for a specific role, her Thor nutrition plan and balanced everyday eating demonstrate the benefits of a well-planned vegan diet. Her experience highlights that veganism can be personalized for different needs, emphasizing the importance of listening to one's body and prioritizing overall well-being.

For more insight into the broader vegan movement and its impact, explore the documentary she helped create, based on the book Eating Animals. More information on the 'Eating Animals' documentary can be found here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Natalie Portman became a vegan in 2011 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's book Eating Animals. She had been a vegetarian since she was nine years old.

For her role in Black Swan, Natalie Portman followed a highly restrictive, low-calorie diet that she later described as physically and emotionally taxing. She has spoken against such extreme dieting in the years since.

For her Thor role, Portman ate a high-protein vegan diet with frequent meals, including oats, berries, falafel, salads, vegan curry, and three daily protein shakes, as advised by her trainer.

Her everyday diet is balanced and intuitive. She enjoys meals like vegetable curry and Middle Eastern dishes, along with snacks of fruit, nuts, and vegan yogurt. She incorporates whole foods and enjoys cooking.

Yes, Natalie Portman takes monthly B12 shots and supplements with Vitamin D to ensure she is meeting her nutritional needs on her vegan diet.

Her decision to switch to a vegan diet was driven by a combination of ethical concerns for animal welfare, environmental issues, and a focus on overall health, especially after reading Eating Animals.

Natalie Portman has said that she raises her children on a plant-based diet, but her husband is not vegan. They respect each other's choices, and her veganism has influenced him over time.