What Does Erykah Badu Eat? The Vegan and Mostly Raw Food Diet

December 18, 2025 •

3 min read

Grammy-winning artist Erykah Badu has maintained a plant-based diet since 2006, transitioning from a vegetarian lifestyle she began in high school. For Badu, this way of eating isn't just about food; it's a core component of her broader philosophy on holistic wellness, intent, and self-care.

Quick Summary

Erykah Badu follows a plant-based, primarily raw food diet for health and ethical reasons, which she likens to fueling a high-performance vehicle. Her daily intake emphasizes fresh produce, green juices, and alkaline water, rejecting animal products and processed ingredients.

Key Points

Vegan and Mostly Raw: Erykah Badu has followed a plant-based diet since 2006, with a strong preference for raw foods like kale salad and fresh fruits.
Ethical and Health Driven: Her dietary choices are influenced by both ethical concerns for animals and a desire for optimal health and vitality.
Emphasis on Whole Foods: Badu avoids processed ingredients, refined sugar, and animal byproducts, focusing instead on pure, natural ingredients.
Alkaline Hydration: A consistent part of her daily routine is drinking alkaline water, along with hydrating green juices and wheatgrass shots.
Holistic Wellness Philosophy: Her diet is part of a larger, holistic approach to wellness that includes adequate sleep, sun exposure, and nurturing the spirit.
Favored Foods: Specific favorites include kale salad, avocados, pumpkin, squash, coconut soup, and her unique take on coconut collard greens.
Long-term Commitment: Badu's vegetarianism dates back to 1989, demonstrating a long-term and unwavering commitment to her dietary principles.

Erykah Badu's Vegan Journey and Philosophy

Erykah Badu's dietary journey began decades ago, evolving from vegetarianism into a strict, plant-based approach. She first became a vegetarian in her senior year of high school, around 1989, driven by a commitment to health and vitality as a former dancer. By 1997, she began eating like a vegan, officially adopting a fully plant-based diet around 2006. Badu's dietary choices are rooted in her ethical beliefs concerning animal welfare, as well as a holistic understanding of how food impacts the body and soul. She famously stated that "vegan food is soul food in its truest form" because it feeds the soul with pure intent.

The Shift to a Raw Food Emphasis

While her diet is vegan, Badu places a heavy emphasis on consuming raw foods. She told PEOPLE magazine that she eats "raw mostly," and a post on her Facebook page revealed some of her favorite raw and plant-based foods. This focus on raw ingredients ensures that her meals are packed with live enzymes and maximum nutrients, aligning with her holistic wellness practices.

Staple Foods in Erykah Badu's Diet

Her personal diet is centered around a selection of nutrient-dense, plant-based foods. Some of her go-to items include:

Fruits and Vegetables: A constant in her diet, providing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Kale Salad: A specific favorite she has mentioned multiple times.
Avocado: A source of healthy fats and a frequent part of her meals.
Alkaline Water: Essential for hydration and maintaining her body's internal balance.
Green Juices and Wheatgrass: Part of her daily ritual for detoxification and energy.
Coconut Collard Greens: A favorite cooked dish she enjoys.
Herbal Teas: Used for cleansing and medicinal purposes.

The Role of Alkaline Water

Badu is a proponent of drinking alkaline water, which is believed by some to help neutralize acid in the body and provide additional health benefits. While the scientific community has varying views on the profound effects of alkaline water, her belief in its benefits aligns with her overarching philosophy of putting the "best gas" into her "Lamborghini" of a body. She incorporates plenty of water into her daily routine to stay hydrated and cleanse her system.

Comparison of Standard American Diet vs. Erykah Badu's Diet


Feature	Standard American Diet (SAD)	Erykah Badu's Diet (Plant-Based/Raw)
Primary Food Source	Processed foods, meat, dairy, refined sugars	Fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains
Animal Products	Heavy reliance on meat, dairy, eggs	None (vegan)
Raw Food Intake	Minimal to none	Predominantly raw fruits and vegetables
Processed Ingredients	High levels of chemicals, preservatives, and added sugars	Actively avoids sugar and chemically-made products
Hydration	Often includes sugary drinks and caffeine	Focus on alkaline water, green juices, and water
Underlying Philosophy	Often convenience-driven	Holistic wellness, pure intent, and ethical responsibility

The Holistic Approach Beyond the Plate

Badu's nutritional choices are just one piece of her holistic lifestyle. She also practices meditation and yoga, and she recognizes five 'doctors' she consults for her health: Doctor Sleep, Doctor Diet, Doctor Sun, Doctor Nutrition, and Doctor Spirit. Her focus is not just on physical health but on the spiritual and mental aspects of well-being. This approach emphasizes that true health is an integration of mind, body, and spirit. For Badu, eating healthy is a mindful act that contributes to her overall energetic state and creativity.

Conclusion

For those wondering what Erykah Badu eats, the answer is a meticulously chosen, plant-based diet with a strong emphasis on raw foods. She approaches eating with a holistic and intentional mindset, viewing food as a powerful tool for wellness and vitality. By fueling her body with fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and alkaline water, she maintains the vibrant energy and creative spirit that have defined her career for decades. Her dietary principles offer a profound lesson in listening to one's body and prioritizing health beyond simply what is on the plate. Erykah Badu's lifestyle shows that conscious consumption is a deeply personal and empowering choice, aligned with both health goals and ethical values.

For a deeper dive into celebrity dietary habits and trends, visit One Green Planet.

Frequently Asked Questions

While Erykah Badu avoids meat and animal products, she has stated she prefers not to label herself strictly as 'vegan' or subscribe to any organization. She eats like a vegan, following a plant-based diet that primarily consists of raw foods.

Erykah Badu's diet is motivated by both health and ethical reasons. As a former dancer, health and vitality have always been important to her. She is also outspoken about her compassion for animals and the injustices within the food industry.

While she consumes a diet that is 'mostly raw,' Erykah Badu does eat some cooked dishes. She has mentioned a preference for her homemade coconut collard greens, indicating that her diet isn't 100% raw.

Erykah Badu drinks a lot of water, with a particular focus on alkaline water. Her morning routine often includes a wheatgrass shot and a green juice.

Rather than a rigid diet plan, Erykah Badu's eating habits are based on a broader holistic philosophy. Her daily routine involves hydrating with alkaline water, having wheatgrass and green juice, and eating as healthily as possible without subscribing to an external framework.

Erykah Badu has been on a plant-based diet since approximately 2006. Prior to that, she was a vegetarian for nearly two decades, starting around 1989.

Some of Erykah Badu's favorite foods include raw kale, avocados, pumpkin, squash coconut soup, capers, and fruits. She has also mentioned enjoying her own recipe for coconut collard greens.