Pregnant Natalie Portman ditches vegan diet

Actress and animal advocate adjusts her vegetarian diet due to 'dairy cravings.'

Mon, Apr 11 2011 at 3:33 PM

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Vegetarianism & Veganism, Celebs, Organic Baby

Photo: ZUMA Press

Natalie Portman's strict vegan diet has apparently met its match in her unborn child.

The 29-year-old recently told a radio show that she's listening to what her body needs while pregnant — and that includes dairy products.

"I actually went back to being vegetarian when I became pregnant, just because I felt like I wanted that stuff," she said during a Monday phone interview with the Q100 Bert Show in Atlanta. "I was listening to my body to have eggs and dairy and that sort of stuff."

Portman, who recently won a Best Actress Oscar for "Black Swan," added: "I know there are people who do stay vegan, but I think you have to just be careful, watch your iron levels and your B12 levels and supplement those if there are things you might be low in in your diet."

While some had no problem with Portman's decision, others in the vegan community were less than pleased. "She has all the resources available to her to get a healthy vegan diet and just chooses not to, using pregnancy as an excuse," wrote one commenter on Ecorazzi's Facebook page. "She managed to go without cakes for filming Black Swan but she can't now?"

While vegan pregnancies are definitely outside the norm for most women, they are possible and completely healthy for those who educate themselves on proper nutrition during the term. Over on her blog, The Kind Life, Alicia Silverstone (who is currently pregnant herself), has a three-part Q&A on vegan pregnancy that any expecting mother following a plant-based diet should check out.

"All of the vegan pregnancies I have witnessed have been way smoother than those of my non-vegan friends," says Silverstone. "My friends Heather, Laura, Lalayna, Desire, and 'Macro-Mom' Sarah Forrester Wendt did not have to worry about all the medications and interventions that our society has come to consider normal. From my point of view, the more vegan you are, the more healthy you are — and that makes your pregnancy go more easily and helps your baby to be super duper healthy!"

Obviously, every person's body is different, and Portman responding to what she believes she needs for her young baby should be respected. No doubt, she'll go back to being vegan again one day. It says a lot that she chose to go vegetarian rather than just opting for no limits whatsoever.

I'll be curious to see whether Emily Deschanel, another proud and pregnant vegan, also chooses to relax her diet a bit or goes along with Silverstone's plan for greens all the way. Sound off below on how you feel about Portman's decision!

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Comments: 3

Lucianne Feb 03 2013 at 3:22 PM

I am sure she is a very clever and intelligent caring young woman . To be honest for me she is one of the few people from cinema that I would consider to talk to .I believe is very difficult to be a reconized figure and not give bad example to fans , young people , etc .She is one if not the only actress that I feel is true abaut what she does . It is clear that her reason to be vegan , vegetarian or whatever , goes beyong the fact of looking nice in a tight drees and being stronger a Than all the

.... More

rest of the world for choosing that way of living .we should support more people like her .