Iron Chef Michael Symon Goes Vegan for 10 Days

Food Network star and Iron Chef Michael Symon announced on Twitter recently that he went vegan for 10 days. Fellow chef Bobby Flay chimed in with, “Wait! Did you say you’re gonna go vegan for 10? Please document this for all of us to see.” Symon—whose current Twitter background photo depicts sketches of animals divided into butcher parts—jokingly replied, “already did B … it made me weak!…you may be able to beat me in arm wrestling!” All joking aside, the chef spent the end of December juicing and eating fresh fruit and vegetables, and admitted to his Twitter followers that he felt great, didn’t get hungry at all, and continues to go veg twice a week. The celebrity chef attributes his interest in veganism (and the appearance of vegan dishes on his the show The Chew) to his vegan wife Liz Shanahan, who he says “makes cooking easier [since it’s] just one meal.” The question still stands as to why the Iron Chef can’t commit to veganism full-time, but his public announcement shows plant-based eating is penetrating many spheres and is recognized as beneficial even amongst the most prominent culinarians.