Beyoncé Wants the World to Go Vegan

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are on a mission to make the world a healthier place — by starting a vegan revolution. The power couple was first introduced to a plant-based diet in 2013 by their personal trainer and nutritionist Marco Borges, and they were so impressed by the meat-free way of life that they even wrote the intro to his books, "The 22-Day Revolution" and "The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World," and partnered with him in a vegan meal delivery service.

Bey claims that ditching animal products — even for a just a short period of time — can do everything from tighten your skin, aid with weight loss to improve sleep. This week the couple took their nutritional mission to the next level, joining forces with The Greenprint Project in order to make the world a more plant-based place.

Beyoncé announced her partnership via Instagram on Thursday, offering fans some serious motivation to devoting themselves to the plant-based lifestyle: anyone who commits to ditch animal products from their diet — for even just one meal per day — can be entered to win 30 years of tickets to Beyoncé and Jay-Z concerts. Say, what???

"What is your Greenprint?" she asked in the caption alongside two images, announcing the giveaway. In the photos she made sure not to scare her fans off, offering two easy suggestions on how to join in on the revolution without going full-vegan: plant-based breakfasts or meatless Mondays.

Keep in mind that most of the time, the Queen Bey herself isn't totally vegan. Occasionally, she will she will go full vegan — for example, if she is preparing for a big show like Coachella or the Super Bowl — but she claims that her lifestyle has been completely transformed by the concept.

"We used to think of health as a diet—some worked for us, some didn't. Once we looked at health as the truth, instead of a diet, it became a mission for us to share that truth and lifestyle with as many people as possible," Bey and Jay recently wrote in the introduction to Borges' latest book, "The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World."

According to several studies, plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular, and not just in Hollywood. One report conducted by research firm GlobalData claims that there's been a 600 percent increase in people identifying as vegans in just three years — going from just one percent of the population in 2014 to six percent in 2017. GrubHub revealed that the demand for plant-based food orders has significantly increased, and that users chose vegan food nearly 20 percent more in the first half of 2017 than in the first half of 2016.

So should you consider joining in on the vegan revolution, even if it just means eliminating meat and dairy a few meals a week? In short, yes. In addition to the slew of health benefits, The Greenprint Project points out that eating just a few plant-based diets per week can positively impact the environment in a variety of ways.

"The information is hard to ignore," Jay-Z and Beyoncé write on the website. "The benefits of a single plant-based meal a day can have such a profound impact on our health and the environment, spanning from cutting carbon emissions to conserving water. We want to challenge you as we challenge ourselves to move towards a more plant-based lifestyle and acknowledge you for standing up for your health and the health of the planet."

If you are considering joining in on the vegan revolution, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First off, you shouldn't just eliminate meat and dairy out of your diet without carefully replacing them with foods or vitamins that contain B-12, zinc and iron. Also, if you are hoping to reap the health benefits — such as weight loss and improved skin — you should probably consider cutting out all processed carbohydrates from your diet.

Beyoncé's version of veganism is extremely healthy and well thought out. When she is on the strict diet she eliminates all meat, dairy, eggs and other animal products. She loads up with super healthy, unprocessed foods like whole grain bread with avocado and red pepper flakes, toast with almond butter and berries, homemade granola and green smoothies. Lunches and dinners usually involve vegan sources of protein, things like beans and quinoa, stewed lentils or a large salad. She also avoids all alcohol.

While it might be difficult to make the dietary changes, Bey claims it will be well worth it in the form of the health benefits you will reap.

"It took a few days to adjust, but what I discovered was increased energy, better sleep, weight loss, improved digestion, clarity, and an incredibly positive feeling for my actions and the effects it would have on those around me and the environment. I couldn't believe how much of our health we can control with food," she said in the forward to Borges' "The 22-Day Revolution."

She adds, it will improve the overall quality of your life. "The truth is that if a Houston-born foodie like me can do it, you can too—you just need to try it for 22 days."

Many consider Beyoncé to be a body confidence role model. Not only does she have curves, but is ridiculously strong, toned and has an overall fantastic physique. However, it has taken the mother-of-three a while to figure out how to be the best version of herself — and to do it the healthy way.

"I am not naturally the thinnest woman," she confessed during an appearance on "Good Morning America." "I have curves. I have struggled with diets and finding something that works for me."

Here is everything Mrs. Carter has learned about nutrition, from her tips and tricks to everything she eats in a day.

Plant-Based Diet

While Beyoncé isn't a full-fledged vegan, she and her husband Jay-Z are fans of a plant-based diet. The duo first endorsed a vegan diet back in 2013, after getting introduced to it by their personal trainer and nutritionist Marco Borges, partnering with him on his 22 Days Nutrition meal delivery service.

"The benefits of a plant-based diet need to be known," she wrote in an email to the New York Times in 2015. "We should spend more time loving ourselves, which means taking better care of ourselves with good nutrition and making healthier food choices."

Occasionally, Bey will go full-on vegan — for example, in preparation for a big event like Coachella — and she claims it does her body good. During her "GMA" appearance, she said, "I felt like my skin was really firm; a lot tighter when I deprived myself of food. And the weight stayed off."

While she doesn't live the meat-free life all of the time, she maintains that the program has been truly transformative in regards to her approach to diet.

"We used to think of health as a diet—some worked for us, some didn't. Once we looked at health as the truth, instead of a diet, it became a mission for us to share that truth and lifestyle with as many people as possible," Bey and Jay recently wrote in the introduction to Borges' latest book, "The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World."

Plant-Based Diet

While Beyoncé isn't a full-fledged vegan, she and her husband Jay-Z are fans of a plant-based diet. The duo first endorsed a vegan diet back in 2013, after getting introduced to it by their personal trainer and nutritionist Marco Borges, partnering with him on his 22 Days Nutrition meal delivery service.

"The benefits of a plant-based diet need to be known," she wrote in an email to the New York Times in 2015. "We should spend more time loving ourselves, which means taking better care of ourselves with good nutrition and making healthier food choices."

Occasionally, Bey will go full-on vegan — for example, in preparation for a big event like Coachella — and she claims it does her body good. During her "GMA" appearance, she said, "I felt like my skin was really firm; a lot tighter when I deprived myself of food. And the weight stayed off."

While she doesn't live the meat-free life all of the time, she maintains that the program has been truly transformative in regards to her approach to diet.

"We used to think of health as a diet—some worked for us, some didn't. Once we looked at health as the truth, instead of a diet, it became a mission for us to share that truth and lifestyle with as many people as possible," Bey and Jay recently wrote in the introduction to Borges' latest book, "The Greenprint: Plant-Based Diet, Best Body, Better World."

Protein Powders

If Bey doesn't have time to get a meal in, she fills up with a plant-based protein powder shake. In fact, her powder of choice is Borges' 22 Days Protein Powder, a USDA organic, non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan blend of blend of organic superfoods, pea protein, and flax sweetened with stevia and cacao.

Breakfast

Like many other celebrities, Beyoncé tries to stick to a clean diet — basically no processed foods — most of the time. "I always have breakfast — say, scrambled egg whites, a vegetable smoothie, or whole-grain cereal with lowfat milk," she told Shape. Of course, while she is partaking in veganism, she clearly has to make modifications. Judging from one of her Instagram posts, Bey might be "Crazy in Love" with avocado toast like the rest of us.

Lunch and Dinner

Beyoncé told Shape that her average lunch of dinner consists of "a lot of fish and vegetables."

According to Elle, one of her favorite plant-based salads is from Los Angeles vegan hotspot Café Gratitude. It consists of kale, cucumber, carrots, nori sheets, cilantro, basil, scallions and toasted almonds and is topped with a tahini, lemon, olive oil, garlic, and sesame oil dressing.

Borges also revealed that she loves a crunchy salad composed with arugula, red quinoa, cantaloupe and slivered almonds, topped with olive oil, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup.

No Crash Diets (Anymore)

In preparation for her critically acclaimed role in "Dreamgirls," Beyoncé put the Master Cleanse — aka the cayenne pepper, maple syrup and lemon juice cleanse — on the dietary map. The singer was under pressure to drop 20 pounds in a hurry, confessing to Oprah that while it helped her to lose the weight, it was not healthy.

"I wanted to lose weight and make a physical transformation. And it was difficult because I love food. I love to eat," she said. "I did a fast, a master cleanse for 14 days. Everybody was eating Krispy Kremes around me. I was grouchy, but I did it and I lost the weight."

These days, if she wants to drop pounds quickly, Bey relies on Borges' plant-based diet.

Cheat Meals

While she eats healthy most of the time, Bey knows the importance of indulging every now and then. "I always treat myself to one meal on Sundays when I can have whatever I want. Usually it's pizza, which is my favorite indulgence," she told Shape magazine. Some of her other favorite cheat meals include In-N-Out, pasta, soul food (true to her southern roots) and Cheetos.

Hydration

Beyoncé makes sure to hydrated. "I try to take care of myself, drinking at least a gallon of water with lemon a day," she told People. In addition to H2O, she has also been spotted drinking Gatorade, and is also an investor in WTRMLN WTR, which she believes is "the future of clean, natural hydration."

Vitamins

In addition to drinking lots of water, Beyoncé also revealed to People that she takes vitamins daily. While eating a well-balanced diet is the best way to get your recommended daily vitamin intake, taking them in pill form ensures that your body will get everything it needs to operate at a functional level.

Alcohol

While Beyoncé doesn't overindulge in alcohol, the singer does enjoy having a drink on occasion. Some of her favorite adult beverages include red wine, rosé and limoncello.

While Beyoncé is certainly disciplined with her diet, her overall approach to eating is super healthy and totally doable. While she makes sure to eat healthy most of the time, she allows herself occasional indulgences — because life is too short, right?