The survival expert has revealed he now follows a meat-heavy diet after abandoning veganism, saying the change was prompted by concerns over his family’s health and his own wellbeing.
Bear Grylls now eats steak for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The adventurer and television presenter, 52, best known for Man vs. Wild – broadcast in the UK as Born Survivor with Bear Grylls, as well as Celebrity Bear Hunt and Running Wild with Bear Grylls, said he has abandoned veganism in favour of what he describes as a meat-heavy, carnivore-style diet, saying the change has transformed both his health and that of his family.
Discussing his diet in a new interview with The Daily Telegraph, Bear said he switched away from veganism in 2020 after several years following a plant-based lifestyle, explaining concerns over his eldest son Jesse’s health prompted him to reassess his views.
Bear said: “I’m eating great big steaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All the fat, all the gristle. I feel great!”
Asked for his best advice on nutrition, he added: “Staying away from processed food. Give me one group of people who never go outside, never challenge themselves, live off processed food and sit on their phones all day.
“Then compare them with another group who train outdoors, jump in rivers, laugh, eat natural food and never touch processed stuff.
“I can tell you, the difference between those groups in 20 years time is going to be stark.”
Bear also told the Telegraph the turning point came after his eldest son Jesse, 23, experienced health problems his TV adventurer father believed were linked to following a vegan diet.
He said: “My son Jesse wasn’t doing well on a vegan diet – issues with his stomach, really bad skin, he was just really drained – and within weeks of reintroducing meat to his diet he was a ball of energy again.
“I had kidney pain for years and as soon as I stopped drinking raw juices every day, that was gone. Going back to meat has really made a difference to how I feel and how my family feels.”
Bear has previously acknowledged he once strongly promoted veganism, including publishing a vegan cookbook, before changing his position.
Bear said his current diet is inspired by what he believes people ate historically and now centres on red meat, offal, blood, bone marrow, eggs, salted butter, fruit and honey.
He added he largely avoids vegetables, processed foods, bread and pasta.
Bear also said he no longer experiences cravings for junk food, adding: “I was having salads every day, I would really crave junk food and once or twice a week have cheat meals – a real blow-out of whatever you want, burgers, pizzas, etc.
“You’re basically starving for 80 per cent of the time and then you’re bingeing for the rest. That’s not good for the body.
“I find now I’m always full when I’m eating so much meat and eggs and butter and fruit and honey – I’m never hungry.”
Nutrition experts continue to state well-planned vegan diets can provide all the nutrients required for good health, while also recommending vegetables as part of a balanced diet.
They also warn high consumption of red and processed meat has been associated with an increased risk of bowel cancer, and recent research, including studies from Harvard University, has examined potential health risks linked to some low-carbohydrate diets.
Bear Grylls swaps veganism for eating ‘great big steaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner’
