If you think turning vegan happens overnight, Genelia Deshmukh's journey tells a very different story. The actress’s relationship with food has evolved slowly and thoughtfully over the years, never driven by trends. Shaped by health choices, motherhood, growing awareness and self-reflection, her transition to veganism was deeply personal. In a recent podcast with Soha Ali Khan, Genelia opened up about how this gradual shift transformed not just her diet, but her approach to life.
Genelia's journey into veganism
Growing up in a non-vegetarian household, Genelia admitted that vegetarian food was once a very limited concept for her. "I didn’t know much about vegetarianism because I was born into a non-vegetarian family. For me, vegetarian food meant peas, potatoes, and paneer," she said. Her first conscious shift came in 2017, when she decided to stop eating meat, not out of ideology, but instinct. "People say that you reach a spiritual place, and that is what happened with me initially. My first step toward being vegan was selfish as I thought this kind of living would be better for my health," she shared.
Even then, the change was gradual. Dairy, cheese and eggs remained part of her meals, but something within her had shifted. As she explored more vegetarian options, Genelia noticed how her body responded. Meals felt lighter, her routine more disciplined, and her approach to life more intentional. That physical change slowly sparked a mental and emotional one too.
'On the way to becoming vegan, I realised it is connected to zillion things'
Motherhood played a pivotal role in deepening that awareness. Despite being an animal lover all her life, Genelia acknowledged the contradiction she once lived with. "I am an animal lover, but I used to enjoy my meat as well," she said. Becoming a mother reframed that perspective. "On the way to becoming a vegan, I realised it is connected to a zillion things. One of the things was having babies; I didn’t want anything to hurt them."
The final shift came in 2020, during the pandemic. With the world slowing down, Genelia and her husband Riteish Deshmukh, who had already quit meat in 2016, revisited their food choices. "When Covid hit, everyone was scared, and Riteish suggested we try eliminating all animal products," she revealed. Staying home allowed them to experiment, observe and listen to their bodies. They soon realised even small amounts of dairy made them feel heavy, reinforcing their decision.
Today, Genelia sees veganism as an ongoing process rather than a rigid label. "I didn’t do everything right in the first year, and I’m still not perfect, but I try to learn every day," she said. For her, what began as a health-driven choice has now grown into a more conscious way of life, rooted in awareness and continuous learning.
