Actor Martin Freeman recently disclosed that he has abandoned vegetarianism, marking a big shift after 38 years of abstaining from meat consumption.
The 52-year-old, known for his roles in “Sherlock” and “The Office,” shared that he adopted a vegetarian eating regimen as an adolescent in January 1986 because he “was never comfortable with the thought of eating animals.”
Nonetheless, Freeman admitted to reverting to eating meat because of concerns in regards to the highly processed nature of some meat replacements. He expressed his desire to eat less processed food during an appearance on the Dish podcast hosted by Nick Grimshaw and skilled chef Angela Hartnett.
Throughout the podcast, which features guests having fun with a meal with the hosts, Hartnett served her signature bolognese for the most recent episode, which Freeman praised as potentially the perfect he’s ever tasted, although he acknowledged his mother’s cooking skills as well.
The transition back to an omnivore eating regimen is recent, in line with Freeman, who mentioned that it began “within the last couple of months.” He noted that while he appreciated vegetarian replacements for meat, he was cautious about their high level of processing.
Freeman’s concerns about processed foods align with recent studies warning in regards to the health risks related to ultra-processed foods, which can include increased risks of hypertension, heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
Nonetheless, a recent study highlighted that plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are likely to have lower levels of saturated fat and better fiber in comparison with animal-derived products.
Nonetheless, researchers cautioned that the dietary quality of plant-based alternatives can vary significantly between products.
Host Nick Grimshaw also shared his experience with plant-based eating, revealing that he mostly followed a vegan eating regimen while living with a vegan friend but “broke” his veganism when tempted by a scotch egg at a celebration.
Freeman, now having fun with meat again, expressed his enjoyment of indulging in scotch eggs and pork pies, which he humorously described because the “food of the gods.”
