A Plant-Based Contestant Just Won MasterChef
What does it take to be a master chef? For years, the upscale culinary scene rejected vegan cooking in favor of more traditional meat and dairy-centric cuisines, but plant-based chefs worldwide have turned this doubt into a challenge. MasterChef Portugual contestant Teresa Colaco proved that a plant-based chef can truly be considered a master chef when she snagged first place in the competition, showcasing the culinary potential of vegan and plant-based cuisine.
“Winning MasterChef Portugal was the achievement of a goal. It was an endurance race and reaching the finish line in the first place was incredible,” Colaco said in a statement. "MasterChef Portugal represented a lot of learning, above all.”
Noting her disadvantage during the competition, Colaco never felt discouraged by her plant-based perspective. Instead, the chef presented judges with an exciting selection of meatless dishes typically unheard of in the TV competition. Her victory signified that vegan cooking can be taken seriously on the world stage.
“I know that I leave for this journey at a great disadvantage compared to my colleagues, all of whom are excellent cooks and master animal protein and Portuguese cuisine,” Colaco wrote on her Instagram at the beginning of the competition. “I don't master one or the other, my forte is vegetables, legumes, algae, and some strange ingredients in between, which few people here know about.”
Despite winning her MasterChef title, Colaco revealed she does not plan to slow down any time soon. In the statement, she claimed that “this is just the beginning” and that she hope to “take plant-based food as far as possible,” inspiring chefs everywhere to consider plant-based techniques in upscale cuisine.
Vegan Chef Forfeits After Judges Demand He Cook Meat
Chef Colaco’s victory occurred shortly after Chef Alex Lenghel left MasterChef Romania in protest. The plant-based chef participated in two successful rounds of the cooking competition, but when the judges demanded that he cook meat during the elimination round of the competition, he refused. The chef and professional athlete joined the show as the country's first vegan contestant.
During the episode, the judges required that he cook a beef dish and when they wouldn’t budge, he explained that he would not compromise his ethics and forfeited the competition. Even though MasterChef has received criticism for its excessive meat content, Lenghel hoped to win against the odds to prove that vegan cooking would not compromise his performance.
“The vegan lifestyle I follow now made cooking part of my life, and there was no chance to make any compromise and go back to cooking meat,” Lenghel said. “MasterChef, it was a big challenge for me, competing with people passionate [sic] about cooking.”
America’s Cooking Shows Go Plant-Based
Over the last year, plant-based chefs have entered into more cooking competition shows than ever before. Last summer, Hell’s Kitchen invited its first two plant-based chefs, Josie Clemes and Emily Hersh, to compete on the grueling cooking show. The two plant-based chefs showcased the talents and promise of plant-based cooking against the harsh criticism of Chef Gordon Ramsey, who has historically been vocal about his distaste for vegan foods.
More recently, celebrity Chef Bobby Flay invited two plant-based chefs to compete against him on the first vegan episode of Beat Bobby Flay, which featured Temearra Dyson and Adyre Mason in the historic showdown. Following two rounds, the judges declared that Dyson’s vegan cooking beat Flay in his own kitchen. Dyson, the founder of Souley Vegan, proved that plant-based cooking could outmatch one of the world’s most recognizable chefs at his own game.
Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based
1. Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he's been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.
2. Sia
If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you're already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is "fully vegan now" back in 2014 and stays true to her word
3. Sandra Oh
Way back at the start of Grey's Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.
4. Gisele Bündchen
Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of "cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos," according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a "mostly" plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.
5. Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he's been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.
7. Pamela Anderson
We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.
8. Kristen Stewart
"We shouldn't eat as much meat guys," Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show "Hot Ones" she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.
9. Jared Leto
This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him "shredded" in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.
10. Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn't eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn't stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.
11. Meghan Markle
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.
12. Serena Williams
As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim's successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot "healthier" for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.
13. John Mackey
The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.
14. Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I'm Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is "Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil."
15. Leona Lewis
Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women's Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.
16. Hannah Teter
Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how "horrible" factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.
17. Maggie Q,
You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she's well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.
18. Madelaine Petsch,
Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was "trendy" and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel "healthier" and not "lethargic."
19. Millie Bobbi Brown
After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.
20. Chloe and Halle Bailey
The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their "voices in shape" by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.
21. Hilary Duff
Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, "Day Dreamer" and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.