“Man v. Food” host goes vegan

Adam Richman, the host and star of the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food,” has declared he is officially vegan. Many individuals who study culinary arts programs enjoy catching up on food shows after their studies. If you’re one of these people and are familiar with Richman, this new lifestyle may come as a surprise.

Richman has completed eating challenges all around the U.S. since the show started in 2008. He has devoured massive burgers, huge stacks of pancakes and unfathomable amounts of ribs. The star has even made it a point to eat meat in “The Carnivore Chronicles,” where he sought out the “most meat-heavy” meals across the country.

The host was unhealthy and unhappy with his weight in 2013, so he lost 70 pounds during the year. He even posed in just soccer cleats while holding a soccer ball for Cosmopolitan U.K. after his impressive lifestyle change. Richman has been vegan before for months at a time but has told the U.K’s The Independent last week that he will be vegan for the foreseeable future.

According to the source, Richman is sticking to the diet in an effort to train for a UNICEF celebrity event called Soccer Aid. Since 2006, the annual event has raised more than £18 million for the organization, which hopes to provide vaccines, emergency supplies, food and drinking water to children in impoverished areas around the world.

The star told The Independent that people really resonated with his journey to weight​ loss. He believes you can have your cake and eat it too, so long as you pay attention to staying active as well as what your calorie intake is.

The host is set to start a new show called “Man Finds Food” where he looks for out-of-the-way eateries that are not frequented by tourists or in any way well-known. Will he go back to his eating competition ways? Maybe. But for now, and the last three months, he has been animal-product-free when it comes to his eating habits.