Changemakers: Mayim Bialik on the Power of Mindful Eating

Best known for her roles on NBC’s hit sitcom Blossom and CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, the acclaimed actress made her screenwriting and directorial debut in April with the release of her new film, As They Made Us. Three months later, Bialik was named the host of Jeopardy!, alongside Ken Jennings.

But when she’s not dividing her time between game show host duties and recording new episodes for her mental health podcast, Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown, which she launched in 2021—the New York Times bestselling author spends her time speaking up for animals.

Vegan for more than a decade, Bialik first went vegetarian at the age of 19. In 2012, she founded the Shamayim V'Aretz Institute, a Jewish animal advocacy organization. In 2014, she released a vegan cookbook, Mayim’s Vegan Table, which features more than 100 tasty, plant-based recipes that are accessible to everyone.

Fast forward to today, and she still regularly uses her platform to discuss animal welfare issues, from animal agriculture to animal testing.

We caught up with Bialik to chat about her plant-based journey, tips for people looking to make the switch, and her thoughts on how transformative incremental change can be.

Can you describe the “aha” moment that inspired you to stop eating animals?

I guess it was a lot of “aha” moments. I didn’t have one in particular, but reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals was really the final confirmation for me that I was ready to go all the way. I had not eaten meat for many, many years, and I had cut out pretty much all dairy, but I was still eating some trace eggs and trace dairy, very rarely. But reading that book really confirmed for me the social and environmental impact of my decisions, and that’s what sort of put the nail in the coffin into the way that I’d been eating.

What have been the most significant shifts you’ve noticed in your life (changes in your health, etc.) since going plant-based?

I never really felt comfortable eating animals, because the way that I show I love animals is by not eating them. And I always felt conflict when I would eat something, and now I don't feel that conflict anymore. I don’t feel guilt—I don't wonder if the farm is safe that produced the eggs, or if the cows were happy. I just don’t have to wonder anymore, because I've stopped having to have those kinds of conversations.

My seasonal allergies almost completely went away when I cut out dairy. I stopped having to go on antibiotics for sinus infections all the time. Those are the big ones. Also, many families have heart disease and things like that that run in families, and I do feel like I'm doing my best to stack the chips in my favor, and that's a huge shift.

What do you think is the biggest misconception about going plant-based? Do you have any helpful tips for people interested in making the switch?

It’s a huge misconception that you can’t be healthy and go plant-based. Tips for people interested in making the switch: go slowly! Meatless Mondays is a great experiment that has taken hold in many places and that’s a great example. Start looking at the foods that you already enjoy that don’t have meat or dairy. Pasta marinara is one of the most beloved foods for many people. Many, many salads don’t need to have meat or cheese on them to be delicious and also nutritious. So there are many foods that we already eat that are plant-based. Look to those and think about embellishing them.

What are your views on flexitarianism and the power of incremental changes?

I think incremental change is really, really important. Eating mindfully is important no matter what you eat. But for those of us that do have an ethical, social, environmental, and—in many cases—spiritual notion surrounding our food … for me, it kind of has to be one or the other. But I do appreciate when people are open-minded about eating plant-based.

What’s your favorite plant-based recipe to make?

I love making cookies—because I like to eat the batter. That’s really one of my most favorite things to make. I also like making smoothies. It’s fun, and I like seeing all of the colors go in there.

Your list of life accomplishments is lengthy: you’re a mother, an Emmy-nominated actor, a game show host, a neuroscientist (both on and off the screen!), a New York Times bestselling author, an animal activist, a mental health advocate … the list goes on. If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

Diverse. Diverse in my interests, diverse in how I live my life … diverse.

You’ve built an incredible platform of dedicated fans and followers throughout your extraordinary career. What’s the main thing you hope people take away from you and why?

I try and present my authentic self—and that means I’m not always perfect. And it means I mess up, and it means sometimes I say things in a way that people don’t appreciate. I just hope that people think of me as a person who really does try, and for the most part, present my real self. And one of the reasons I do my mental health podcast, Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown, is that I absolutely get to be myself. And it’s a really great exercise for me and hopefully a good learning experience for not only the person I do it with but also the people who listen.

You’re celebrating a very special day—happy birthday! What are you wishing for when you blow out your birthday candles this year?

It’s been a really big year. I always wish for world peace, meaning that’s always a hope of mine, in general. But, I guess it starts with inner peace, and so I guess I'd like to, in any way I can, keep contributing to a larger concept of peace by finding peace in myself. So, let’s aim for that.

Click here to subscribe to Bialik’s podcast, Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown. And for more helpful tips on how to transition to a plant-based diet, check out The Humane League’s “Path to Plant-Based” starter guide!