Celebrity Baby Boomer Vegetarians

Mary Tyler Moore, 73 The legendary sitcom star is an outspoken advocate for animal rights, so her meat-free diet is no surprise. The girl who turned the world on with her smile also hopes to one day turn the world onto a diet like hers. She once said, Im convinced, with heightened awareness, that there will come a time when we look back and say, Can you believe that people used to eat animals? A human being has been given an intellect to make choices, and we know there are other food sources that do not require the killing of a creature that would protest being killed.

Phylicia Rashad, 62 From one mom to another! The Cosby matriarch was actually turned on to vegetarianism by her own mother. Recalling the roots of her meat-less diet, Rashad explained, "When I was in elementary school or my first year of junior high school, my mother met a professor from India who was Hindu. He taught her about Hindu cooking and the benefits of vegetarianism, and my mother then taught these things to us. I remember our first vegetarian Thanksgiving! We were told that we could not eat until the sun went down. We couldn't eat hot dogs, soda, or popcorn when we went to the football game (on Thanksgiving). I remember wondering what this dinner would be like without turkey! As it turned out, my mother prepared the best vegetarian dinner. Each new dish was better than the last one."

Ellen DeGeneres, 52 Ellen is responsible for one of the most poignant vegetarian moments of 2010, when she presented Lady Gaga with a vegetable dress after the pop star made headlines by wearing a meat ensemble at the Video Music Awards. But Ellen has taken her beliefs one step further, and along with wife Portia De Rossi, adopted a vegan diet. Portia talked about their lifestyle, explaining, "We just made that shift in our lives. The benefit of it is weight loss. For her more than me. Her body responded to it very well. It is amazing. We are just both very happy. It feels like such a compassionate choice. We are such animal lovers, why stop short of cows and chickens? It didn't make any sense."

Christie Brinkley, 56 Christie's decision to go meatless was not a recent one. In fact, she was a vegetarian even before her supermodel days -- and of course throughout. Making it sound easy, Christie once said, Nutrition has always played a huge role in my life. I became a vegetarian when I was 13 and then got my entire family to become vegetarians. And I have always been active my whole life. I genuinely enjoy sports and I spend time on my total gym.

Angela Bassett, 52 The actress may not eat meat, but don't worry: she won't judge you for doing it. And unlike others who claim "not to have a taste" for animals, Bassett acknowledged that sticking to a strict diet is part of her job description. She admitted, "I try to eat healthy, but I won't get on other people's nerves about it. If you want to eat bacon, I'm OK with that. I love vegan choices, raw food choices, and I'll eat whatever I have to in order to get into whatever shape I need to get into for any one particular role."