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Looks like ‘Top Chef’ judge, cookbook author, actress and model Padma Lakshmi is a proponent of plant-based diets. In an interview with the Huffington Post, she revealed her affinity for eating meatless meals—when she’s not judging the popular show.

During the chat, she praises the benefits of a vegetarian diet, citing that it’s more affordable, and improves your skin, hair and eyesight.

“We always say, when we’re counseling people on how to eat, try to eat as many colors as you can,” she said to HuffPost Live’s Marc Lamont Hill.

The appearance was part of her partnership with meatless food purveyor Morningstar Farms (not a vegan company, FYI, but veg) on a campaign called Veg of Allegiance. It asks people to pledge to go meatless for a certain number of meals per week.

“When I’m not working on the show and I want to eat cleaner and healthier I mostly eat plant-based at home,” she explained.

“Eating vegetarian is more economical,” she adds. “It’s hard to get organic vegetables that are lower priced, but a bag of beans or lentils, which gives you a lot of protein, costs less then the same equivalent weight [of meat].”

Her daily protein comes from tofu, lentils and legumes, she added.

While it would be better for the environment and the animals if she were praising a vegan diet, every step towards reduced meat consumption is a positive one, and worth recognizing.

If Padma Lakshmi eats plant-based at home, maybe it’s time ‘Top Chef’ went vegan?!

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