What Jennifer Coolidge (64) Eats to Feel Good in Her 60s
She is one of the funniest, most magnetic presences in Hollywood right now. She gives acceptance speeches that stop rooms cold, plays characters that audiences cannot look away from, and carries herself with the kind of loose, joyful confidence that most people spend decades trying to figure out. And the food angle, it turns out, is a big part of that story.
Jennifer Coolidge has been quietly building a relationship with plant-based food for over two decades, long before it was trendy, and the way she talks about eating is as unfiltered and entertaining as everything else she does.
The Pizza Chapter
The world got a glimpse into her eating habits during the COVID lockdown, and it was gloriously relatable. She told the Hollywood Reporter in a roundtable discussion that she spent months in New Orleans eating vegan pizzas for every meal, two at breakfast, two at lunch, two at dinner, with the number steadily increasing.
She gained around 30 to 40 pounds, nearly turned down ‘The White Lotus’ because of it, and only accepted the role after a friend gave her a firm reality check.
The honesty in how she told that story is very much a reflection of how she approaches food in general: without shame, without a diet manifesto, and with a refreshing sense of humor about the whole thing.
What She Actually Eats
Coolidge has been vegan for over 20 years, a commitment rooted far more in her love of animals than in any wellness agenda. Her day-to-day plate is built around fresh vegetables, plant-based proteins, and the foods that genuinely make her feel good rather than the ones that look good on a meal plan.
She is a documented, enthusiastic fan of the Beyond Burger, having publicly described it as nothing short of a transcendent experience. She sips almond milk in her iced coffee and is a regular at a low-key vegan restaurant in Studio City called Vegetable, where she has been spotted alongside other quietly plant-forward Hollywood names.
The Choices She Makes for Her Values
Her veganism is not a trend she adopted from a wellness influencer. She turned down a major hot dog commercial because the brand would not create a plant-based version, telling them she would be happy to participate the moment they made one.
She has been an active supporter of animal rights since 2003 and was named PETA’s Vegan Queen in 2023 for what the organization called her commitment to keeping cruelty out of her food, her wardrobe, and her beauty products.
Food and values being the same thing, for her, is not a calculation. It is simply how she lives.
The Philosophy That Makes It Stick
After the pandemic chapter, she returned to what she described as her commonsense plan: fresh vegetables, simple plant-based proteins, moderate portions, and a genuine attention to how food makes her feel rather than what it does for her appearance. Friends have noted that she chases energy and wellbeing, not a number on a scale.
That gap, between eating for how you look and eating for how you feel, is something she seems to have landed on clearly, and it shows in the way she moves through the world.
Jennifer Coolidge at this stage of her career is proof that the right relationship with food is not about perfection. It is about knowing what genuinely makes you feel good and building your plate around that, vegan pizzas included.
