Serena Williams on trying a vegan diet and why she could not give up chicken and tacos(Getty Images)
Serena Williams tried changing her diet, but giving up some of her favourite foods proved difficult. The tennis legend explored vegan eating after her sister Venus Williams introduced her to raw vegetables and plant-based meals. Serena enjoyed the experience and felt it benefited her body and tennis.
However, she could not stick to the diet completely.In a March 2016 interview, she explained why chicken and tacos eventually returned to her meals. She also recalled going vegan during the 2013 French Open, which she won.
How Venus Williams introduced Serena Williams to vegan eating
Serena's interest in vegan food grew through her sister Venus, who explored the diet after experiencing health problems. Venus's experience introduced Serena to meals built around raw vegetables and other plant-based foods.In an ESPN interview Serena explained how her sister helped her discover this approach to eating.She said, “She introduced me to a really vegan and raw, kind of really vegetable, whole raw world.”Serena enjoyed trying different foods and noticed changes that she liked. She said the diet had benefits for her game and her body.However, Serena did not suggest that she had completely changed her eating habits overnight.
She was exploring a different way of eating and learning what worked for her. Her experience also showed that she could appreciate the benefits of a diet without finding it easy to follow every day.Venus remained an important part of that learning process. Serena explained that her sister continued to educate her about food choices that could help her stay healthy.The two sisters had spent years competing at the highest level of professional tennis.
Their careers demanded regular training and physical preparation. Serena's comments showed that she was also paying attention to her diet and looking for ways to take care of her body.She did not credit vegan food with all her success on the court. Instead, she spoke about the positive experience she had while following the diet and her interest in learning more about it.
Why Serena Williams could not give up chicken and tacos
Although Serena liked the vegan diet, sticking to it was another challenge.
She admitted that she found it difficult to stop eating some of her favourite foods. “I couldn't quite give up the chicken. And then the tacos kind of creeped back into my life,” Serena told ESPN.Her answer explained why she had struggled to maintain a completely vegan diet. She enjoyed plant-based meals, but she was not ready to give up chicken. Tacos also found their way back into her regular eating habits.Serena was open about the difficulty instead of claiming that she had followed the diet perfectly.
She had tried it, enjoyed parts of the experience and still found herself returning to foods she liked.She also clarified that she had made other changes to her diet. Serena said she did not eat red meat and was learning about healthy eating through Venus.“I don't eat red meat and a lot of other stuff, and so I was educating myself through Venus on a lot of things to remain healthy,” she explained.Her comments showed that she continued to think about her food choices even though she struggled to follow a vegan diet.
She was interested in eating well, but she had not given up every food that did not fit into a fully plant-based diet.Serena's experience was not a story about rejecting vegan food. She had enjoyed it and recognised benefits during the time she followed it. The difficulty came when she tried to maintain the diet while still wanting foods such as chicken and tacos.She also did not say that she had stopped caring about her diet after returning to those foods.
Her comments made it clear that she was still learning from Venus and considering different ways to stay healthy.
Serena Williams went vegan during the 2013 French Open
Serena had already tried a vegan diet during a major tennis tournament. She went vegan during the 2013 French Open, where she eventually won the women's singles title.When she discussed that experience with ESPN in 2016, Serena remembered feeling good while following the diet. She also said she had not felt tired during the tournament.“I wasn't tired. It was good. It was really good,” Serena said.Her recollection was positive. She had competed at the French Open while following a vegan diet and remembered the experience as a good one. It gave her a reason to consider trying the diet again.However, Serena did not say that vegan eating was responsible for her victory in Paris. She spoke about how she felt during the tournament rather than claiming the diet had helped her win the title.She also did not present the experience as proof that she could easily follow the diet permanently. Her later admission about chicken and tacos showed that she had struggled to maintain the same approach after the tournament.Still, Serena had not forgotten how she felt in 2013. Three years later, she was considering returning to the diet.“I don't know why I don't do that more often. Maybe this year I need to get back on that,” she told ESPN.Her words suggested that she was open to giving vegan eating another try in 2016. She remembered the experience positively and seemed interested in making it part of her routine again.Serena did not confirm in that interview that she had returned to a vegan diet. She spoke about the possibility of doing so, leaving her plans open.
Serena Williams remained open to trying the diet again
Serena's 2016 interview offered a straightforward account of her experience with vegan eating.
Venus introduced her to raw vegetables and plant-based meals, and Serena found benefits that she liked. But she also admitted that she could not completely give up chicken and eventually returned to eating tacos.Her experience at the 2013 French Open gave her another reason to consider the diet. She remembered feeling good during the tournament and said she had not felt tired. Even after struggling to follow the diet consistently, she remained interested in trying it again.
Serena's comments did not suggest that she had settled on one permanent way of eating. She was exploring her options, learning from Venus and making choices based on her own experience.The tennis star also made it clear that avoiding red meat was already part of her eating habits. She continued to educate herself about food and health, even though she could not maintain a fully vegan diet.Her admission about chicken and tacos explained the challenge she faced. Serena Williams wanted to go vegan, yet giving up two foods she enjoyed was harder than she expected.