US Vice President-elect JD Vance has revealed that his Indian-American wife Usha Vance's influence and heritage have guided his journey into the world of plant-based foods and towards a vegetarian diet.
In a conversation with Joe Rogan on the ‘Joe Rogan Experience,' Vance appreciated the Indian food, saying, "They make very good vegetarian food".
Describing himself as a meat and potato guy from Ohio, Vance recalled a humorous moment from his early days dating Usha, attempting to cook a vegetarian meal.
“I wanted to make dinner. I wanted to really impress her,” he said, adding that he didn't have any idea what vegetarians ate. He described his attempt at a “vegetarian pizza,” explaining how he rolled out a sheet of crescent dough, topped it with raw broccoli, sprinkled ranch dressing over it, and baked it for 45 minutes.
“It was disgusting,” he admitted.
He also said that he is kind of one of those people who feel that if there's no meat, it's not a complete meal.
“But if you're going vegetarian, go for paneer, rice, delicious chickpeas — do not eat this disgusting fake meat,” he said.
His response came after Joe Rogan called plant-based meat “highly processed garbage.” Rogan then went on to add, “If you want to eat vegetables and be vegetarian, eat Indian food. They make really delicious vegetarian food.”
Usha had previously shared that her husband's decision to embrace vegetarianism stemmed not only from their relationship but also from authentic Indian recipes they learnt from her mother.
During the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee earlier this year, Usha said that her husband was initially a “meat and potatoes” enthusiast, but he embraced vegetarianism under her influence and even learned to cook Indian dishes from her mother.
Usha and JD Vance met at Yale University and married in 2014. The couple has three children.
In his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, he has described Usha as his “Yale spirit guide,” someone who helped him navigate life at the prestigious university.
