The legendary biologist made a major change to his diet.
99-Year-Old Sir David Attenborough No Longer Eats This One Thing
Published on May 08, 2025
Sir David Attenborough has one of the most famous voices of all time. If you’ve seen any nature documentaries in the past 50 years, you can probably hear it right now. In fact, I urge you to imagine that he is narrating this story, because I think that will make for a much more enjoyable read.
Today marks Sir David’s 99th birthday, an important milestone for the biologist. “I see no reason whatsoever why I can’t live past 100,” he told the Sun in 2017. “Earth has enough wonders to make more than three Planet Earth series.” His pursuit of longevity is tied to his passion for documenting all that our planet has to offer.
As an environmentalist, he’s given considerable thought to the kind of food that he eats. And in order to live to 100 (and beyond!), he eliminated something from his diet.
What food does Sir David Attenborough no longer eat?
In the past few years, he has given up eating red meat altogether. That means no beef, lamb, pork, veal or venison.
“I do eat cheese, I have to say, and I eat fish. But by and large, I’ve become much more vegetarian over the past few years than I thought I would ever be,” he said in an interview.
Forgoing meat altogether or simply cutting back on meat has gained a lot of popularity over the last 20 years. In fact, “Meatless Monday” began in 2003 as a partnership between advocate Sid Lerner and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
There are a lot of really tasty meat substitutes available at the grocery store, and they make for a delicious way to cut back on meat while still enjoying familiar recipes. And of course, tofu remains one of the cheapest and easiest ways to swap out animal-based protein in a meal.
I eat meat, but I also love the convenience of cooking with tofu. In fact, I am constantly converting my friends into tofu enthusiasts—one of my favorite recipes is a Buffalo tofu salad with extra crispy pieces of tofu doused in Frank’s Buffalo sauce. If Sir David Attenborough ever comes over to my house, I will make this for him!
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