How Vegetarian Cooking Has Changed, According To Mary McCartney - Exclusive

Mary McCartney comes from a very famous vegetarian family. Her mother, Linda McCartney, released a vegetarian cookbook in the late 1980s and founded her own frozen meal company a few years later. Her father, the iconic musician Paul McCartney, became a vegetarian in 1975 thanks to the influence of his wife, Linda (per Vegan.com). So it is safe to say Mary McCartney has been eating vegetarian since before it was cool or even popular. After leaving home McCartney decided to stay with the vegetarian diet saying, "I realized that I had picked up enough and I enjoyed cooking enough that I knew how to do it in a way that felt satisfying. I stuck with it because I wanted to rather than feeling like I had to, which is important."

Now, McCartney is paving the vegetarian food way with vibrant and easy recipes for everyone. In addition to her vegetarian cookbooks, including "Food: Vegetarian Home Cooking" and "At My Table: Vegetarian Feasts for Family and Friends," McCartney stars in the cooking show "Mary McCartney Cooks It Up!," now in its third season on Discovery+. In the show, McCartney meets with famous friends. They reminisce and tell stories as she walks them and the audience through delicious and simple meals. A lot has changed in vegetarian cooking since McCartney's childhood. We got a chance to speak with her in an exclusive interview about how vegetarian cooking has evolved.

When asked about the vegetarian cooking world, McCartney said, "It's really developed and changed ... There's so many more exciting conversations about food and recipes, and it doesn't feel like a chore. It feels exciting and vibrant."  

And it isn't just cooking that has changed. McCartney points out that as meat-free diets have become more common, restaurant menus now provide more vegetarian choices. "So many restaurants have the options," she says. "We walk down the street in New York, and it has vegan and vegetarian options everywhere. It feels like it's being embraced by a lot more people." 

McCartney notes that this comes with a bonus for those keeping meat-free diets. Whereas previously, the only people keeping meat-free were those who chose it, now with so many enjoyable options, "People are enjoying it because they want to do it, not because they feel like they have to do it."

McCartney showcases many of her vegetarian and vegan recipes on her show "Mary McCartney Serves it Up!" Season 3 is now streaming on Discovery+.