NADYA Hutagalung isn't the only vegetarian celebrity mum in Singapore.
The New Paper spoke to two other household names in local television, who make eating vegetables sound like a whole lot of fun.
Lin Meijiao
Before turning vegetarian 21/2 years ago, seafood and chicken were part of veteran actress Lin Meijiao's staple diet.
'I had cut out pork, mutton and beef already because, personally, I didn't like them,' said the 42-year old.
'But back then, I was still eating chicken and seafood from time to time.
'It was only after watching a video clip with my daughter that both of us decided to start excluding all forms of meat from our meals.'
The video clip was one that displayed the cruelty of animal slaughter.
It was a rude awakening for her, and for her 14-year-old daughter, Meijiao said.
'Watching the video made me recall how during my childhood days, some of my relatives would kill chickens and invite me to participate in the killing too,' she said.
'I promised myself, I would never do something like that ever again.'
Today, Meijiao sticks to her vegetables, whether dining at home or outdoors.
She is extremely proud of her daughter, who, she said, has the determination to fight off any temptations and desires for meat.
'She used to like the rice burgers at MOS Burger a lot - she could eat two in a row,' said Meijiao with a chuckle.
'And she even encourages her friends to give the vegetarian lifestyle a shot!'
Xiang Yun
Veteran MediaCorp actress Xiang Yun has a wish, and it has nothing to do with her acting craft.
'I hope to go into the vegetarian food & beverage business someday, it's always a dream of mine to open a cafe or restaurant specialising in vegetarian dishes,' said the 47-year-old.
She was partly influenced by her mum, who used to own a vegetarian hawker stall.
'It takes effort and a lot of heart to come up with healthy, delicious vegetarian meals,' Xiang Yun said.
Before giving birth to her second child, her daughter Yixin, in 2000, she had been on a full vegetarian diet for two years.
'It became harder after Yixin was born, because there are times when you just have to give in to meat,' she said.
'For example, on special occasions like our kids' birthdays, we do go out to have a nice, omnivorous meal.
'I would say I'm about 95 per cent vegetarian now.'
Thankfully, Xiang Yun has the ardent support of her actor husband Edmund Chen.
'I first got serious about vegetarianism in the late 1990s, when I followed Edmund to Miami where he was based briefly to do some recording work,' she said.
'There, I picked up some organic vegetarian culinary skills - it was really fun!
'Edmund was pretty much into it as well and we would discuss how to whip up dishes using ingredients like mushrooms, beans and almond nuts.'
