What Billy Bob Thornton Eats

Billy Bob Thornton has lived quite a life. After starting his career by trying to make it big in music, Thornton switched to acting and spent years grinding his way up the Hollywood ladder before hitting the big time in the 1990s indie film "Sling Blade," for which he won an Academy Award. The following years saw Thornton mentioned in reams of tabloid headlines, thanks in no small part to his high-profile marriage to and divorce from Angelina Jolie. Fast forward to today, and he's become a huge TV star thanks to shows like "Goliath" and the hit series "Landman."

All of which has foodie fans wondering one thing: What does he eat? Luckily, Thornton has been asked that question quite a lot over the course of his career. In fact, the specifics of Thornton's diet seem to have been a bit of a weird obsession for the media. Whether it's the unusual food choices that landed Thornton in the hospital or the bizarre rumor that he only eats foods that are orange, the contents of Thornton's stomach have made front-page news for decades.

So, grab some fried taters and settle in, because it's time to pull back the curtain and find out what Billy Bob Thornton really eats. The only thing more satisfied than your hunger will be your curiosity.

In the late 1990s, Billy Bob Thornton signed on for the movie "Pushing Tin," where he decided a radical physical transformation was necessary for the role. Namely, drastic weight loss. Thornton created and followed a special diet of just Twizzlers and canned tuna to achieve the look he wanted to play Russell Bell. He told "Nightline" (via ABC News), "If you want to [lose weight] quickly, you just pick something and because I happen to know if you eat a can of tuna and a pack of Twizzlers, you will lose weight, I promise you."

But the crash diet caused serious and unintended consequences. Thornton told The Los Angeles Daily News (via RadarOnline) that after losing 59 pounds for the role, he ended up in the hospital. "Frankly, for a while there, I think I had a little mental problem," he said. "I got anorexic; of course, I denied it to my girlfriend Laura Dern and everyone else who said I had an eating disorder."

The Twizzlers and tuna regimen wasn't the first time an unbalanced diet caused Thornton serious health issues. In the early 1980s, after moving to Hollywood, Thornton was so poor he could only afford to eat potatoes. This led to a nutritional deficit that later triggered a heart attack.

In 2000, movie star Billy Bob Thornton was front-page news – not only for his marriage to Angelina Jolie, but for one of the more bizarre rumors in Hollywood history, which alleged that Thornton followed a special diet that meant he could only eat orange-colored foods.

Years later, Thornton told The Boot that he thinks the rumor came about simply because he liked papaya. "I used to go to this one hotel and have breakfast there and only order a plate of papaya and coffee, and those hotel people always talk about you to the media," he said. "So I think someone must have said, 'All he ever orders is papaya,' and it must have come from that."

Thornton confirmed that his diet at the time was far more varied than just orange foods — even if he revealed that, at the same restaurant, he actually sometimes ate salmon in addition to papaya. His publicist at the time, Michelle Bega, went so far as to issue a statement to the press detailing a number of non-orange foods that Thornton liked to eat. "These are unfortunate rumors," Bega said (via ABC News). "I've personally seen him eat a salad, watermelon, and even chicken." (There was no suggestion that the latter may have been orange chicken.)

In the late 1980s, Billy Bob Thornton learned that he had the ultra-rare blood type of AB negative. He has since suggested that this is the cause of his many allergies. As a result, Thornton — who had previously suffered debilitating headaches — cut out wheat, dairy, red meat, and more. Even though he's also allergic to shellfish, Thornton isn't necessarily allergic to other types of seafood, meaning that he does occasionally eat fish as part of his revised diet.

"I call myself a vegan who cheats," Thornton said during an appearance on the podcast "Mental Amanda" in 2020. "But I don't cheat that bad. Once in a blue moon, I'll have salmon or halibut, or something like that. Simply because every now and then, I kinda feel like I need it for some reason."

Thornton told Fort Worth Magazine that even though he does eat fish on rare occasions, he doesn't consider himself a pescatarian, in part because of his other dietary restrictions. "I can't call myself a pescatarian because pescatarians can have wheat and dairy," he said. "I can't, because of allergies." He made a similar note during his appearance on "Mental Amanda," arguing that he doesn't really qualify as a pescatarian because he eats fish so infrequently. "I can't really call myself a pescatarian, because I don't do it on a regular basis," he clarified. "I'm essentially vegan."

As a native son of Arkansas, you would expect that Billy Bob Thornton enjoys some old-fashioned Southern barbecue. Meat was definitely on the menu growing up, as Thornton revealed that his family often subsisted on squirrel and possum meat caught by his grandfather in the nearby woods. Even after Thornton began moving toward a vegan lifestyle, he continued to eat meat for a number of years before finally giving it up.

As he revealed in the mental health podcast "Mental Amanda" in 2020, his stomach issues mean he can't digest beef or pork. "I still ate meat up until probably like the late '90s, somewhere in there," Thornton said. He added, "I stopped red meat years and years ago, I haven't eaten red meat in ages and ages. And I've been essentially vegan for probably 20 to 25 years now."

Still, vegan meat substitutes just won't do, as Thornton says they have too much salt for him. And there's really nothing like authentic Texas barbecue — just ask the cast of "Landman." That's why it wasn't totally unsurprising when Thornton revealed to The Dallas Observer in 2012 that, despite his stomach problems and vegan lifestyle, he just can't stop himself from eating barbecue when he visits Texas. "I'm a vegan these days, so one thing I do differently when I'm in Texas is I'll usually eat some meat when I'm here," he said, adding that "every now and then I have to break down and have some when I'm down here."

One area where Billy Bob Thornton has truly embraced the vegan lifestyle is his breakfast menu. Thornton revealed on "Mental Amanda" in 2020 that he has a very strict breakfast routine that involves fruits, grains, and good old-fashioned soy milk.

"Every morning for breakfast, I have a Bobo's oat bar," he said. "Maple pecan, chocolate chip, and coconut are my three favorites. Every morning, I have one of those and a basket of blueberries, which are one of the best foods on Earth ... along with a decaf coffee with soy milk in it. That's what I have every day for breakfast. It may bore some people, but I love it." Pancakes with syrup are a no-go. The reason? Too much sugar. "If you wake up in the morning," he said, "and the first thing you do is have like a giant thing of pancakes with a half a tub of Vermont maple syrup on it ... those kinds of things will really get to me."

There has been at least some variance over the years in Thornton's breakfast choices, though. Six years earlier, he told People magazine that his idea of living high on the hog had nothing to do with bacon and everything to do with oatmeal. "I'm a vegan and eat extremely healthy," he said (via VegNews). "For me, something indulgent would be to cut up two bananas into my oatmeal instead of one."

From researching all the surprising foods that aren't actually vegan to tracking down vegan-friendly fast food restaurants, navigating the culinary landscape while following a plant-based diet can be tough. That's true even for Hollywood stars like Billy Bob Thornton. During an interview on "Mental Amanda," he revealed that he has a unique solution for finding safe vegan food when he's traveling: he simply brings it with him.

"I take one big suitcase with nothing but my own food," he said. "So if we hit some town where I can't find everything, I have bags of cashews, I have bags of almonds. I have these things you can get at health food stores, like kale chips. ... So I have a whole bag of dried foods that I can eat if we run into that situation."

When he's not dipping into his own personal pantry, Thornton also enjoys occasionally snacking on hummus or guacamole. But as corn is another food that doesn't agree with his sensitive stomach, Thornton usually forgoes tortilla chips for healthier options. Usually, at least. "I love hummus and guacamole," he said. "You have to face it that it's not quite as good with a piece of celery. ... You start out with good intentions. 'I'm just going to cut up some carrot sticks and celery and have the hummus.' And then you have a few, and then you go, 'Well, maybe I'll just have a couple of these corn chips.'" We feel you, Billy Bob.

One of the secrets to the success of Billy Bob Thornton's vegan lifestyle is eating a diet high in protein. While Thornton has admitted he cheats on very rare occasions by eating fish or barbecue, for the most part, he accomplishes this without eating meat of any kind. How? Well, one of his secrets is that he eats foods that you might not expect to have any protein at all, such as fruit and vegetables, but actually do.

"People don't understand that there's a lot of protein, even in vegetables," Thornton said during an interview on "Mental Amanda." "And fruit. Not as much, obviously. There's a lot of protein in nuts, and rice, and beans, and all these kinds of things. And I eat tofu ... I have a tofu taco instead of a chicken taco, I mean, I get plenty of protein in it."

Thornton also suggested trying soybeans or lentils if you want a non-meat source of protein. But Thornton is kind of a tofu junkie, admitting that he'll actually scarf it down straight from the package, no problem. "I'll eat two packages of tofu with a fork just right out of the refrigerator," he said.

The recipe for Southern pimento cheese usually involves the use of both cheddar cheese and mayonnaise. The latter, of course, includes eggs as an ingredient, so it wouldn't be the most obvious thing for a self-proclaimed vegan like Billy Bob Thornton to eat. But if there's one thing Thornton is known for, it's being a maverick.

In 2012, Thornton told The Dallas Observer that pimento cheese features prominently in his signature dish. "I make a really good grilled pimento cheese sandwich," he said. "That and cream of tomato soup. Those two together, that's pretty comforting food. It's dandy."

Of course, there are plenty of vegan cheese substitutes on the market, not to mention creative ways to use and upgrade Southern pimento cheese, so it's possible that Thornton has used his creative talents to craft a vegan-friendly alternative. He's certainly found different ways to enjoy other favorite foods, revealing that he often uses alternative types of flour — such as almond, cashew, or chickpea — due to his wheat allergy.

For decades, Billy Bob Thornton has pursued a healthier lifestyle through dietary changes, embracing veganism, and reducing or eliminating things such as wheat, dairy, meat, salt, sugar, and more from his diet. As an example, in 2025, his family helped him celebrate his 70th birthday the old-fashioned way: with a vegan birthday cake. "They got me a vegan cake, which — I can't eat wheat or dairy, so that was awesome," he told Rolling Stone. "Anytime a guy like me could have cake, it's a great day."

That's all set to change when Thornton turns 85. During a 2025 appearance on the Today Show, Thornton revealed all the bucket list restaurants he plans to eat at when he gets older. "I'd go to Long John Silver's," he said. "I'd go to Popeyes. God, just about everywhere. I would go to, you know, eat cupcakes at these places all the time. I'm allergic to wheat and dairy, I just wouldn't care ... I would eat everything in sight."

But the number one destination on his dream restaurant food binge? Pizza Hut. "The thin-crust pizza at Pizza Hut," he explained. "I grew up on it." We'll see you there in 2040, Billy Bob!