Love has the power to move mountains, and apparently, to move meat off the plate of America’s second-in-command. At the heart of Vice President JD Vance’s quiet culinary evolution is Usha Vance, his wife, a Yale-educated attorney raised in Southern California by Indian immigrant parents from Andhra Pradesh.
Their marriage didn’t just bridge backgrounds, it brought an entirely new flavor to the VP’s plate, one built on paneer, chickpeas, and the cultural vibrance of vegetarian Indian cuisine.
Today I visited the Taj Mahal with Usha and the kids.
It’s a beautiful historic site, and I’m grateful for the warm welcome we received there! pic.twitter.com/3FNnlNAKd2
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) April 23, 2025
Usha, who grew up in Rancho Peñasquitos, came into the marriage with deep-rooted vegetarian habits. Though she’s never detailed the full reasons behind her vegetarianism, it’s a lifestyle she’s maintained well into motherhood. Over time, her way of eating began to reshape the life of her husband, a man once proudly anchored to the meat-and-potatoes world of Middletown, Ohio.
JD Vance, whose Appalachian roots meant meals built around fried chicken, roast beef, and mashed potatoes, admitted on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in October 2024, “I’m kind of one of these people where if I don’t have a piece of meat, it’s not a complete meal.” But in the same breath, he surprised listeners with his praise for Usha’s home cooking and Indian vegetarian dishes.
Before meeting Usha at Yale Law, Vance had barely dipped a toe into vegetarian food, let alone the richly spiced world of Indian cuisine. Eager to impress her early on, he attempted to make a vegetarian pizza. “I rolled out a flat thing of crescent rolls, put raw broccoli on top of it, sprinkled ranch dressing, and stuck it in the oven for 45 minutes,” he recalled, laughing. “It was disgusting.”
As their relationship grew, so did Vance’s appreciation for Usha’s food and her family. He began learning to cook Indian meals himself, not just for Usha, but also for her mother.
Speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Usha shared that moment with the world, “When JD met me, he approached our differences with curiosity and enthusiasm. He wanted to know everything about me, where I came from, what my life had been like.
Although he’s a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food for my mother, Indian food. Before I knew it, he’d become an integral part of my family, a person I could not imagine living without.”
JD and Usha Vance pic.twitter.com/9zGocbh7ks
— Girl patriot (@Girlpatriot1974) April 29, 2025
Today, JD Vance openly celebrates paneer and chickpeas, staples of Indian home cooking. On Rogan’s podcast, he dismissed the idea of plant-based fake meats, saying they’re “highly processed garbage,” and urged listeners to explore real vegetarian cooking instead. “Disgusting fake meat,” he warned, before recommending paneer and rice. “They make very good vegetarian food,” he said, referring to his wife’s Indian-American heritage.
Paneer, a soft, protein-rich Indian cheese, has become one of his favorites. It is usually cooked with spinach (in saag paneer) or served with spiced gravies over rice, it’s a hearty alternative to meat and a key player in Vance’s new routine.
Another star of the Vance dinner table? Chickpeas. “Delicious,” JD described them. Chickpeas, or chana, are foundational in Indian kitchens, featured in dishes like chana masala, chole bhature, and kala chana. Thanks to Usha, JD now enjoys these fiber- and protein-packed legumes as both comfort food and fuel.
Smash the heart❤button if you truly support the Great Second Family of America
👍 JD Vance
♥️ Usha Vance pic.twitter.com/LqTqIMMg9a— Usha Vance News (@UshaVanceNews) April 27, 2025
While Usha Vance may not have set out to revolutionize her husband’s diet, her influence is unmistakable.
He may still be Vice President of the United States, but when it comes to what’s on his plate, it’s clear Usha is quietly running the show.
