The Charlie’s Angels actress partnered with Quorn to expand meat-free options that even little ones will love. “This partnership is very personal for me. As a mom of two daughters, I know the importance of having affordable, easily accessible and delicious options that I feel good about serving my kids," she said in a statement. “I love this brand because the integrity of its mission truly motivates me and I’m honored to be joining as Chief Mom Officer. I’m so excited to work closely with the Quorn USA team!” Barrymore’s lifestyle choices vary as much as her onscreen roles because she understands that as a mom, you have to make some compromises here and there. Find out about her favorite recipes, ethical eating and the two names she drops as inspirations to embrace healthier, more eco-friendly choices.
It seems to me that kids these days are very conscious about the ramifications of what they choose to eat for themselves, for their own health, for the planet, for other people and for other people’s wellbeing. Are those conversations that your daughters have with you?
Yes and no. I definitely—not to drop a name because I hate it—it’s just my sister Cameron Diaz really changed my life a few years ago and she’s been on a green thing for her whole life. And really, did a show about it on MTV in the early 2000s. Prius, and do this and don’t do that and she’s been my guiding light on it. I wasn’t that person. Even though she was and she’s my friend, I wasn’t raising my kids that way and I wasn’t being aware. It was like making her a promise a couple of years ago and then I started just going full attack. Like if it’s saran wrap, is it compostable? I went all in. So now I’m having those conversations, and I think there’s much more talk about it and awareness for young kids and adults. You can definitely be savvier about it. But I think that’s one end of the spectrum. I think I also want to be in retailers and in the freezer and grab a bowl or cooked hot at restaurants. How do we make this quick, accessible, and affordable—I just don’t want to pitch anything that’s not accessible and you have to cook all the time and you have to spend a lot of money to do it. That’s not the way the world works. So that’s really important to me, too. And this brand [Quorn] has such an amazing history. It was developed in the ‘60s and microprotein is really on the forefront, ironically, for a heritage brand of exactly what is truly on the cutting edge right now with mycelium, Stella McCartney doing Mylo because even her vegan leather was emitting plastic, and realizing your dryer sheets emit plastic. Once you sort of hook in, as they say in tech, you’re wired into being a conscious person about everything. Something new does start to take shape and I’m really glad and honored to be on that journey. So I’ve been looking to do business that way and work with companies and really change the direction of the ship for myself in my own life. Also, I want to bring humor to it. Did you see me and the chicken in the commercial?
I did. I’m very jealous of your BFF-ship with the chicken.
That is, I want to as a marketer and a storyteller, I want to bring warmth and humor and coziness and friendship and something invitational, rather than just like meat with flames and branding. I don’t know if there are other sides to this story. And it is a mom who will do anything to not have their kid meltdown. On the other side of the spectrum, if your kid is not sitting down and going, “Hey mom, I really want to eat ethically,” you know, there’s also a very long period of time you go through as a parent with babies and toddlers where you will feed them anything to plug the hole of a full-blown hanger meltdown. So I think it’s different phases, but if kids are of a certain age and they’re more and more aware, how wonderful is that?
Can you talk about some of your recent picky eater wins? Any picky eater hacks that are new that you can share?
I have a bunch! My kids eat salmon, which I’m really excited about, and blueberries and broccoli and raspberries and strawberries and bananas and apples. We double down on all of that, and then they love grilled cheese. They love the Quorn nuggets, that’s like their favorite and I’ve tried other different varieties of chicken tenders that come for them, and they by far like this the most—thank God. So that is important to me, too. It’s like, we’re talking about this product and this company and all its intentions, but at the end of the day, is it good? Does it make you happy? Is it healthy for you? Is it better for the planet? And this checks all of those boxes, which is so meaningful and important to me. And it’s highly addictive. I’m not going to lie, [it ’s like the] potato chip campaign, “you cannot just eat one,” you’ll go hard if you go in. And then also if you’re on a food trend, do like the chicken sandwiches—and then this roast is my favorite. You put it in an oven for 15 minutes and it comes out, you can cut it into like medallions, and it feels kind of sous vide and juicy. Carve it for a sandwich. I also love the meatless grounds to make a Bolognese pasta, and then you can use the chicken and the beef for inside tacos. So you can get really diverse and plan a ton of different types of meals. And then sometimes you can hit the drive-through or the gas station and grab a snack or something. You’re going to be buying a store-bought sandwich if you’re lucky, and sometimes you’ll be able to cook dinner for your kids and life is going to vary into all the different resources. We’ve got to tap into it due to the circumstance.
You’ve said you’re on a flexitarian diet. Can you tell us more about that?
I don’t want to be judged. I’ve been a vegan. Back 10, 20 years ago when I was doing it, it was so hard, it was not like it is today. I mean, look at where the plant-based meat alternative movement has happened in the last three years. It was never an option [back then], and now I’m so happy about that. I was raised vegetarian and I don’t eat chicken for 13 years. I don’t want to be judged though, if that’s OK. I don’t want to be shamed into a lifestyle. I have to want to be empowered and send a positive message that you can incorporate this into the omelet of your life. Next, find out the “best friends” snack Drew Barrymore made with Cameron Diaz!
