Here's What JD Vance's Wife Usha Likes To Eat In A Day

It's no secret that Vice President JD Vance is a carnivorous, meat-loving kinda guy. "I'm kind of one of these people where if I don't have a piece of meat it's not a complete meal," he confessed during an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" in October 2024. As it turns out, however, his wife, second lady Usha Vance, couldn't be more opposite when it comes to her daily diet. As she discussed in her famous speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the 2024 Republican National Convention, the second lady strictly adheres to an vegetarian diet. (So, is that how Usha gets those killer legs and can pull off all those skin-baring dresses?!) 

The vice president told Rogan that "paneer and rice" and "delicious chick peas" are among his favorite dishes to enjoy with Usha. As for Usha, she revealed during an appearance on "Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain" in June that she has "always defaulted to beans and legumes" to get an adequate source of protein. "I also really enjoy eggs, and there are lots of ways that you can incorporate those into both Indian dishes and non-Indian dishes, and you know, meals from morning to evening," she added. But that's not all. Usha also shared that she had grown quite fond of her husband's baked goods. "He makes really, really good chocolate chip cookies," she divulged before also giving honorable mentions to the vice president's "amazing biscuits" and "really good cakes." So uh, beans, eggs, and chocolate chip cookies. What's not to love?! 

JD Vance's love for red meat is so strong that he even campaigned on it. During a rally on August 3, 2024, he accused Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris of wanting "to take away your ability to eat red meat." (In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, one of the lesser-known truths of Harris is that she's a sucker for a cheeseburger "from time to time," revealing as much during a 2019 Climate Crisis Town Hall on CNN.) While the statement was later confirmed to be untrue by Yahoo! News, it did beg the question as to whether or not JD was simply projecting, given that his own wife is no fan of red meat. Or perhaps he was just trying to placate his Big Mac-loving boss, Donald Trump, whose go-to McDonald's order includes not one but two of the fast food establishment's signature sandwiches.

However, it doesn't appear that Usha Vance pushes her own dietary preferences on JD whatsoever. In July 2025, the Vances were filmed at a diner in St. Cloud, Minnesota, known for serving up burgers, shakes, and cinnamon rolls. While on the campaign trail in August 2024, Usha even visited an Erie, Pennsylvania, butcher shop with JD. 

While some were quick to admonish JD for taking Usha to such a place, given her vegetarian lifestyle, others commended her for being open-minded and confident in her own choices. "The idea that a worldly, accomplished woman who's lived all over the country — grown up with, interacting, working, living w/ people from all walks of life — like Usha would somehow be offended by the mere presence of people who eat & make meat only speaks to your laughable ignorance," one X user wrote.