9 Powerful Men Who Don't Eat Meat

REUTERS/Kacper PempelAdd Jay-Z to the growing list of successful men who don't eat meat.

The hip-hop mogul announced Tuesday on his blog, that he "will embark on a 22 Days challenge to go completely vegan, or as I prefer to call it, plant-based!!"

Jay-Z may not have made a lifetime commitment to stop eating meat, but there are many other influencers who have, transcending the stereotype that "real men eat meat."

The trend, which says "I can be strong and powerful and still eat kale," parallels mounting public awareness about the damaging effects of meat consumption on health and the environment. For some, the welfare of factory-farmed animals is also a concern.

In the United States, vegetarians are still rare: Only 5% of American adults say they are vegetarian, according to a 2012 Gallup study, and just 2% of people consider themselves vegan - people who don't eat any ingredients that come from an animal, including eggs, milk, and honey.

While the percentage of vegetarians has remained the same over the last decade, this pattern may slowly change as tofu and salads became more fashionable among America's male movers and shakers.