Bill Clinton: poster child for plant-based diet

Bill Clinton, once famous for his larger-than-life appetite, is now the poster child for a vegan lifestyle.

Back in the 1990s, the former president was known--and even mocked--for his fast-food cravings. In a "Saturday Night Live" skit, the late Phil Hartman, playing Clinton, is shown jogging three blocks to McDonald's to mix it up with the people -- and sample all of their lunches. You can see the hilarious sketch here.

But Bill is no longer a burger lover: After a quadruple bypass in 2004 and a follow-up procedure last year to insert two stents to open up veins from the surgery, Clinton has dramatically changed his ways. As he discussed with Yahoo! News last year, he is now vegan.

Clinton first dropped red meat to shed weight for his daughter Chelsea's wedding. The president referenced a study that people with heart disease who switched their eating habits eventually saw their bodies healed. The elder statesman, who celebrates his 65th birthday on Friday, told Yahoo! News that he is taking his diet and health seriously so as to ensure that he'll be around to enjoy his future grandchildren.

The lean leader's new diet is made up mainly of plants, vegetables, and beans. As he revealed to Dr. Sanjay Gupta on CNN earlier this week, he stays away from dairy, meat, and fish, and keeps his menu largely plant-based.

Still, the former president has his occasional dietary weaknesses. As he told Dr. Gupta, at Thanksgiving he allows himself "one bite of turkey."