Travis Barker says he hid meat in his pockets as a young vegan

Travis Barker's vegan journey didn't start cleanly. He went to great lengths to hide his distaste for meat as a kid. That sometimes meant getting his hands dirty, literally.

“I had a very strict father growing up, and you had to eat everything on your plate before you left the dinner table,” the Blink-182 drummer recently told People. “So I’d be there for hours sometimes – till I figured out I could hide all of the meat in my pockets.”

Barker, 50, looked back on the confusing time in his life in the new interview, which touched on his campaign with the Humane World for Animals organization. It aims to promote "simple choices" to better the future of animals, including "eating more plant-based meals, choosing cruelty-free products, embracing animal-friendly fashion or adopting a shelter pet instead of buying one from a pet store," according to the nonprofit's website.

One Thanksgiving in particular marked a turning point in his views on animal rights and veganism.

“As a kid, I didn’t know I was eating pig, or I was eating a cow," Barker told People. “Once I figured out both of those things, it was done. I remember clearly sitting at Thanksgiving dinner and telling my dad I don’t eat meat anymore. That was the beginning of me making plant-based meals in my house.”

Barker told People that he makes plant-based meals for his children and wife, Kourtney Kardashian Barker, often, even though they aren't all vegan.

Their two-year-old son, Rocky Barker, eats vegan for now, and Travis Barker hopes that one day he'll make the decision himself: "He loves animals ... And I feel like when he figures out everything like I did, he’s gonna be the same way because he eats just like me ... Whatever his choice is when he’s old enough to make it will be his."

Travis and Kourtney married in 2022. Barker's launched several business ventures in the vegan space, including investing in plant-based McDonald's alternative Mr. Charlie's and the vegan restaurant Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles, which recently added a new location in Las Vegas.

In a 2023 interview with Cultured Mag, Barker and Crossroads Kitchen's head chef Tal Ronnen spoke about brand vision and how they became vegan. Barker said that punk rock culture was a big influence on his decision.

Barker also heads vegan health brand Barker Wellness and vegan cannabis brand Barker Canna. He's got his hands full, but Kourtney and Rocky seem to be keeping him grounded.

In his new Hulu documentary, "Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear," Kardashian recalled how quickly things fell into place after she and Barker turned their long-term friendship into a romantic relationship in 2021.

"Everything just made so much sense," Kardashian said. "We were so happy."