Discover the complete biography of Heidi Van Pelt, the vegan chef and entrepreneur who married former Home Improvement star Taran Noah Smith. Learn about her age, career, wedding details, and life journey.
Quick Facts About Heidi Van Pelt
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Heidi Van Pelt |
| Date of Birth | July 11, 1968 |
| Age | 56 years (as of 2024) |
| Birthplace | Missouri, USA |
| Height | 5’8″ (172 cm) |
| Profession | Vegan Chef, Nutritional Counselor, Entrepreneur |
| Famous For | Marriage to Taran Noah Smith, Playfood Restaurant |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Ex-Husband | Taran Noah Smith (m. 2001–2007) |
| Children | Information not publicly confirmed |
| Known Businesses | Playfood, Füd Restaurant, Emergent Films |
Heidi Van Pelt Biography
Heidi Van Pelt emerged as a notable figure in the vegan culinary world and gained widespread media attention through her controversial marriage to former child actor Taran Noah Smith. Born in the Midwest state of Missouri, Van Pelt’s journey from a troubled childhood to becoming a pioneering vegan entrepreneur represents a story of resilience, passion, and controversy.
Her life has been marked by constant reinvention, from her early attempts at various academic pursuits to establishing herself as a respected voice in the plant-based food movement. While many know her primarily through her connection to the “Home Improvement” star, Heidi’s contributions to vegan cuisine and her entrepreneurial ventures tell a much more complex story.
Van Pelt’s path was never conventional. She moved between different career aspirations and educational institutions before finding her true calling in nutrition and vegan food preparation. Her story reflects the journey of someone who refused to settle into traditional paths, constantly seeking new ways to express her passion for healthy living and animal welfare.
Heidi Van Pelt Age and Early Life
Born on July 11, 1968, Heidi Van Pelt is currently 56 years old. She spent her formative years in Missouri, though her childhood was far from stable. Her parents divorced when she was barely one year old, forcing young Heidi to shuttle between her mother’s and father’s homes throughout her upbringing. This early instability shaped her independent spirit and self-reliant nature.
Growing up in a broken family environment presented numerous challenges. According to various accounts, Van Pelt’s mother struggled with cooking, often burning meals to an inedible state. Paradoxically, this may have sparked Heidi’s later interest in food preparation and nutrition. Even as an eight-year-old child, she displayed an unusual concern for global food security, reportedly worrying about Siberians’ ability to produce food in harsh climates and dreaming of building greenhouses to help them.
Her educational journey was as unconventional as her childhood. Van Pelt attended both Blueprint High School and Oak Park High School in Missouri before graduating in 1986. Her post-secondary education revealed a pattern of exploration and change that would characterize much of her adult life.
Education and Early Career Pursuits
Heidi’s academic path demonstrates her diverse interests and constant search for purpose. She first enrolled at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, to study fashion design. However, conflicts with classmates led her to transfer to the University of Missouri, where she shifted her focus to German and Philosophy.
In 1988, driven by an ambition to become a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent, Van Pelt transferred to the University of Washington to pursue Russian Studies. This career aspiration seemed promising, but with just one semester remaining, she dropped out and founded her own company, Emergent Films. This pattern of starting ventures and moving on would repeat throughout her life.
After her film company folded, Van Pelt relocated to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry. She worked various positions including production assistant and props master on film sets. However, these jobs failed to satisfy her deeper calling.
Heidi Van Pelt Profession: The Journey to Vegan Chef
Van Pelt’s transformation into a vegan chef and nutritional counselor marked the true beginning of her professional identity. Already a vegetarian for several years, she discovered an animal welfare organization in Los Angeles that supported her transition to veganism and helped her develop her culinary skills.
Recognizing the need for formal education, Heidi enrolled in online courses at the American Academy of Nutrition, earning certification as a nutritional counselor. She began practicing as a nutritionist at a clinic in Los Angeles, where she quickly built a reputation for her knowledge and passion.
Her breakthrough came when she co-hosted a radio program called “Raw Health” on a local Los Angeles station. This platform elevated her profile significantly, bringing her into contact with Hollywood’s health-conscious community. Through her nutritional counseling and catering services, Van Pelt worked with notable personalities including actor Woody Harrelson, further establishing her credentials in the vegan community.
Van Pelt’s specialty was raw vegan food and creative plant-based cuisine. She developed innovative recipes, including a cashew-based cheese that would later become the foundation for her business ventures. Her approach emphasized not just health benefits but also the ethical and environmental reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle.
Meeting Taran Noah Smith
Heidi Van Pelt met Taran Noah Smith through her work in the vegan community. Smith, best known for playing Mark Taylor on the hit sitcom “Home Improvement,” would visit Van Pelt’s home for raw food dinner parties along with his friend Zachary Ty Bryan, another “Home Improvement” cast member.
Their initial meeting occurred around 1999 when Smith was just 16 years old and Van Pelt was 33. The connection was immediate, though the significant age gap would soon become the source of intense public scrutiny and family conflict.
Smith, who had earned approximately $1.5 million from his acting career held in a trust fund, became increasingly interested in both Van Pelt and her vegan lifestyle. She successfully converted the former In-N-Out Burger fan to an animal-free diet, and their relationship deepened despite the obvious complications.
Heidi Van Pelt Wedding Details
The wedding of Heidi Van Pelt and Taran Noah Smith on April 27, 2001, was anything but conventional. Smith was just 17 years old at the time, while Van Pelt was 33, creating a 16-year age difference that drew immediate media attention and harsh criticism.
The ceremony was a civil service conducted by a judge friend of Heidi’s in Topeka, Kansas. The marriage was partly strategic—Smith hoped that being married would help his case for emancipation from his parents, allowing him early access to his trust fund. He had accused his parents of mismanaging his money, claiming they had used it to purchase a mansion for themselves.
Smith’s parents strongly opposed both the relationship and the marriage, fighting his emancipation attempts in court. The family conflict became so intense that Smith ran away from home before the wedding. Despite the controversy and family opposition, the couple proceeded with their plans.
Once Smith turned 18 in 2002 and gained control of his trust fund, the couple returned to California. They used the funds to invest in the stock market and, most significantly, to launch their business venture together.
Heidi Van Pelt Taran Noah Smith: The Business Partnership
Beyond their romantic relationship, Heidi Van Pelt and Taran Noah Smith became business partners in 2005 when they launched Playfood, a California-based vegan restaurant and non-dairy cheese company. The venture specialized in organic, dairy-free products, with Van Pelt’s cashew-based cheese recipe as the flagship product.
Smith served as chairman and CEO, while Van Pelt held the position of president. They invested heavily in the business, purchasing a $45,000 van that they painted orange and branded with the Playfood logo. This mobile catering service attended art openings and trade shows, while they also hosted promotional dinners at Smith’s half-million-dollar house.
The company produced several products including Cheezy Cheese (cheddar), Nacheezmo (spicy southwestern nacho), Whip Cheese (cream cheese), and Cream Tang (sour cream). These products were GMO-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and trans-fat-free—ahead of their time in many respects.
Playfood received positive attention from vegan publications and health-conscious consumers. For several years, it appeared that Van Pelt and Smith had successfully combined their personal relationship with business success.
The Divorce and Its Aftermath
The marriage between Heidi Van Pelt and Taran Noah Smith began deteriorating around 2005. Both parties later cited different reasons for the breakdown. Van Pelt accused Smith of excessive partying and having affairs, while Smith alleged that Van Pelt had moved business funds into her personal account.
The couple officially filed for divorce on February 2, 2007, after six years of marriage. The divorce was finalized in 2010, with Smith ordered to pay Van Pelt $750 per month in spousal support until 2011. She also received 50% of his “Home Improvement” royalties, their house, and their car.
The dissolution of their marriage also meant the end of Playfood as they knew it. A bitter legal battle ensued over ownership of the company, particularly regarding Van Pelt’s cashew cheese recipe. Heidi argued that the vegan cheese concept was her intellectual property and that her efforts had built the company, while Smith contested her management of the business.
The dispute dragged on for two years, during which Playfood declined significantly. The company ultimately dissolved around 2009, though the products briefly reappeared on the market after the custody battle was resolved.
Heidi Van Pelt Vegan Chef: Life After Divorce
Following the divorce and Playfood’s closure, Heidi Van Pelt returned to her home state of Missouri, determined to continue her work in the vegan food industry. She initially operated a small raw-vegan pop-up at local markets in Kansas City, testing recipes and rebuilding her reputation.
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The positive reception led Van Pelt to open Füd (pronounced “food”), a full-service vegan restaurant on Kansas City’s Westside around 2010. The establishment offered creative plant-based interpretations of comfort food, including jackfruit chalupas, collard-wrapped salads, and refined versions of her signature cashew cheese.
For several years, Füd became one of Kansas City’s most notable plant-based restaurants. The atmosphere was described as quirky and warm, welcoming vegans and non-vegans alike. Van Pelt’s cooking showcased her evolution as a chef, with dishes that were both innovative and accessible.
However, history repeated itself with workplace conflicts. Beginning in 2017, reports emerged of troubling behavior at the restaurant, including disputes with employees and controversial statements. The situation culminated in August 2017 when Van Pelt, accompanied by her attorney and a police officer, ordered everyone to leave the premises—including customers mid-meal.
Füd closed abruptly in 2017 after seven years of operation, ending Van Pelt’s most recent known business venture. Former employees reported a difficult work environment in the restaurant’s final months, though Van Pelt maintained that she believed staff members were conspiring against her.
Heidi Van Pelt Photos and Public Image
Throughout her time in the public eye, photographs of Heidi Van Pelt have appeared primarily in connection with her marriage to Taran Noah Smith and her business ventures. She has been described as standing 5’8″ tall with blue eyes and blonde hair, though some sources mention multi-colored hair in later years.
Van Pelt’s personal style has consistently reflected her health-conscious values. She typically wears casual, comfortable clothing that aligns with sustainable and natural lifestyle principles. Her appearance and demeanor have been characterized as embodying the wellness community she represents.
Since the closure of Füd in 2017, Van Pelt has largely avoided social media and public photography. Unlike many public figures, she has chosen not to maintain an active online presence, making recent photographs scarce and difficult to find.
Heidi Van Pelt Family Life
Details about Heidi Van Pelt’s family life remain somewhat mysterious. Her parents’ divorce when she was an infant meant she had limited relationships with both. Her mother, identified as Marsha Duncan, provided what support she could, though Van Pelt has indicated she didn’t receive the nurturing she needed growing up.
Regarding children, reports conflict about whether Van Pelt and Smith had any children during their marriage. Some sources suggest they may have had one child together, though neither has publicly confirmed this or shared any details. The couple’s intensely scrutinized relationship and subsequent desire for privacy has kept this information, if true, out of the public eye.
After her divorce from Smith, Van Pelt reportedly remarried a man named Rozzo and may have had two children with him, though this information has not been independently confirmed. She has become ex-daughter-in-law to Candy Bennici (Smith’s mother) and ex-sister-in-law to Ariandrea Hilary Smith.
Van Pelt’s commitment to privacy regarding her family life has been consistent, particularly following the intense media scrutiny of her marriage to Smith. This discretion represents a conscious choice to protect her personal relationships from public judgment.
Current Status and Legacy
As of 2024, Heidi Van Pelt maintains an extremely low profile. Since Füd’s closure in 2017, she has not launched any new public ventures or made media appearances. Her current location is uncertain, though she likely resides somewhere between Missouri and California.
Van Pelt’s estimated net worth is approximately $300,000, derived from her various business ventures, nutritional counseling work, and divorce settlement. While modest compared to Hollywood standards, this reflects a career built on passion rather than profit maximization.
Her legacy in the vegan food movement remains significant despite the controversies. Playfood introduced early versions of nut-based cheeses before such products became mainstream, and Füd helped establish plant-based dining in Kansas City. Many in the raw food and vegan communities still recognize her contributions to making plant-based eating more accessible and appealing.
Conclusion
Heidi Van Pelt’s life story defies simple categorization. She is simultaneously a pioneering vegan chef, a controversial public figure, and a woman who repeatedly reinvented herself despite obstacles. Her relationship with Taran Noah Smith brought unwanted attention, but her work in vegan cuisine represents genuine innovation and commitment to her values.
From her unstable childhood in Missouri to her brief Hollywood connection and subsequent entrepreneurial ventures, Van Pelt’s journey illustrates both the possibilities and challenges of following an unconventional path. Her story includes triumph and failure, innovation and controversy, connection and isolation.
Today, while Heidi Van Pelt may live quietly away from the spotlight, her influence on early vegan culture and her role in normalizing plant-based eating for mainstream audiences deserves recognition. She represents a complex figure whose contributions to the wellness and vegan movements extend far beyond the tabloid headlines that once dominated her public image.
Whether admired for her culinary innovation or critiqued for her personal choices, Heidi Van Pelt remains an undeniably interesting figure whose life story offers lessons about passion, perseverance, and the price of living authentically in the public eye.
