Natalie Portman will no longer be eating cheesecake on Shavuot - because reading Jonathan Safran Foer's novel Eating Animals persuaded her to become a vegan.

The Oscar-winning actress is now planning a documentary, based on the book.

Jonathan Safran Foer told a French website: "Natalie Portman is going to make a movie of it. She wants to make a very personal documentary.

"She contacted me, she told me that she loved the book. I know her now, I will help her eventually, but it will be her vision. She's only at the very beginning."

After 20 years as a vegetarian, Ms Portman was spurred by Mr Foer's reasoning to turn to veganism. She wrote a review of the book for the Huffington Post.

"I've always been shy about being critical of others' choices because I hate when people do that to me," the actress wrote.

"But this book reminded me that some things are just wrong."

Eating Animals stems from Mr Safran Foer's personal decisions about his child's dietary needs, leading to a quest to discover the effects of food on the environment.