I was reading the EW recap of the episode and came upon these gems
"If you've ever read an interview with Lea, the fact that she made this entire challenge about her own specific whims and preferences should not come as a surprise."
"She explained that she's a vegan who sometimes likes to give herself a break. She likes cheese, pasta, pizza, fried things, cheese, all vegetables except beets, Mexican food, spice, cheese, and smelly cheese."
So, she's vegan because it's hip to be vegan, but for the love of Ryan Murphy, give her some cheese! Yep... makes sense.
Also, the recapper surmised that the episode was filmed in July. I guess before her boyfriend passed away?
Recap