FLIPPING THE BIRD
Health nuts are going cold turkey on Thanksgiving feasting — and ruining it for the rest of us
HOPING to seem like a grateful guest, David Shalansky brought an expensive bottle of Barolo to a recent Thanksgiving gathering. But when he offered it, his host visibly recoiled. “I was told to put the wine in the garage, that alcohol would detract from the energy of the affair,” recalls the 44-yearold Jersey City, NJ-based actor, who was then ushered into the dining room, where a vegetarian menu dominated the table. Baked tempeh was swapped in for turkey; sides included a quinoa stuffing and plenty of raw veggies. Shalansky left midway through the meal, shortly after hearing one guest discussing bowel movements.
“I didn’t mind the lack of alcohol, but the conversation was so over the top,” he says. “It didn’t feel like a celebration at all. I felt like everyone was trying to out-health each other.”
Traditionally, Thanksgiving is an abundant feast, but for New York health nuts, there’s no holiday from their dietary restrictions — much to the chagrin of their less wellness-obsessed friends.
“It used to be, ‘What are you eating for Thanksgiving?’ Now, I feel like it’s, ‘What aren’t you eating?’ ” says Jennifer H., a 30-year-old Battery Park resident who didn’t want her last name used for privacy reasons. Three years ago, Jennifer was invited to a Thanksgiving where the host- ess was on a juice cleanse.
“She made this huge spread, but she wouldn’t eat anything, and she wasn’t drinking any alcohol,” Jennifer says. “If anyone said something was good, she would say, ‘Yeah, it should be. Do you know how fattening that is?’ ”
It was more than a bit of a buzzkill. “I felt like she was deliberately trying to make herself feel superior by watching us pig
out while she denied [herself ] everything,” Jennifer says. She and her friends no longer include the juice-cleanse hostess in their holiday get-togethers.
“It’s Thanksgiving. We just want to stuff our faces,” she says.
But health-conscious gobblers say that they aren’t intending to make people feel bad; they’re simply looking out for themselves — and making their friends and family aware that you can eat a well-balanced meal even on a holiday that seems to celebrate gluttony.
“This holiday has gotten out of control, so it’s nice to bring a balance of healthy options to the table,” says Jess Glazer, 33, a Hell’s Kitchen resident who works as a trainer at New York Sports Club. “As a vegan, I’ve brought a vegan mash or a vegan black-bean nut loaf when I’m a guest at Thanksgiving, and while I don’t force other people to try it, when they do, they’re usually glad.”
Cori Cohen, 34, a registered dietitian and owner of Belly Blissful, a nutrition consulting company, is also on a quest to lighten up her Thanksgiving table when she and her newly pescatarian mom cook for their family of seven next week.
“Many traditional Thanksgiving staples like roasted turkey, potatoes, yams, cranberries, pumpkin and squash are actually good for you,” Cohen says. “The issues that arise with digestion, fatigue, bloating and weight gain come with all of the add-ins like butter, cream, cheese and sugar.”
This year, the Bayside resident says she’s spotlighting fish as the main course, along with a pumpkin pie mash made with coconut oil for dessert, but she’ll make concessions to family members who have more traditional tastes.
“My stepdad feels like it’s not Thanksgiving without a turkey, so even though I don’t eat meat, we’ll have that, too,” she says.
Melissa Eboli, 36, a nutritional chef who owns Via Melissa, a catering company in Eastchester, NY, says that when it comes to health, every day counts.
“Roasted vegetables can be carcinogenic, so I’m all for making things as healthy as possible,” says Eboli. (While roasted vegetables can contain a compound found in cigarette smoke, there isn’t a proven link to cancer.) Her Thanksgiving menu will consist of a traditional turkey, alongside “uncandied” sweet potatoes (coconut flakes will swap in for marshmallows), vegan oat muffins and, instead of a pie, raw, vegan apple-pumpkin energy balls.
Eboli says that although her family was initially skeptical, they’ve decided to take the plunge and try a healthy Thanksgiving this year. “At first they were like, ‘Why are you making such weird food?’ It’s Thanksgiving — people don’t want to deviate.”
Others say not to worry too much about what is — or isn’t — on the menu.
“Did I ruin a few Thanksgivings when I became vegan?” asks Laura Beck, 36, a former East Village resident who’s now based in California. “Probably. But then my family came around and my mom’s cholesterol was spared.”
The key, Beck says, is to maintain a festive atmosphere. “[You’ve got to] make sure your food is really f - - king good and the cocktails are flowing,” she says.
But even the healthiest hosts have learned that it’s best not to mess with some dishes.
“I once made sugar-free sugar cookies for Thanksgiving,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, 38, a registered dietitian who is having a “healthyish” Thanksgiving with 20 guests this year in Franklin, NJ. “It happened over a decade ago, and I still haven’t lived it down.”
As with any holiday, a little flexibility goes a long way.
“It’s important to accept that everyone is entitled to choose what goes into their body,” says Kimberly Hershenson, a Midtown-based therapist. “Refrain from commenting on other people’s decisions and focus on getting your needs taken care of the best you can. Ask about the menu beforehand, and if it doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, bring a dish you know you’ll enjoy and eat it yourself.”
Or simply decline the invite. Richard Sheppard, 57, a Jersey City, NJ-based concierge, refused to go to one Thanksgiving when he heard a rumor that Tofurky was on the menu.
“I can’t think of any reason to eat healthy on Thanksgiving,” he says. “If you’re not eating healthy as a lifestyle, there’s no point to eat healthy for just one day. And if you are eating healthy, why not give yourself a break for one day?”
“This holiday has gotten out of control.” — Jess Glazer (right) on why she opts for a vegan black-bean nut loaf instead of traditional trimmmings