Gwyneth Paltrow Is Almost A Vegetarian. Except On Thanksgiving.

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by Michael dEstries November 20, 2008
Categories: Animals, Eats
Tags: .

You know, Gwyneth Paltrow was really starting to win me over on this whole “GOOP” website thing. The previous two newsletters have featured everything from vegan pancakes to healthy living strategies with raw foods, exercise, meditation, etc. In addition, she also apologized to PETA earlier in the week for wearing fur in an ad campaign “accidentally” — and admitted that her and husband Chris Martin are “pretty much vegetarian” and that its the “best thing for her family’s health as well as for animals and the environment.”‘

Yea, um, then she released this today:

Turkey will always be the main event of Thanksgiving (at least in my house) and a whole turkey is the way to go if you’re feeding at least 12. But if your party is smaller, the stuffed turkey breast turns out to be a great halfway point. Brining it overnight insures that you don’t need to baste it and it has a quick cooking time. Why should things be any less festive if dinner is just for two? I came up with these stuffed turkey burgers which were a giant hit in my house. They are the perfect solution for anyone who isn’t feeding a big group (or for a big group that wants to try something different!).

Mostly, make sure that no matter what type of meal you are having, you take a moment to think about how much you do have (health, love, friendship, passion, perspective, appreciation, intellect, reason, kindness) and reflect on how you can share more of it with others.

Right. Look, I respect anyone’s decision to choose what they want to eat. What I do find annoying is this indecisive BS being bantered about by Paltrow — especially after her appeal to PETA’s audience with her so-called vegetarian and animal rights sensitivities. It wouldn’t have alleviated the bad taste in my mouth, but you’d think she would have at least promoted free-range, organic turkeys as an important option. Thankfully, she did at least mention that her stuffing is “vegetarian-friendly”. Great. Enjoy your stuffing — don’t mind the giant dead bird in the middle of the table.

I’ll end with just saying that this was an opportunity lost. Paltrow has so many people signed up to her newsletter — and the last few weeks have been excellent primers on not just eating better, but actually thinking more about how food fits into health and well-being. Presenting a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner — even as an option — would have been such a refreshing change. But I guess we should expect less from an “almost vegetarian”.


Categories: Animals, Eats
Tags: .

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • http://www.veganeatingout.com Vegan Diet Eating Out Menu

    I hope that Peta calls her out on this – a mixed message never brings positive light to an animal-free diet.

  • http://BrainyBlonde.com erin

    Perfectly said Michael! I’d rather eat Thanksgiving with Elizabeth Hurley over Paltrow (and believe me that was hard to say, but it’s true!)

    I am looking forward to not only a vegan Thanksgiving but raw one as well. Mashed cauliflower (instead of potatoes) with a vegan raw gravy. It’s going to be delish ;-)

    Peace

    Erin

  • http://BrainyBlonde.com erin

    Ok I really need to go to bed, but after reading a few more quotes elsewhere from Paltrow about her vegetarianism and how strict she is and then seeing PETA named her loser husband Vegetarian of the YEAR (linky: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/08/coldplays_chris.php) my jaw is on the floor. Either she is really ballsy or really stupid and sadly I think it’s the later. I don’t care if I was born on the same day as this woman – I am the anti Paltrow!!!!

    Also I think Steph’s highlarious comment asking if Paltrow thought the turkey was fake too was just brilliant ;) (Good one Stephanie ;)

    I think we all know (including HyPocritePaltrow) is that the turkey is quite real as well as that dead fox wrapped around her pretty little head and the only thing that is fake Ms. Paltrow is YOU!

    Erin

  • http://BrainyBlonde.com erin

    whoops meant to say the latter in my last post not later. I probably am misspelling because it’s exactly that… Late!

    :) E

  • http://niagaraanimalrightscenter.blogspot.com/ dan

    I think she’s a big phony. About 10 years ago, she was on Oprah (if memory serves) defending her right to wear fur. She also says she believes converting people to vegetarianism is more important than anti-fur activism, but serves dead turkeys to her family at Thanksgiving.
    She’s a hypocrite pretending to be a saintly, Oprah-esque, Martha Stewart-esque bringer of joy and zen wisdom to the masses.
    Give it up Gwyneth! (and the furs and the turkeys too!)
    Dan

  • sg

    She should really shut down her website immediately. Nobody cares Gwyneth. Do what you do best, act.

  • Chrissy

    I don’t know. I think she gets points for the vegetarian items she does promote. I read this site to get inspired by celebrities’ good. Though she may be waffling on the topic of animals as food/fur, does she do more veggie-friendly things than other featured celebs?

  • Jen Hamilton

    Nope. To talk the talk you have to walk the walk. In my opinion it is one of the other.You can’t be kinda vegetarian or wear fur because you are a celebrity and someone “accidentally” draped you with skin. She is in denial. I think she knows what is right healthy and good for the planet but doesn’t have the willpower to practice what she preaches.

  • steph

    Also, she didn’t even SUGGEST a veg alternative in her email.

    It wasn’t veg friendly at all!

    Also, things like this is why lots of people thing vegetarians eat fish and fowl and it’s ok.

    It’s one thing to be “sensitive” to vegness and another to CLAIM you are and send mixed messages.

    In GP case….she is really sending mixed conflicting messages and NOT supporting the lifestyle at all.

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  • Kyle

    I recently saw The Gwyneth on a travel show taking place in Spain. She wasn’t vegetarian there either. She would take her monster hands, crack open some shellfish and slurp the things down. She’s all over the map. What a mess!

  • Kyle

    What’s next? Will she serve honey-baked baby for Easter? jeez.

  • http:/www.optimumself.com/ Simple Meditation

    Excellent content and style…keep up the good work!

  • http://elainevigneault.com Elaine Vigneault

    I honestly don’t understand people who have access to vegan alternatives, knowledge, power, and money (like Paltrow) yet who DELIGHT and CELEBRATE in the needless cruelty and death of turkeys and other animals. It makes no sense. I can’t help but feel sickened and disgusted by such people.

  • Pingback: Fuck You, Gwyneth Paltrow, You Sicko : Elaine Vigneault

  • http://beaelliott.blogspot.com/ Bea Elliott

    Certainly with all the other alternative – a dead carcass on a holiday table to “celebrate” is just inexcusable to anyone who supposedly “knows” the issues surrounding *meat* and animal killing. It’s bad for health, bad for the planet and absoultely horrible for the slaughtered, innocent, sentient beings. Go & STAY VEGAN

  • http://vegan-la.com Lex

    We need to spread the thanksLiving charm. http://www.thanksliving.com

  • http://www.ambrosiaempire.com/vegan/blogs.html Inga Ambrosia

    I DESPISE fake vegans.

  • Lulu

    Thank you!! I noticed this too. I bet, if called on it, that she’d do the same thing she did with the fur wrap in the shoot and blame the stylist. Like, “Oh, an intern writes all those Goop emails and I never even look them over.”

    There are many thoughtful arguments for and against eating turkey. While my own perspective is against meat-eating, I appreciate arguments like Barbara Kingsolver’s in “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,” even when I disagree.

    The Goop mailing was the stupidest thing ever. I mean, it didn’t even mention the option of choosing a bird that hadn’t been tortured and/or pumped with hormones and steroids, or mention any of the ethical issues involved, and it’s sooo f–ked up, because vegetarianism is so mainstream now. Most Goop subscribers are probably going to be vegetarian.

    Wasn’t Gwynnie also the celeb who was seen drinking a Guinness while pregnant?

  • Pingback: Gwyneth Paltrow Releases Holiday Gift Guide, Includes Some Green // Archives // ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

  • http://the-ocd.blogspot.com/ Denise

    I was so confused. When I first read that Martin and Paltrow gave their kid a vegan cake I gave them props. And then I heard about Paltrow’s special with Batali. And then shortly afterwards I get her GOOP newsletter talking about turkey on Thanksgiving! C’mon Gwynnie you’re an actress, if you’re going to act like a do-gooding vegan at least be consistent!

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  • Debra

    Wow, this was an eye opener. I am a vegan in training and still learning but making mistakes regarding the ingredients in foods. At first I was inspired with gwyneth, then I searched her on the website and found all of this. Time to look for another inspiration….. how about Joquin Pheonix

    Debra

  • Laura

    Give her a break! I get about 97% of my calories from plants, but I don’t necessarily want to be absolute about it. Disliking absolute stances and “never”. Maybe she feels the same. If you’re eating 1/10 of the animal food that other people eat, you’re doing 90% of what a purist vegan would do for animals.
    And maybe it’s easier to make a choice that isn’t super-pure, and maybe it’ll last longer.
    Laura

  • Tim

    So? She’s still vegetarian the rest of the year, and that makes her consumption patterns a lot better for the environment than the average American who eats meat several times a day. I only eat meat on special occasions, because I believe it’s the natural order – Most humans throughout history did not have meat nearly as often as the modern Westerner does. It was a luxury food. Thanksgiving is one of those occasions.

    Quit nit-picking others and focus on yourself.

  • http://dailyveganeats.tumblr.com Davie

    Just what vegetarians and vegans need: another hypocrite. My vegan Thanksgiving was so delicious my omnivorous guests didn’t miss the turkey and even took leftovers home (I make way too much food all the time, especially at holidays). One told me how his co-workers ooh’d and ahh’d when he was reheating it at work.

    PETA’s track record with many “vegetarian” celebrities isn’t always good, though.

  • Michelle

    ??? This is exactly what is wrong with our movement… We’re a judgemental bunch of idiots. Is it not better that someone adopts SOME better life style choices? You mean to say that I am as bad as a big ole Hummer driving cattle rancher in a mink coat because not ALL of my choices are vegan?!? Snarkyness makes us all look bad.

    Think back to your process of becoming who you are today – have you NEVER eaten meat?!? And do you need to not eat meat to want change in the world? Why is there only one way to be good enough? And who are we to judge? What if you have a medical problem that means you need to take animal derived medicine? Do we have the right to police you too?

    It is people like us that make me ashamed of being vegan.

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