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Pesach/PassoverA Nutritional Success or Disaster

 TIPS TO HELP YOU GET GOING!

This year the first holiday portion of Passover will begin on Wendsday night/Thursday, the 2nd of April, 2026check your local calendars for holiday times in your area.

Passover can be overwhelming whether at home or away from home-there are nutritional advantages and disadvantages to being at home and or to being away. Wherever you are, you can make the correct choices that make your Passover a nutritional success or disaster!

When away from home&mdashall you have to do is mostly control yourself while eating-see our section on estimating portion sizes to help you get by. If something is very tempting&mdashhave a taste and then forget about it&mdashtake advantage of the free time, walk and enjoy!

Whether staying at home, entertaining or preparing food to take along, as a guest, healthy menu planning for Pesach Passover can sometimes seem as challenging as crossing the Red Sea! However, equipped with leading-edge nutritional information, basic skills and a cache of Pesach Passover recipes many found here on our site, this year we can really sail through.

We at JDA are grateful that, since 1985, we have been afforded the privilege of catering to the important and specific needs of the Jewish population worldwide.

We are a nation of highly traditional eaters. Every celebration and landmark life cycle event, whether personal or historical, is celebrated with festive meals.

&ldquoOur eating requirements are intimately bound up with our religion, culture, and ethnic identity. A Jewish person with diabetes needs to learn how to navigate their way through all these eating opportunities, and stay in control of their blood sugar levels.

Try explain to a doctor why you absolutely must have 4 cups of wine at one meal and a given amount of matzo. I do not know if anybody knew the carbohydrate content of matzo balls until we came along!

&ldquoGrowing up in a wonderful warm Chassidic home of classic Jewish food, I was determined to learn how to create healthy gourmet food for the traditional Jewish lifestyle- cuisine for all occasions. Pesach Passover is no exception.

We are living in a time when, according to alarming new findings from the National Institute of Health, as many as a third of American adults with type 2 diabetes do not even know that they have the condition. There is increasing evidence that ethnic groups are at even higher risk than the general population.

With the re-construction of the food pyramid guidelines, and the information available about the glycemic index, we are now in a much better position to upgrade our daily diets.

So how do we put this information to work for us on Pesach Passover?

The Following are Nechama&rsquos Tips for an EnLITEned Healthy Pesach Passover:

TIPS TO HELP GET YOU THROUGH PASSOVER PREPARATION, THE HOLIDAY AND BEYOND

How do we eat erev day of Pesach Passover? I consider this one of the most challenging days of the year. After a specific halachic time we are told to stop eating chametz unleavened food not allowed on Passover but we are not yet permitted to eat matzo, until the seder. Which leaves us, basically with potatoes, carrots etc.. as carbs. We certainly do not want to overdue are carb eating!  Therefore, our advice is to continue your day with good quality proteins and vegetables not just a can of tuna. Perhaps you can treat yourself to some of those yummy dishes that you worked so hard to prepare for the holiday.

Good substitutes for High Carb potatoes:

Kohlrabi in soup and meat stews is great-in place of fried or mashed potatoes try zucchini strips either roasted in the oven with good seasonings, non-stick spray and/or in a non-stick pan. For a mashed potato effect without the high carb content, string beans or broccoli and cauliflower are great for those that use them on Pesach.

Do not sacrifice Exercise time:

One of the beautiful parts of holidays is the family quality time that we are provided with. Make walks a part of that quality time-it is the beginning of spring-the flowers are blooming the birds are chirping-put your cell phones away and take walks&mdasheven 10-20 minute is great-Walk with your kids or friends-you&rsquoll come back invigorated and ready to continue working.

Never Eat Standing Up and Be Mindful about Mindless Eating:

You grab a handful of whatever without taking it in to account. While cooking you taste the cakes, dessert, sauces etc.. and/or dig into a few bites of your hubby's, children&rsquos dessert. Unfortunately, these little, hidden indulgences add up to weighty matters on the scale.

Be a Healthy Mom and Set Good Examples:

You love fish, veggies. Your hubby loves meat and potatoes. What gives? Your man wins, easily. Always looking to please the kids with hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, and they win out every time.  These habits are easy to fall in to especially during stressful times and when preparing for an important and busy holiday like Passover&mdashunless you put on the brakes it can lead to trouble for everyone. Others around you will watch what you're eating and take follow the example. If they see you take the time out to have a normal meal and get in some exercise they will only respect you more and try to do the same.

Be Honest to yourself about what you are eating and how much you are or are not exercising:

&ldquoMost people are oblivious, not realistic or totally and drastically underestimate the number of calories they eat, says Cohen. We downplay our intake and play up our cardio workout. Know what you are eating and how much you are really exercising. There is a lot of take out and restaurant eating during Passover preparation, especially the week prior to the Holiday, and with restaurant portion sizes on the rise, many of us have no concept of a standard USDA serving size. Eating out is OK just make wise choices and always go for a salad with dressing on the side or better yet a drizzle of oil and spritz of lemon is just fine. Try to cut out the fried foods and end with fresh fruit.  You will be happier and healthier.

Watch your Portion Sizes. Double up on Fresh Veggies and Low Glycemic Fruits:

If you do nothing more than double your current intake of low glycemic fruits and vegetables, you will be on your way to eating well. Go for smaller portions if something is really calling you try a mint, some gum and sometimes just having a small amount will help you get by. However, keep an eye on the portion sizes and read labels.

Stock up on good quality ingredients:

Check out Part 2 for more tips and information to help you get by. 

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