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Make Shabbos and Holidays enjoyable for everyone!

Being happy doesn’t mean everything’s perfect; It just means that you’ve decided to look beyond life’s imperfections!  Shabbos and Holidays are not only about food!

Eating on Shabbos/Holidays come upon us once a week and almost every two months. It should be an integral part of family celebrations and a happy time for families to gather together. However, very often when there are dietary restrictions; and eating suddenly becomes quite an issue. Sitting around and having an enjoyable time with family, is very often associated with food. There is also the very strong concept of Oneg Shabbos (joys of Sabbath), which is also associated with food. In Zemiros (Sabbath Songs), we sing: "Bassar, Vedagim, Vechol Matamim (meat and fish and all kinds of special treats)."

Being prepared, educated, having  a hefty dose of mind-set and a bit of self-control is what we need to enjoy these special times. We do not want to dread eating on Shabbos and Holidays.

We have condensed some of the typical foods eaten on Shabbos/Holidays, with their carb content, to help one avoid getting in to trouble. “Occasion eating” e.g. Sabbath, holidays, weddings etc are atypical and can play havoc with blood sugars if we are not prepared.

For those with diabetes that check their blood sugars before and after meals, but are restricted from testing on the Sabbath and Holidays, due to Halachic findings (Torah law), (see more about this in our Rosh Hashanah magazine), we suggest having a typical festive meal with all the trimmings during the week. One can then, realistically weigh, measure and record everything that is eaten and does not have to rely on memory. Test before and after this meal in order to understand the actual results. Since it is not a particularly light meal, we suggest testing 1, 3 and even 5 hours after this meal. It may be a very good way of pin-pointing whether or not there is some Gastroperiesis (stomach slow down) around.

Since we usually partake of a variety of different foods during “occasional eating, it is important to determine how these foods affect us based on glycemic index and glycemic load. (See more about this in Enlitened living – the introduction to Enlitened Kosher Cooking, and at http://www.mendosa.com/, just one of the many important issues covered in David Mendosa’s website.)

By the way doing this at a time when there are no guests around is probably a good idea for everyone not only for those that by Jewish law are restricted from testing.

JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF HIGH CARB FOODS and OUR SUGGESTIONS ROR LOWER CARB CHOICES:

Hold on to your hats you may be in for quite a surprise:

ü  Grape Juice: 1 cup = 27- 33 gr. of carbs [1]

ü  Dry wine: 1 cup = approximately 4 gr. of carbs (both can be mixed with water, check with a Rav and see our Pesach magazine for more)

ü  Challah: 1 oz. = 15 gr. of carbs. This is not a particularly large portion; the average slice of Challah is equal to 3-4 slices of bread. (Check out our water & Whole Wheat recipe Enlitened Kosher Cooking pg. 276)

ü  Matzah: 1 Board = approximately 24 gr. of carbs. Whole wheat has 4gr. of dietary fiber = 18 gr

Many people do better with Matzah, since it is always the same measurement and lower on the glycemic index than Challah. If you are determined to stick with Challah, you can lower the GI by reducing the sugar and adding Whole Wheat,Rye and/or Spelt flours, or even a combination. Challah is hard to resist once you get started. Having pre-measured 1oz. rolls ready, will help you stick to your regimen totals.

ü  Gefilte Fish: Jarred or from a roll, 1 slice = 6-7 gr. of carbs

Making your own carb free Geffilte Fish is easy.  I make my own loaves, freeze and cook them up as needed.  There is no reason to add any fillers or sugar (only a small amount of sugar substitute is needed if you prefer your fish on the sweet side. This way a portion will then count only as a lean protein and not count as carbs. (Check out our low carb, low fat recipe Enlitened Kosher Cooking pg. 192)

ü   Chicken Soup: Used to be just that CHICKEN SOUP—made primarily from chicken, meat and bones and had basically no carbs at all. If made with a lot of high carb vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, etc…1 Cup will end up having as many carbs as a slice of bread and most people have 2 cups. You are just drinking the carbs instead of eating them. It is best to use the green family vegetables such as celery, leeks, peppers, zucchini, etc. and lots of chicken. (See our low carb and/or low fat versions Enlitened Kosher Cooking pg.47 & 48. These will cut down a considerable amount of fats as well)

ü  Noodles: 1/2 cup has 15 gr. of carb. If you cannot do without, use a scant tablespoon or two and you will find that it is more than enough.  Try substituting the whole wheat or spelt version.

ü  Mini Mandels (croutons): These vary greatly by manufacturer and type of croutons, but one of the very popular fried croutons come in at a whopping 61 gr. of carbs for approximately 3-3.5 tablespoons, and 26 gr. of fat of which 10.9 is saturated fats. There are other lower carb/lower fat versions. One needs to just get used to reading and comparing food labels. (See more about this in our nutrition section).

ü   Knaidlach (Matzah Balls): The standard store bought come in at a whopping 10 gr. of carbs (varies by size). (See our low carb and low fat versions pg.49 & 50)

ü   Farfel (egg barely): 100 gr. cooked (approximately 1/2 cup) = 30 gr. of carbs. This is considered quite a staple in many families and many people find it hard to give up. Try cutting down the portion size and perhaps you will do better with quinoa which although has the same amount of carbs is quite low on the glycemic index and packed with protein. There are now a few companies that are making whole wheat couscous with far less carbs and a lot more fiber.

ü   Cholent (Sabbath stew) The original way made with regular beans, meat and potatoes 1 cup = approximately 37gr. of carbs, and very high in fat (If it is made with only barley, white potato, and turkey neck bones, you can seriously cut down the fat, carbs and the glycemic index. (See our recipe Enlitened Kosher Cooking pg. 224.) For those that are not carb restricted feel free to partake of this wonderful dish but do keep the barley, which is now being heralded as extremely heart healthy.

ü   Potato Kugel (casserole): One slice weighing 100 gr. (approximately 3.5 oz.) (Carb factor of .15 = 15 gr. of carbs. (See more about carb counting in the appendices of Enlitened Kosher Cooking pg.388). (You can also try our low fat version Enlitened Kosher Cooking pg.138 or try any of our low carb vegetable Kugels (casseroles), they are great and worth the change).

ü   Noodle (Luckshin) Kugel (casserole): 5 oz = approximately 20 gr. of carbs. (Sweetened Yerushalmi is much higher). Check out our Enlitened Kosher Cooking Mock Noodle Kugel made from Spaghetti Squash (pg. 144). It is a delicious low fat, low carb, and low calorie, Kugel that the whole family can enjoy. It can be made sweet with sweetener, vanilla flavoring and cinnamon. Or salt and pepper style with fried onions and garlic.

ü   Compote/ Dessert varies: 1/2 cup sweetened = approximately 20-25 gr. of carbs.

1/2 cup unsweetened (Or using artificial sweeteners) = 12- 15 gr. of carbs (See Enlitened Kosher Cooking pg. 374 or try some diet jello or pudding with a dollop of pareve (non-dairy) or regular unsweetened (flavor it in various ways on your own) whip cream, or any of our delicious desserts and snacks. For an array check out Enlitened Kosher Cooking)

These are just some of the foods and if you add them up you will be quite surprised. With our plentiful resources and a good imagination, there are many substitutes. One of the main factors influencing good control is portion size. So keep an open mind and eye on things.

copyright jewish diabetes association septemner 2017--please notify us when using our articles