Holiday offers a break from carbs
For Passover, Dvorah Buhr is looking forward to cheese chips, homemade beef jerky, roasted nuts, and a sugar-free cheesecake.
Buhr, the cantor of Brookline's Congregation Kehillath Israel, is off carbohydrates. As she notes, "Passover is an ideal time for the Atkins diet."
The dietary prohibitions during the week-long Jewish holiday remove a lot of temptations. "It makes sense to think about losing weight," says Jean Goldberg, a nutrition expert at Tufts University.
Foods made with fermented grains are prohibited. Many Jewish communities also avoid beans, corn, peas, and rice. Matzo, a flat, crisp, unleavened cracker made from flour specifically for Passover is permitted. Bagels or muffins are out. "You can have one week without a mid-morning doughnut," says Nadine Braunstein, a Brookline dietitian. "If you're used to starting the morning with bagels, substitute an omelet. You may find that you're fuller at mid-morning and don't need the doughnut break."
The holiday can be a healthful break from poor habits, too. "Passover gives you a chance to think and plan what you're eating, just like healthful eating requires a little planning," says Braunstein. That might include adding more fruits and vegetables.
And practice moderation. If tzimmes, a stew of sweet potatoes, prunes, and brisket, brings back memories, prepare the dish, Goldberg says. But "you don't need to eat it every day.
"Gefilte fish is low in carbohydrates," she says, "and if you make chicken soup like I do, and skim off the fat, it's low in fat. You can also have one matzo ball, not two." 