A Clever Plan to Avoid Weight Gain and Food Burnout this Passover
I have a whole different strategy for getting through Passover this year. In years past, I have treated the holiday like something that has to be passed over in dreading the beginning, and trying to get to the finish line. It sounds silly, because it is such a joyous holiday with loads of good food, spent with family and friends. It celebrates freedom. Why was I not enjoying it like I should?
Preceding the holiday, I, along with many of my friends spend a few weeks stressing a bit over what we will NOT be able to eat and how much weight we will gain. In the past I have cooked way too much food. That leads to tons of leftovers, and loads of extra calories packing on the weight – which at middle age none of us can afford. It also makes for much more cooking, less eating out, again making the holiday seem like drudgery.
This year, I have decided on a different tact. Now granted, I am lucky that I was invited out to two different friends for the two Seders. While I will be cooking some dishes for them, I won’t be cooking the volume of food necessary to entertain others. Normally, I spend an entire weekend before just getting ready for that.
So without that preparation, I decided that other than the dishes I was making for the two Seders, I will be cooking only a large rotisserie chicken in my “Set it and Forget it” as Seen on TV oven.
In agreement with my husband, we will be having lots of that chicken: salads with fresh chicken on top, chicken salad on matzo, and lots of veggies, fruits, and sweet potatoes with said chicken. Not a matzo ball, gefilte fish of any heavy matzo product in any of that. Pretty clever, huh?
When the chicken is gone, we will have our usual Matzo Pizza, or cottage cheese with fruit. We will have tuna salad on matzo.
In other words, a pretty much normal week of eating, rather than eating a bunch of special foods all week. The only thing different will be the matzo instead of bagels and bread.
With this plan, I am certain I am not going to feel deprived, get sick of the Passover matzo-based stuff, or gain a bunch of weight.
I did a modified version of this last year after the leftovers were eaten, and the week flew by, food-wise.
Sure we will be flocking to eat Italian food to “break Passover” with our friends when it ends, but this year it won’t be as much of a huge relief. The one good thing about aging is that you get wiser as the years advance and can figure out ways to do things differently.
I’ve been doing the same for years. I also like to think of all the dishes I can make with potatoes, (the red ones are even healthier), so lots of potato salad and hearty soups that have potato in it. I make a mean beef stew. You won’t feel deprived, trust me.
Chag Sameach, to you and your family.
Thanks Mindy! Great ideas! So far, doing great!