The Consciously Kosher Guide to Passover [Updated for 5784/2024]
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In This Guide
The Struggle with Passover Food
In a faith filled with food customs, Passover is the most epicurean of all Jewish holidays. The Seder overflows with rich and flavorful foods, both traditional and modern, as the first of many big meals consumed over eight days. The Seder plate itself is an epicenter of culinary curiosities, symbols designed to elicit questions from the children, answers from the adults — and inspiration for countless kitchen chefs.
Yet, as the holiday continues, I often hear complaints and struggles about the food:
“I got constipated right away.”
“I've gained lots of weight.”
“It’s so hard for me to eat gluten-free on Passover.”
“Why is everything made out of matzo meal and potato starch?”
“The prices of the Kosher for Passover products are outrageous.”
“There are too many processed foods.”
This begs the question: Is it possible to make it through the holiday feeling cleaner and lighter, rather than bloated and heavy?
Make a Healthier Passover
Passover need not be filled with cheap carbs, low-fiber/high-sugar pastries, additive-laden foods and heavy, constipation-inducing meals. It can be enjoyed with fresh fruits and veggies, as well as many other whole and unprocessed foods that do not even require specific Passover certification. You just need to know where to shop and what questions to ask.
Additionally, if you have dietary restrictions, allergies or conditions that preclude you from eating the typical Passover fare, then you will find this guide to be indispensable.
In this guide, I will show you:
Which overly-processed foods to avoid
Healthy foods that do not require Passover certification
Certain holiday food staples that you can easily make yourself (and avoid all the chemicals and preservatives)
Matzo, grape juice and Seder meal alternatives
Delicious recipes to enjoy across the entire holiday
For many years, I struggled finding resources to enjoy a healthy holiday without the processed foods, constipation and weight gain. The purpose of this guide is to be the go-to resource that I wish I had known about for myself years ago.
Please note: Product certifications shift from year to year and for a variety of circumstances. Occasionally, certifying agencies differ on specific products as well. I’ve provided the latest 2024 sources possible, to the best of my ability. Additionally, this guide is written mostly from an Ashkenazi point of view in following the custom of not eating kitniyot.
Avoid the Processed Foods
One of the amazing aspects of Passover food is that many of the traditional additives and preservatives are not kosher l’pesach (because they are chametz). Therefore, an opportunity exists to make food from scratch using fresh, whole and unprocessed ingredients.
Furthermore, there is a Chabad custom that appears to originate with the Alter Rebbe, to not eat processed foods on Passover. (This obviously does not apply to matzo and wine.)
So why do so many people rely on highly-processed junk foods on Passover?
Convenience, I suppose.
The four main foods to avoid on Passover are: foods with cottonseed oil, MSG, white sugar and potato starch. The potato starch foods, in particular, are highly devoid of nutrients and will spike your blood sugar.
Products to avoid include:
Most frozen and all jarred gefilte fish (cottonseed oil, potato starch, MSG)
Soup mixes (MSG)
Bissli (MSG)
Mayonnaise (cottonseed oil and EDTA)
Potato chips (cottonseed oil)
Nearly all kosher l’pesach yogurts (dozens of grams of sugar per serving)
Passover cereals like Crispy-O’s (very high carbohydrate and sugar content)
Instead, you can make your own gefilte fish, soup stock, mayonnaise, homemade sweet potato dishes, nut-based snack mixes and oven-baked kale chips.
Cottonseed oil is particularly problematic from a health point of view. And yet it's ubiquitous in processed Passover foods.
Cottonseed oil was invented in 1911 by Crisco. It was the first hydrogenated oil (i.e. it is solid at room temperature. In fact, “Crisco” stands for “crystallized cottonseed oil”). It comes from cotton seeds. And it is parve.
Why is cottonseed oil bad for you? It is relatively high in saturated fats, especially in the hydrogenated form. And it contains a toxin called gossypol. If the oil is not refined, the gossypol can cause reproductive health issues like sterility in men. Also, in many places, cotton crops are heavily sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, which would make the seed oil particularly dangerous. It is also high in Omega-6 fatty acids (which makes it inflammatory), it is highly processed and the crop itself is almost always genetically modified.
Buy Healthy Foods That Don't Require Passover Certification
There are many healthy foods and ingredients that can be purchased for Passover that do not require special Passover certification,. This also saves a trip to the packed kosher markets, as they are commonly available at places like Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Ralphs. They include:
Agave sweetener (organic and raw) from Health Garden (Whole Foods & Sprouts)
Almond flour from Kirkland (Costco); according to the CRC, as long as certification is by Kof-K or KORC. (However, one reader pointed out that their package still says “may contain wheat”, so perhaps this is a labeling error or an oversight on the part of the CRC. The ones that say “KORC” do have an additional Passover certification.)
Avocado oil from Chosen Foods (Costco)
Baking soda
Cacao nibs from Navitas (Whole Foods)
Cacao powder from Navitas (Costco)
Cocoa powder (any that is unsweetened and kosher, like Hershey’s)
Chia seeds (raw) from Navitas
Chicken (hormone- and antibiotic-free, raw & frozen) from Empire (Costco)
Coconut products (in general) that are unsweetened and unflavored
Coconut chips (unsweetened), coconut flakes and shredded coconut
Coconut oil (virgin) from Kirkland (Costco)
Eggs (cage-free or pasture-raised) (Costco)
Flax seeds (acceptable by cRc & Star-K but kitniyot by OU; need to be thoroughly checked)
Fresh herbs and whole spices (as long as they are not kitniyot). These include cinnamon sticks and whole black peppers. You will need a coffee or spice grinder though.)
Frozen fruits (the best are from Costco) as long as there is no added citric acid
Frozen wild salmon, smoked white fish, and Chilean sea bass from Kirkland (Costco)
Hemp seeds (acceptable by Star-K but kitniyot by cRc & OU; need to be thoroughly checked)
Himalayan Pink Salt from Kirkland (Costco)
Medjool Dates (Costco and others); according to JSOR, medjool dates do not require special Passover certifcation
Olive oil (organic extra virgin) from Kirkland (Costco)
Raisins from Dole and Trader Joe’s (as long as they do not have any oil)
Raw nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews (Costco)
Raw, pasture-raised and grass-fed frozen meat from Grow and Behold Foods (online)
Tea (unflavored black, green and white only)
With these raw materials alone, you can make so many recipes, meals and desserts.
Shop for Healthy Foods for Passover with Certification
In addition to the many healthy foods that do not require special Passover certification, there are also a number of healthy foods from mainstream brands that are kosher for Passover with certification. Many of these items are even available at Costco (where noted below), which will cost much less than buying them at the kosher markets. Some key examples include:
Almond Butter: Bowl & Basket appears to be the most reasonably-priced brand; you could also make it yourself in a high-speed blender
Almond Flour: Wellbees (Amazon or direct from the brand)
Apple Cider Vinegar: Tonelli is organic, raw and unfiltered (local kosher markets)
Applesauce: Lieber’s unsweetened (this is the lowest-sugar applesauce I could find)
Chestnuts (organic; Costco)
Coconut Flour (Pereg)
Coconut Water (VitaCoco with Star-KP & lot numbers 7016SM6 & 7016SM1B)
Dairy: Norman’s Greek nonfat plain yogurt, natural leben and plain sour cream; Mehadrin nonfat Greek plain yogurt (Glatt Mart in Los Angeles)
Dates (It’s Delish, Wild by Nature, etc., although medjool dates are ok without certification, according to JSOR)
Maple Syrup (100% pure & organic): Lieder’s, Hadar and Adirondack (local kosher markets)
Milk and butter (raw, grass-grazed & cholov yisroel): Raw Farms (Glatt Mart in Los Angeles)
Quinoa: Natural Earth Products, La Bonne, Greenbaums, Pereg, others (local kosher markets)
Quinoa flour: Pereg, Goldbaum’s (local kosher markets)
Sheep’s milk feta: Tnuva (Costco)
Frozen fish: Kirkland (Costco). Includes Smoked Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, Chilean Sea Bass and Atlantic Farm-Raised Salmon
Wild-caught and sustainable sardines from Season (Costco and kosher markets)
For a guide specific to Costco, please read The Benefits of Passover Shopping at Costco.
Shop Healthy Snacks
One of the biggest challenges that many of us deal with on Passover is the dearth of healthy snacks for the kids, particularly snacks that do not contain cottonseed oil, tons of added sugar, or imitation flavorings. This year, I’ve noticed that there are a ton of relatively high-quality snacks, including the following:
BaKol Potato Chips made with avocado oil (these do not contain any cottonseed oil)
BaKol Plantain Chips
Heaven & Earth Beet Chips
Heaven & Earth Vegetable Medley
Heaven & Earth Taro Chips
Heaven & Earth Tortilla Chips (made from cassava)
Schmerling’s 85% Extra Dark Chocolate bars (for people like me who really want to avoid sugar)
These can all be found in the kosher markets in and around Los Angeles, and many can be found on Amazon as well.
Eat Fresh Vegetables that are Kosher for Passover
With all the food restrictions on Passover, and especially when kitniyot are factored in, you may feel like Passover food has very little variety. This could not be further from the reality. There is a vast array of (non-kitniyot) vegetables that may be eaten on Passover. You can find many of these at local farmers markets, and a good number of them at Costco, too.
Alfalfa sprouts
Artichoke
Asparagus
Avocado
Beets
Bell pepper
Broccoli
Cabbage (red or green)
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery root
Celery
Chicory
Chives
Collard
Cucumber
Dandelion greens
Dill
Eggplant
Endive
Escarole
Garlic
Green onion
Horseradish (raw)
Kohlrabi Leek
Lettuce (all types)
Mint leaves
Mushroom
Okra
Onion
Potato
Parsley
Parsley root
Pumpkin
Radishes (all types)
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Scallions
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Tomatillo
Tomatoes
Turnip
Watercress
Whole pepper
Zucchini
Make Certain Foods Yourself
Almond Milk
If you can’t drink regular milk because you are lactose intolerant or for any other reason, don’t buy the kosher for Passover store-bought brands. They are stuffed with junk like cottonseed oil, sugar and natural flavors. The one exception is Gefen, which makes an unsweetened almond milk with nothing but water, almonds and salt. However, it’s only 5% almonds. If you really want to reap the nutritional benefits of almonds, then you can make your own homemade almond milk that contains 25% almonds with this homemade almond milk recipe.
Matzo Balls
Many Passover soup mixes contain salt, sugar, cottonseed oil and MSG, in addition to either matzo meal or potato starch. The sodium content in particular is sky-high, with as much as 590mg per teaspoon! Examples abound: 1,290mg/Tbsp, 350mg/Tbsp (1 matzo ball), 1,040mg/Tbsp (1 cup) and 1,770mg/Tbsp. You can easily make your own from almond flour, with this simple almond flour "matzo ball" recipe.
Mayonnaise
As with store-bought almond milk, Passover mayonnaises are full of junk. Since soybean, canola and corn oils are kitniyot, manufacturers use cottonseed oil instead. Plus, they use EDTA as a preservative. All you need to make your own mayonnaise is a handheld blender, egg whites, avocado oil, apple cider vinegar and salt. Here is a simple mayonnaise recipe.
Pastries And Other Desserts
So many of the bakery-bought Passover cakes and cookies are full of potato starch, high amounts of sugar and questionable oils. And they are also outrageously expensive! Instead, you can easily make your own. Use coconut flour or almond flour. You can even use matzo meal. For instance, mandelbread is very easy to make from almond flour. In fact, “mandel” means almond in Yiddish! Here’s a mandelbread recipe that uses almond flour.
Try Different Types of Matzo
Increasingly, people in our community have issues digesting wheat-based products. Therefore, eating loads of matzo for eight days becomes very problematic. There are many options.
If you just want to avoid wheat, spelt matzo has less gluten and it’s easier to digest than regular wheat matzo. However, if you are gluten-free, then your only real option is oat matzo. Despite being very expensive, oat matzo is much healthier than gluten-free matzo (and you can still say hamotzi (whereas gluten-free matzo is a shehakol) If you require a truly gluten-free alternative, then you can order oat matzo from Kestenbaum’s or Lakewood. These are the only two that I know of that use certified gluten-free oats.
If you are concerned more with glycemic index than gluten, then rye matzo has a lower index than wheat matzo. This is because the endosperm (the starchy middle part that we eat) contains a high level of fiber, unlike with wheat.
Drink Low-Sulfite Grape Juice
Drinking 4 cups of grape juice or wine is problematic for a lot of people because it spikes their blood sugar to the moon. Grape juice is very high in sugar (even the Kedem organic contains 35g of sugar per 8-ounce cup). Therefore, consult a Rav with regard to diluting it with water. Nevertheless, the only easily-available option with no added sulfites is Kedem. It has a USDA Organic label on the bottle.
Of course, if you are able to find good organic grapes (or even conventional ones), you can make your own grape juice. One option is to purchase fresh grapes prior to Passover and freeze them until you turn over your kitchen for the holiday. Check out my recipe for homemade grape juice.
Drink Better-for-You Wines
We drink a lot of wine on Passover, especially during the seder. For an increasing number of people, this poses a problem. Wines contain sulfites, which are a common allergen. Plus, conventionally-grown grapes are among the most heavily sprayed crops, with synthetic pesticides, fungicides and insecticides being used on the vines. However, very few kosher wines are made from organic grapes or sustainable sources. I wrote a very in-depth piece on better-for-you kosher wines in 2020.
Or Haganuz, Elvi Wines, Herzog Wine Cellars and Hagafen Cellars all carry “better-for-you” wines. There may be others, but these are brands whose specific characteristics I’ve confirmed with the owners:
Or Haganuz makes a wine called Elima that has no added sulfites. Elima contains a small amount of naturally-occurring sulfites.
Elvi Wines from Spain are made with organically-grown grapes. The wines have low levels of naturally-occurring sulfites – and no added sulfites. This applies to their entire line.
Herzog Wine Cellars has the Lodi Rules certification for sustainability. The Red Zinfandel is bottled under these rules and has a certification label. The Herzog Chardonnay and Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon are certified but do not carry a certification label.
Hagafen is certified CCOF for organic grapes, Napa Green for sustainability and carbon footprint and Bee Friendly Farmers to mitigate negative effects on local beehives. The four wines whose grapes are CCOF-certified are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Reisling. They do not carry a certification label.
Healthful Meal Ideas: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Dessert
During the week of Passover, it is easy to get caught up in making all your food out of either matzo and matzo derivatives or potatoes and potato starch. This is not only lacking in nutrition but also a recipe for constipation and weight gain. Instead, consider diversifying the menu into a myriad of colorful, tasty and nutritious alternatives. Below are some starter ideas.
Breakfast
Matzo farfel made of crumbled spelt matzo: Spelt is a lot easier on the stomach and digestive tract than regular matzo. It is higher in nutrition and contains more fiber.
Hard boiled eggs with homemade mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is super easy to make at home. It requires an immersion (hand-held) blender and avocado or olive oil. Avocado oil’s flavor is more neutral, which works better for most people. This homemade mayonnaise recipe tastes fantastic with hard boiled eggs.
Plain Greek yogurt with frozen fruit and maple syrup: This combination avoids not just high amounts of sugar but also all the additives and binding agents present in flavored yogurt. Let your kids choose their own frozen fruits and add a bit of maple syrup, to taste.
Homemade granola: You can make a delicious granola from spelt matzo, almonds, unsweetened coconut and dried fruits. For this Passover granola recipe, substitute coconut oil for the butter to make it parve.
Homemade applesauce with cinnamon: Applesauce is simple to make at home and it avoids the issues with high amounts of sugar in the kosher l’pesach brands. Plus, cinnamon is blood sugar-stabilizing and anti-inflammatory.
Smoothies with homemade almond milk: Making your own almond milk means that you will benefit from the nuts themselves without all the additives found in a store-bought beverage. For the smoothie, you can include frozen fruits, greens, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds (if you hold by Star-K). For the almond milk, just skip the vanilla extract, as kosher l’pesach versions are hideously expensive.
Lunch and Dinner Recipes
Passover Hamburger Sliders: If you crave a good burger on a bun, try these kosher for Passover slider sandwiches. The buns are made from almond flour and psyllium husk. It is the psyllium in these buns that mimics the texture of real bread. Plus they are keto, paleo and gluten free!
The Matzo Ball, Reinvented: Tired of super-salty Passover soup mixes and stomach ache-inducing matzo balls? Or are you gluten-free? This delicious-tasting substitute for matzo balls uses almond flour.
Almond Flour Schnitzel: Use almond flour in place of corn flake crumbs for a healthy and fully nutritious schnitzel. This is delicious and much lighter than the conventional coating – as well as being gluten free, paleo and keto-friendly!
Homemade Mayonnaise: Avoid the pro-inflammatory cottonseed oil-filled Passover mayonnaise. Instead, make your own homemade mayo in 10 minutes with egg yolks, avocado oil and apple cider vinegar.
Quinoa sweet potato burgers and Quinoa mushroom burgers: It’s easy to overdose on meat and potatoes on Passover. When you want a break, try one of these fun and out-of-the-box veggie burger ideas incorporating this nutritious pseudo-grain.
Dessert Ideas
Crunchy Chocolate Quinoa Crisps: This tasty and crunchy dessert will remind you of a candy bar. Cacao powder is very high in magnesium and antioxidants, the quinoa is a source of protein and the coconut oil provides some healthy fat.
Hemp Chocolate Spread: This 4-ingredient chocolate spread is so nutritious that you can eat it as part of your meal. It contains hemp seeds, cacao powder, coconut oil and raw honey. That’s it!
For even more recipes and Passover kitchen cleaning tips, check out the Consciously Kosher Passover landing page.
In Summary
Passover, with all its dietary restrictions, poses a unique challenge for many people. However, rather than seeing it as a set of restrictions, it may be viewed as an opportunity to explore new ways of eating:
Go healthy. Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Read the ingredient labels very carefully. Avoid any products that contain cottonseed oil, MSG, white sugar and potato starch.
Eat light. Passover foods do not have to be heavy. Eat lighter foods and tons of fiber. You do not need to end up with constipation.
Chag Pesach Kasher v’Sameach!
