How to survive Pesach 2021
We were all hoping this Pesach would be different from last year, and it is in a way but it’s still going to be smaller than usual!
This time last year we were just getting into lockdown and it looked like it might be just a few weeks or months.
A year later and the end might really be in sight – for some reason, June doesn’t feel so far. With the vaccine being rolled out and distributed so quickly, it feels like if there is tangible hope to get back to some sort of normal (whatever that really is!). It feels a bit like when you don’t want to workout, but you do anyway and the last few reps feel a little easier knowing you are nearly done.
It’s going to be another small Pesach, but traditions are traditions so food (and wine) will be served.
How can you enjoy it without necessarily derailing so much from your diet?
Here are our top tips:
1. Avoid relying on ready-made food
and try to make your own as much as possible – the more you cook, the more you know what and how much you are eating!
2. Try and stick to one large meal a day
and one or two smaller ones with a few small snacks in between if you need them. Don’t get to that large meal completely starving or you’ll end up stuffing your face!
3. Keep drinking – no, not wine.
Of course, have those 4 cups on seder, but try and stick to water the rest of the time and drink a large glass before you sit down to eat and continue sipping throughout the meal. Herbal teas might come in handy too when trying to ride a sweet craving.
4. Watch out for Matzah!
Don’t keep it in plain sight as it’s easy to continue picking from it. Decide how much you are going to have and then hide it away. Wholegrain might be a better option as you’ll need a little less to feel full given its higher fibre content.
5. If you enjoy dried fruit during Pesach, be cautious.
Because the water content has reduced, it is way more calorific if compared to the same weight of fresh fruit. So, pick a couple of pieces and then hide the rest away!
6. A great option for Chol Hamoed is a good old omelette.
We like to mix one egg with plenty of egg whites (low calorie and very high protein so it will be very filling). You can cook some vegetables and add the egg mixture, or cook the eggs then top them with vegetables and make a roll or close as you would a tortilla wrap.
7. If you decide you are going to bake, try and bake something that you can pre-portion,
like small muffins, cupcakes, biscuit or meringues. That way it’s easier to stick to an actual portion instead of continuing to cut really thin cake slices fooling yourself that you won’t end up eating lots of it.
8. Move!
Take the opportunity to go for a long walk each day, discover all the nearby parks and paths, play with your kids in the garden… being active will make you burn extra calories and will also help you stay in a good mood!
It’s been a tough year and we still have some bumps on the road ahead of us, but we’ve made it through the worst!
It’s not been easy for anyone, so let’s try and celebrate without turning food into a worry and have a very happy Passover!
If you do over indulge and want to get back into shape for the Summer we will be starting a new aceTRANSFORM Intake on 5th April 2021, sign up here: https://ace-lifestyle.com/acetransform. If you have done aceTRANSFORM and just want a 6 week kick up the butt then why not do our aceCONTINUES 6 week programme? Just get in touch to find out more!
