Stop & Shop Consumer Advisor Offers Tips For Healthier Passover Shopping & Holiday Diet
Quincy, MA (April 7, 2006) - Historically, Passover celebrations call for lavish meals
for our family and friends. While past generations of Jewish consumers relied on heavy
starchy diets for the eight-day holiday, today's health conscious consumer is looking for
ways to lighten up the Seder menu and meals during the holiday. Andrea Astrachan,
Consumer Advisor at Stop & Shop offers ways to bring Grandma's traditional dishes to
the Seder Table, with slight modifications and simple combinations of foods for those
interested in celebrating the holiday, and eating a healthy diet as well.
"By the time we've closed the Haggadah- the narrative of the story of the flight from
Egypt, everyone is famished, so the tendency is to overeat. While eating good food and
enjoying the Seder is part of the tradition, simple food combinations and slight
modifications to meal preparation can keep our Seder meal healthy," Astrachan said.
"Passover is the "Festival of Spring," and both tradition and the season provide us with
an opportunity for a nutritious Seder menu that includes delicious favorites and plenty
of fresh fruits and vegetables."
Passover holiday preparation tips offered by Ms. Astrachan to consumers:
- For lower-fat menus, use highly seasoned dishes instead of relying on oil, butter
and chicken fat for flavor. Good examples include sweet and sour Ashkenazic favorites
and Sephardic dishes seasoned with cilantro and lemon juice.
- Turkey is a delicious, low-fat option for your main dish. Bake the stuffing outside
the chicken or turkey so it doesn't absorb all the grease that would normally drip out
of the bird as it roasts.
- Make your matzo balls low in fat and extra light by using only egg whites.
- When sautéing onions for your gefilte fish, you can reduce the fat by using very
little oil. All you need is an amount that barely coats the bottom of the pan.
- Add color to your table with delicious and low-fat fruit bowls and salads. A salad
that is easy to include at your Seder is one that can be prepared in advance, such as a
diced tomato and cucumber salad.
- If you've been trying to incorporate healthy whole grains into your family's diet,
you can use kosher for Passover whole-wheat matzo at the table and for matzo brei. For
whole wheat added to matzo balls, you can divide white matzo meal and whole-wheat matzo
meal in equal parts.
"For planning dessert, Passover cakes tend to be lower in saturated fat and lower in
overall fat than other cakes. But for desserts, that are easy and convenient too, I
recommend kosher for Passover angel food cake topped with your favorite berries, or dried
apricots dipped in melted chocolate that is kosher for Passover," Astrachan said.
About Stop & Shop
Based in Quincy, Massachusetts, Stop & Shop operates 376 stores in Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York and employs more than
58,000 associates.
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