It’s never too early to start planning your Passover-week meals (seriously, it will be here sooner than you think). Since every family tackles “kosher for Passover” differently, you’ll know best what works for your traditions and diets. If you’re not sure about the difference between kosher and “kosher for Passover,” use this guide from MyJewishLearning.com to learn the basics.
Related: 9 Passover Lunch Ideas for Kids
Aside from stocking up on matzah and the trimmings for your seder plate, you’ll also need breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas to carry you through Passover. And sure, Passover is a great time to indulge your sweet tooth, but one can only live on matzah-toffee for so long (three days, tops). Use these tips and suggestions to grocery shop for Passover with ease.
Shop Your Own Pantry First
While you may feel like you need to throw out everything in your cabinets and buy a whole new set of condiments, cooking oil, and spices, you may already have some items that are “safe” to keep on hand through Passover. You might, for example, have an unopened bottle of balsamic vinegar in your pantry that just happens to have a kosher for Passover symbol. Many varieties of packaged tea are also kosher for Passover. Plus, there are a number of foods that are okay to enjoy during Passover that don’t need a special label. Fresh and frozen fruits, some vegetables, eggs, and extra virgin olive oil, are generally fine to use during Passover. If you’re not sure what to look for, you can find online guides at Kosherquest.org and Kashrut.com.
Fresh Items
Here’s a quick list of produce and fruit to stock up on ahead of Passover:
- Apples
- Oranges
- Bananas
- Cherry tomatoes (for snacks or salad skewers)
- Carrots
- Cucumbers, for salads or to make cucumber cups for egg salad
- Pickles and olives
- Potatoes
- You can bake or fry them or add potatoes to soups as a thickening agent
- Lettuce, to make lettuce wrapped burgers or cold cut “sandwiches”
- Spaghetti squash or zucchini to make veggie noodles to eat in place of the real thing
Packaged Foods
Kids love the special treats available only at Passover. So go ahead, stock up on Passover cake mixes, macaroons, biscuits, and granolas. It’s a once a year thing! Other easy to grab snacks for Passover include potato sticks and veggie chips, granola, and crackers. Find more ideas plus a few made-by-kids recipes at The 7 Best Passover Snacks According to Kids.
Related: 25 Easy Passover Recipes Your Family Will Love
Dairy
For easy breakfasts, grab a few kosher for Passover yogurt cups. String cheese and sliced cheese make great snacks when paired with an apple or a few carrot sticks. And don’t forget to enjoy your cream cheese and lox on matzah this year! You can also purchase a bit of ricotta for matzah lasagna and delicious matzah breakfast crisps.
More
The 7 Best Passover Snacks, According to Kids (with recipe videos!)
25 Easy Passover Recipes Your Family Will Love
PJ Library Passover Recipes
Do you have any other questions about Passover?
Visit the PJ Library Passover Hub for book lists, more videos, recipes, and more!
Preview the special PJ Library Haggadah
February 26, 2019