When it comes to holidays at college, it may be hard to still celebrate in the dorms. If you’re part of the approximately 20% of the Jews on campus, Passover may be one of those times. With Passover coming up, it’s time to start looking at some ways to take yeast out of your diet for a week. Here are some ways to keep kosher for Passover in college, without killing your eating habits.
1. Stock up on Matzah
Matzah is the core of most meals during Passover so it is important to keep lots of boxes in stock (though you probably won’t go through more than one). Whole Foods already has a Passover section so make sure to check out their matzah and chocolate covered matzah to stock up before it’s all gone.
2. Have lots of toppings.
Matzah can be traded in for a lot of yeast products like bread and bagels, so there are plenty of options for what to put on top. Have peanut butter, butter, cream cheese. Mix it up so that the week will be enjoyable. Make sure to have meat to put on top to make a sandwich. Or look at more ideas of how to incorporate matzah into your favorite foods.
3. When in doubt, eat salad.
Salad is always around, in TDR, Freshii, and Subway. Make sure to avoid the croutons, but other than that you have a healthy and full-ish meal.
4. Go to a seder to have a good full meal.
Hillel and Chabad, as well as temples in the area have options for Passover seders. Take advantage of the chance to have a full (and usually free) meal that is kosher. You can also try to pull together with a group of friends to have a full seder; delegate who brings what and have a smorgasbord of food.
5. Eat lots of meat, potatoes, and soup.
All of these are relatively accessible from TDR or Global Fresh so make use of your meal swipes, even during the holiday.
6. Make some easy Passover snacks in the dorm that you would eat at a seder!
While some things like brisket may be harder to make in the dorms, an easy Passover food to make is charoset. Here is an easy recipe for charoset that would only take 15 minutes (and doesn’t include wine).
7. Get fresh fruits and vegetables to not only be kosher, but healthy.
Fruits and veggies are easy to eat, and the best part is you can eat them just as you get them from the store! As always, take advantage of the fresh market on campus and grab some stuff there, or any place nearby. The best part about fruits and vegetables is that they’re healthy, kosher for Passover, and you can find them at any grocery store.
8. And when you need something sweet, fruit slices are the way to go.
Passover does have special desserts that are (mostly) delicious and kosher. Whether you are a fruit slice person, or you favor macaroons, they can fill you up after any meal. Again, these can be found in the Passover aisle in Tenleytown or at kosher markets nearby.
Ben & Jerry’s just came out with a new flavor of ice cream that is special for Passover, but sadly it is only available in Israel.