Monday night I asked myself, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” The sun had gone down and I was praying in the sanctuary before Pesach, but my atmosphere was altered—my mother was not running her hands through her hair to my right and my father was not mumbling Hebrew to my left. I had become a freshman at Boston University, and I was spending Passover miles away from home.
Since coming to BU, I have not once struggled with my eating habits. Even with a hectic schedule, I have learned—along with, I am sure, everyone else—how find a balance between pit stops in the GSU between classes and incorporating that three hour long lunch date with the best friend after class. Even as an avid Vegetarian-borderline-Vegan, I have been able to appreciate the Sargent Choices and meatless alternatives.
Passover would be different, and I knew that I had to make some adjustments to my already well-adjusted schedule.
First, I stocked up on nuts. And I mean Costco-sized jar of assorted cashews, walnuts, almonds, peanuts—you name it, I have it. Pour these protein-filled snacks into a little zip-lock to satisfy any angry stomach until you reach the dining hall. But that’s just the problem: what do you do in the dining hall?
1) Embrace the great assortment of fruit—pick any whole apple, pear, banana, or orange, and head over to the salad bar for cut up pineapple, honeydew, watermelon, and cantaloupe. Don’t forget to check the hidden sweet pears by the waffle station!
2) Have all the French fries, potatoes, and quinoa you can eat! Sure, they are starchy vegetables, but don’t be fooled. They are allowed as well as most of the grilled vegetables you may find such as green beans and carrots, just be sure to put back the corn and avoid the ketchup, which contains corn syrup.
3) Work the salad bar! There is no better way to have a healthy matzah-free meal than by piling your plate with all the lettuce, olives, and feta crumbles you can handle.
4) Embrace the omelet station! Probably the best part of Passover is that eggs—scrambled, hardboiled, sunny-side up, and fried—are completely kosher. Add any cheese or vegetable and you will forget that you are even celebrating an eight-day Jewish holiday.
5) And when worst comes to worst, taste that matzah! It’s there for a reason, and not just so that some goyim can sniff out what all the fuss is about. You can either:
- Glob all-fruit jelly and organic peanut butter on top, but be weary! If you are keeping stricter rules of Kashrut, the regular peanut butter contains soy Lecithin, made from beans which are not always allowed under certain Judaic (Ashkenazi) laws.
- Bring along your own kosher for Passover cream cheese to smear on, found in any Shaws near you (check the Kosher Dairy aisle and there will be specially marked shelves for Kosher for Passover items).
- Make Matzah pizza! Only the most loved Passover item. In Warren Dining Hall, head over to the pasta bar and steal some tomato sauce then wander back to the salad bar and sprinkle on some cheddar. Then pass your plate into the microwave by the tea and coffee, and you are ready to make your mouth water.
6) Want a drink? Pepsi—both diet and regular— is completely guilt-free (well, despite all that sugar and sodium) as is milk (avoid chocolate and rice milks) and tea (avoid coffee) with a dash of sugar or a tablespoon of honey.
At the end of the day, being Kosher for Passover and Vegetarian in the dining hall is not so bad. And, if you not one to take on that challenge, there is always the ever-welcoming Kosher Dining Services at the Hillel House.