Staying Fit During Passover: A Nutritionist's Guide

Passover is here, and with it come tables overflowing with festive dishes — and yes, every calorie still counts. Mariana Orbach, a clinical dietitian and head of nutrition at Clalit Health Services in the Dan–Petah Tikva district, explains: “One piece of matzah contains about 140 calories — twice as much as a regular slice of bread — even though it’s far less filling.”

She notes that many people mistakenly treat matzah as a harmless stand-in for bread. According to Orbach, however, beloved holiday staples — coconut cookies, kneidelach, and gefilte fish — can nudge your daily calorie count far higher than you'd imagine.

“A single Passover cookie packs around 100 calories, and one kneidelach is about the same,” Orbach says. “A serving of gefilte fish can reach up to 400 calories. A grilled chicken leg comes in at roughly 250 calories, while a 200-gram serving of beef ranges from 380 to 400 calories — depending, of course, on the sauce you drown it in.”

And what about that seemingly innocent soup? “Clear chicken soup contains about 100 calories, one egg is roughly 70, and a boiled potato can hit 100. Even a small bowl of compote in syrup adds around 160 calories.”

So what’s the smart way to navigate it all? Orbach recommends reducing portion sizes, choosing lean proteins and vegetables, and remembering that “mindful eating can make all the difference” — especially when the holiday table is doing its best to tempt you otherwise.