While many classic Jewish foods might be at odds with Whole 30 or paleo diets, there are plenty of super healthy Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Israeli foods that fit into this trendy, grain- and sugar-free diet. When you look past the babka, kichels and schnitzel, lots of Jewish foods are actually super simple and nourishing — take borscht, roasted chicken, fermented foods like sour pickles and fresh vegetable salads, for example.
If you’re not totally familiar with the Whole 30 Diet (I wasn’t, either), the rules seem pretty straightforward: For thirty days, eliminate all natural sweeteners (like honey, maple syrup, sugar), all grains (yes, including quinoa!), all legumes and dairy. There’s a lot more to it, of course, and that’s what its website is for.
So kiss hummus, falafel and challah goodbye, and nosh on all the chicken soup, shakshuka, baba ganoush and tahini that your heart desires. You can even have bagels and pita if you make them with almond meal. Read below for even more recipes to help you survive 30 days of “clean” eating!
Soups
Overnight Yemenite Chicken Soup
Carrot Tahini Soup (omit challah)
Cold Borscht with Mint and Oranges (use coconut milk, optional)
Vegetarian Yemenite Soup
One Pot Chicken Soup with Seasonal Vegetables
Tunisian Spiced Squash Soup
Shakshuka
Shakshuka with Spinach and Lamb Meatballs
Classic Shakshuka
Green Shakshuka (omit feta)
Vegetable Dishes & Sides
Shakshuka with Spinach and Lamb Meatballs
Sweet Potato Knish from Meghan Telpner
Caramelized Onion and Potato Knish from The New Yiddish Kitchen
Baba Ganoush
Israeli Salad
Tahini Broccoli Slaw
Pickled Pink Turnipsmyjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/zucchini-baba-ganoush-recipe/”>Zucchini Baba Ganoush
Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad (omit sugar)
Israeli Salad Ceviche (omit chips)
Purple Cabbage and Fennel Sauerkraut
Herbed Red Potato Salad from Cookie and Kate
Wholesome Sweet Potato Latkes from Paleo Grubs
Cauliflower Steak with Tahini and Pine Nuts
Joan Nathan’s Mock Chopped Liver from StarChefs.com
Meat Main Dishes
Ethiopian Chicken (Doro Wot)
Chicken Schnitzel with Slaw from The Paleo Way
Gefilte Fish from Elana’s Pantry
Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Sheet Pan Dinner from The New York Times (omit yogurt topping)
One Pan Salmon, Asparagus and Potatoes Dinner from Buzzfeed
Kugel
Sweet Potato Noodle Kugel from Paleo Running Momma
Veggie Kugel Recipe from The New Yiddish Kitchen, via Thriving Paleo
Bagels, Breads and Spreads
Paleo Bagels from Elana’s Pantry
Grain-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels from In My Bowl
Paleo Cauliflower Bagels from PaleoHacks
Homemade Paleo Pita Recipe from Oh The Things We’ll Make
Dark Rye Bread from Elana’s Pantry
Cashew Cream Cheese from Yum Universe
Carrot Lox from Olives For Dinner
Beet Hummus Recipe from Stupid Easy Paleo
Sweet Potato Hummus from Bon Appetit
