With Passover just around the corner, every Jew who plans on keeping the tradition of cutting out bread is secretly hating their life. Full disclosure: I don’t always keep it myself, especially for the full eight days, but with all these new food trends popping up, it’s getting easier to keep K4P (Kosher for Passover for all the noobs).

quinoa

Photo by Hannah Lin

Passover means that Jews (who keep the holiday) must get rid of all the chametz in the house. Chametz is basically anything that rises, but if you wanna get technical, it includes anything made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt. Yup, that means bread. Even though it seems like it might, quinoa actually doesn’t fall into the category of chametz.

One of the trendiest foods right now (besides kale) is quinoa. And luckily, quinoa is actually delicious and can be used in a million different ways so you can definitely survive this Passover with ease. It also gets hard to go to restaurants during Passover because you have to consider everything on the menu so carefully, but with the rise of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, it’s super easy to find something satisfying while keeping those Mitzvot.

All of us Ashkenazi Jews secretly hate on the Sephardic Jews for being able to eat rice, but hey, quinoa is a perfect rice substitute. You can make it with veggies for dinner, throw it in a salad for lunch, and even make it into pancakes for breakfast.

quinoa

Photo by Grace Bodkin

So you’ve made it through the Seder, and now it’s time for dessert. Luckily quinoa can satisfy those cravings in a way rice can’t. Take that Sephardic Jews! If you’re like me then you totally look forward to those macaroons, frozen lemon cake, and flourless chocolate cake, but some people get tired of the same old recipes or maybe want a healthier option. Quinoa can be incorporated into many desserts, especially bars, that’ll wow the Seder table.

quinoa

Photo by Lily Lou

This article will tell you everything you need to know about puffed quinoa. Basically, it’s yet another way to cook this miraculous food that can be turned into dessert bars, breakfast cereal, and even snack bars. Popping the quinoa gives it a completely new texture so you won’t feel like you’re eating the same thing for eight days straight.

Now, if you are religious I would still recommend getting a Kosher Certified package of quinoa because there is some debate, but if you generally just avoid chametz, you can add quinoa to your meal plan for the holiday.

quinoa

Photo by Lily Lou

Quinoa is a savior when it comes to Passover. You probably won’t even realize you’ve cut out bread for the past eight days. Plus, this new Passover staple is a wonder for you gluten free peeps. Passover doesn’t have mean Matzah for a whole week, unless you’re into your food tasting like cardboard.