5 Tips for Managing Disordered Eating and Body Image Concerns During Passover
Passover is a celebration of freedom, but for those who struggle with disordered eating or body image concerns, it can feel like quite the opposite. With a focus on food, rules, and the pressure of large meals (and sometimes large opinions from family members), Passover can bring up feelings of guilt, anxiety, and self-criticism.
Whether you’re in recovery from an eating disorder, working through chronic dieting, or simply feeling uncomfortable in your body, you’re not alone. Here are a few thoughts and strategies to help you move through the week with more self-compassion and support.
1. Acknowledge That This Holiday Can Be Tough
Passover literally involves restriction—removing leavened products and following specific food rules. For anyone healing their relationship with food, this can be deeply triggering. Add in family comments like “Are you really going to eat that?” or “You’ve lost weight!” (or the dreaded opposite), and it can be a recipe for disaster.
Let yourself name it: This is hard. Naming it doesn’t make you weak—it makes you human.
2. Be Thoughtful About Seder Night Plans
Seders are long, food-centered, and sometimes filled with chatter about who’s eating what. If you're navigating food stress or body image anxiety, consider:
Having a satisfying snack beforehand so you're not overly hungry.
Sitting next to someone who helps you feel grounded.
Taking a short walk, deep breath, or even a bathroom break if you need a moment away.
Coming up with a script or exit strategy if “diet talk” gets too loud.
3. Body Image Fluctuations Are Normal—And Temporary
Feeling “off” in your body during Passover doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. Eating different foods, changing routines, traveling, or being around triggering people can all stir up negative body thoughts.
Instead of focusing on how your body looks, try asking:
What does my body need right now?
How can I care for my body even if I don’t like how it looks/feels today?
Can I treat my body with respect, even when it’s hard?
You are allowed to feel uncomfortable and still choose kindness over criticism.
4. Be Kind If You Don’t Stick to the Plan
Recovery isn’t about doing things “perfectly.” Maybe you had a hard meal. Maybe you didn’t advocate for yourself. Maybe you compared your plate—or your body—to someone else’s. That doesn’t mean that you’ve failed.
Remind yourself:
Slipping isn’t the same as starting over.
One meal or one moment doesn’t erase your progress.
You can still return to care, nourishment, and recovery at any time.
5. Reconnect With the Heart of the Holiday
At its core, Passover is about liberation. What if this year, you considered what you personally want freedom from?
The voice that says you need to earn your food.
The belief that your body has to shrink to be acceptable.
The pressure to look like you have it all together.
That’s a story worth telling at your table, too.
Final Thoughts
You deserve to feel safe in your body and at the table. You are not “bad” or “weak” for finding this week challenging. Your needs are valid. You are allowed to show up exactly as you are. You are good enough.
It’s okay to need some extra support, and you don’t have to do this alone. Whether it’s a therapist, a friend, a support group, or someone else who gets it, be sure to reach out to someone when things feel too heavy.
