Here’s What Leah Is Making on Sunday - Nine Days 2025

It will be interesting for me to menu plan for the Nine Days this year. I've always liked dairy better than meat anyway, but for the last few months, I've been eating according to Rivka Golombeck's diet recommendations: whole grains, lots of legumes, and lots of veggies. I also avoid added sugar, oil, or salt—meaning very few processed foods (it's crazy how many processed foods are full of sugar, oil, and salt!). I rarely eat animal proteins, usually only on Shabbos.

Sounds intense? Maybe—but it's been working for me. I don't restrict calories, so I eat as much as I want, and it's much more filling than eating the same amount of processed food. My family still eats meat and chicken for dinners, so I do still have to change my menu plan for the week!

My kids like lasagna, but not with vegetables in it—even if the vegetables are ones they like otherwise, like broccoli. I decided to see if I can sneak the veggies in and see if they notice. I found this recipe (see below) where the veggies are blended into a sauce, and I'm going to experiment and see what happens:

For myself, I'm thinking of making the lentil-vegetable soup below. I'll probably make some Heaven and Earth Brown Rice to go with it as a side, since it only takes a few minutes in the microwave and no pots to wash: