Israeli Nutrition Planner

Israeli Nutrition Planner

Problem

Planning balanced meals in Israel means navigating the Ministry of Health's Nutritional Rainbow guidelines, understanding front-of-package red and green labels on every product, and working within kosher constraints that affect meal composition and timing. Most people either ignore the labels or don't know how to translate the rainbow's frequency-based recommendations into actual weekly menus. Without structured guidance, Israelis default to convenience foods that carry red labels for excess sugar, sodium, or saturated fat.

Instructions

Step 1: Assess the User's Needs

Ask the user about their dietary context before planning:

| Question | Why it matters | |----------|---------------| | How many people are you planning for? | Portion scaling | | Any food allergies or intolerances? | Exclusion list | | Do you keep kosher? If yes, what level? | Meat-dairy separation, waiting times | | Budget preference (economy, moderate, flexible)? | Ingredient selection | | Any health conditions (diabetes, hypertension, celiac)? | Macro adjustments | | Cooking skill level? | Recipe complexity |

If the user has a diagnosed medical condition requiring a therapeutic diet, advise them to consult a registered dietitian (diyetanit klinit). This skill provides general healthy eating guidance per MoH guidelines, not clinical nutrition therapy.

Step 2: Apply the Nutritional Rainbow

The Israeli Ministry of Health replaced the food pyramid with the Nutritional Rainbow (Keshet Tazonit) in 2018. It organizes foods by recommended consumption frequency, not traditional food groups.

| Rainbow Band | Frequency | Foods | Key Guidance | |-------------|-----------|-------|--------------| | Green | Multiple times daily, at every meal | Vegetables, fruits, whole grains | Eat a variety of colors. Prefer whole fruits over juice. Choose whole grains (lechem maleh, orez maleh) over refined. | | Yellow | At least once daily (choose from each sub-group) | (1) Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, beans, broad beans, peas. (2) Healthy fats: olive oil, tahini, nuts, avocado. (3) Unsweetened dairy or alternatives. | Legumes are the protein backbone of the rainbow. Use olive oil as the primary cooking fat. | | Orange | Several times per week | Fish, poultry, eggs | Vary throughout the week. Purchase raw and cook at home. Prefer baking, grilling, or steaming over frying. | | Pink | Infrequent, limited | Red meat (beef, lamb) | Maximum 300g per week of home-cooked red meat. Excludes processed meat (naknikiot, hamburgers, pastrami). | | Below the rainbow | Minimize or avoid | Ultra-processed foods: candy, sweetened drinks, processed meats, packaged snacks with industrial additives | These are not part of the rainbow. Read labels for red markings. |

Core principles of the rainbow:

• Plant-based emphasis: most of the plate should be vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes
• Home cooking preferred over eating out or packaged meals
• Use herbs and spices (za'atar, cumin, turmeric, fresh herbs) instead of salt and sugar for flavor
• Drink water (preferably tap water) as the main beverage
• Eat meals together with family when possible

Step 3: Read Front-of-Package Labels

Since January 2021 (Phase 2), Israeli food products carry mandatory red warning labels if they exceed these thresholds:

| Nutrient | Per 100g (solid food) | Per 100ml (liquid food) | |----------|----------------------|------------------------| | Sodium | > 400 mg | > 300 mg | | Total Sugars | > 10 g | > 5 g | | Saturated Fat | > 4 g | > 3 g |

Red label (tiyug adom): A red circle with the nutrient name appears on the front of the package. A product can have 1, 2, or 3 red labels. Products with any red label should be consumed sparingly.

Green label (tiyug yarok): Voluntary marking for foods that meet positive nutritional criteria. Generally applies to minimally processed foods in their natural form, or with only added spices/herbs, and no food additives. A green label signals a food aligns with the Nutritional Rainbow.

Products exempt from front-of-package labeling (no red label even if over threshold):

• Fresh produce (unpackaged fruits, vegetables)
• Fresh meat, fresh fish, fresh eggs (sold raw, single-ingredient)
• Restaurant and prepared foods purchased at food-service establishments
• Multipacks and small packages with front area smaller than 25 cm2
• Specific exempted single-ingredient products: tea, coffee, yeast, food extracts
• Note: exempt products still must show the standard nutrition facts panel on the back

How to use labels when shopping:

1. Products with zero red labels are preferred
2. If choosing between similar products, pick the one with fewer red labels
3. A product with a green label is a strong choice for daily consumption
4. Red labels do not mean "forbidden" but signal that the product should not be a daily staple
5. Phase 2 thresholds (January 2021) remain the current standard as of 2026. No Phase 3 has been announced by the Health Ministry.

Step 4: Build a Weekly Meal Plan

Structure the weekly plan following the rainbow frequencies:

Daily template (3 meals + 1-2 snacks):

| Meal | Rainbow Bands | Example | |------|--------------|---------| | Breakfast | Green + Yellow | Whole-grain bread with tahini and sliced vegetables, or oatmeal with nuts and fruit | | Morning snack | Green | Fresh fruit or vegetable sticks with hummus | | Lunch | Green + Yellow + Orange | Quinoa or bulgur salad with chickpeas, roasted vegetables, and grilled chicken/fish | | Afternoon snack | Yellow | Handful of nuts, or unsweetened yogurt with seeds | | Dinner | Green + Yellow | Lentil soup with whole-grain bread, or shakshuka with salad |

Weekly protein rotation (Orange + Pink bands):

| Day | Protein Source | Notes | |-----|---------------|-------| | Sunday | Fish (salmon, tilapia, or local catch) | Omega-3 source, aim for 2x/week | | Monday | Legume-based (mjadara, falafel baked, chickpea stew) | Meat-free day | | Tuesday | Poultry (chicken or turkey) | Baked, grilled, or in stew | | Wednesday | Eggs (shakshuka, frittata, boiled) | Versatile, pareve | | Thursday | Fish or legumes | Second fish day or extra legume day | | Friday | Poultry or red meat (Shabbat dinner) | If red meat, count toward 300g weekly limit | | Saturday | Leftovers, dairy meals, or legumes | Shabbat lunch |

Step 5: Handle Kosher Constraints

For users who keep kosher, meal planning must account for meat-dairy separation:

| Rule | Practical Impact on Meal Planning | |------|----------------------------------| | Meat and dairy cannot be eaten together | Plan each meal as either meat (basari), dairy (halavi), or neutral (pareve) | | Waiting time after meat before dairy | 3-6 hours depending on community custom (6 hours is most common in Israel). Plan dairy meals sufficiently spaced from meat meals | | Waiting time after dairy before meat | Typically 30 minutes to 1 hour (after hard cheese, 6 hours) | | Separate utensils | Recipes should specify which kitchen set to use | | Pareve foods | Eggs, fish, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes can go with either meat or dairy |

Kosher meal planning strategies:

• Morning meals are naturally dairy-friendly (yogurt, cheese, milk) since no meat was eaten overnight
• If lunch is meat-based, dinner can be dairy only if there are 6 hours between them
• Friday night dinner (Shabbat) is typically meat; Saturday lunch can be meat (cholent) or dairy, depending on family tradition
• Pareve meals (legume-based, fish, egg-based) provide maximum flexibility and avoid timing constraints entirely

Step 6: Adapt for Israeli Supermarket Products

When building shopping lists, use products available at major Israeli chains (Shufersal, Rami Levy, Yeinot Bitan, Victory, Osher Ad):

Staples to keep stocked (zero red labels):

| Category | Products | |----------|----------| | Whole grains | Lechem maleh (whole-wheat bread), orez maleh (brown rice), bulgur, quinoa, oatmeal | | Legumes | Canned or dried chickpeas (hummus gargirim), lentils (adashim), white beans (she'u'it lavan) | | Vegetables | Seasonal produce: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, leafy greens | | Fruits | Seasonal: citrus (winter), stone fruits (summer), dates, pomegranates | | Healthy fats | Extra-virgin olive oil (shemen zayit), raw tahini, unsalted nuts, avocado | | Dairy (unsweetened) | Plain yogurt (yogurt tiv'i), white cheese (gvina levana 5%), labaneh | | Protein | Eggs, fresh chicken, fresh fish, canned tuna (check sodium label) |

Common products with red labels (use sparingly):

• Sweetened breakfast cereals (often 2-3 red labels)
• Flavored yogurts and dairy desserts (sugar)
• Processed deli meats, hotdogs, schnitzel from frozen (sodium + saturated fat)
• Packaged snacks (bamba is a notable exception with relatively moderate values)
• Sweetened beverages (sodas, fruit drinks, energy drinks)
• Commercial sauces and dressings (sodium)

Step 7: Handle Religious Fasts and Special Days

Israeli nutrition planning often runs into religious fasts. Hydration and electrolyte management matter more than caloric balance during these days.

| Fast | Duration | Pre-fast meal (seuda mafseket / suhur) | Break-fast | Notes | |------|----------|---------------------------------------|-----------|-------| | Yom Kippur | ~25 hours, no food or water | Complex carbs (whole grains, legumes), low salt, plenty of water hours before. Taper caffeine 1-2 days prior to avoid withdrawal headaches. | Slow rehydration, light dairy or fruit before a heavier meal. | Pregnant, nursing, ill, children under 9: consult rabbi and doctor. Diabetics on insulin or sulfonylureas (e.g., glibenclamide, glimepiride) are at high risk of hypoglycemia and should generally not fast without an endocrinologist's plan. | | Ramadan (suhur to iftar) | ~14-16 hours daily, no food or water during daylight | Suhur: oatmeal, eggs, dates, vegetables, plenty of water. | Iftar: dates and water first, then a balanced meal with protein, vegetables, complex carbs. | Avoid heavily salted or fried foods at iftar. Diabetics on insulin or sulfonylureas should consult kupat cholim before fasting: international guidance (IDF/DAR) classifies them as high risk and recommends pre-Ramadan medication adjustment and weekly monitoring. | | Tisha B'Av, 17 Tammuz, Tzom Gedalia, Asara b'Tevet, Ta'anit Esther | Sunrise to sunset (or full day for Tisha B'Av) | Light meal beforehand, hydrate well | Light food first | Pregnant and nursing women are exempt from minor fasts; check with a rabbi. |

For diabetic, hypertensive, pregnant, or chronically ill users planning to fast, the standard advice is to consult their kupat cholim primary doctor or endocrinologist (covered by sal briut), not to provide a meal plan for the fast.

Step 8: Connect Users to Kupat Cholim Resources

When users have specific health goals, route them to the appropriate kupat cholim service rather than providing clinical advice:

| Need | Where to refer | |------|---------------| | Weight management, BMI counseling | Kupat cholim dietitian (diyetanit) - included in sal briut for adults with BMI greater than or equal to 30 or a chronic condition. Premium tiers (Clalit Platinum, Maccabi Sheli, Meuhedet Adif, Leumit Gold) add broader dietitian access. | | Diabetes prevention or management | National Diabetes Program (Tochnit Sukeret Leumit) - all four HMOs cover 14 dietitian visits per year for people with diabetes via the National Diabetes Program, with a referral from the family doctor. Directly confirmed for Clalit, Maccabi, Leumit, and Meuhedet. No referral needed at Maccabi for diabetes, prediabetes, or gestational diabetes. | | Pediatric nutrition | Tipat Halav (well-baby clinics) for children under 6, school nurse for school-age | | Eating disorders | Specialized clinics at Sheba, Ichilov, Soroka (referral required) | | Pregnancy nutrition | OB-GYN and kupat cholim dietitian (covered without separate referral), free folic acid recommended pre-conception and through first trimester | | Weight-loss medication (GLP-1) | Coverage splits by age. Adolescents 12-18 with severe obesity (BMI at or above the 95th percentile, weight 60 kg or more, plus a related comorbidity) are covered for Wegovy (semaglutide) under the 2026 sal briut update (Health Basket Committee decision, February 2026; ~4,500 teens eligible). Adults remain out-of-pocket: Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management but is not in the adult basket, costing ~NIS 600-1,300/month depending on dose; supplementary insurance covers about half for many policies. Ozempic is no longer prescribed off-label for weight loss (Health Ministry letter, April 2024). Saxenda (liraglutide) generics became available August 2025. Discuss eligibility with the family doctor or endocrinologist. |

Step 8.5: Address Israel-Specific Nutrient Gaps

Israel's population has documented deficiencies that general meal planning should acknowledge:

| Nutrient | Status in Israel | Practical Guidance | |----------|------------------|--------------------| | Vitamin D | High deficiency despite sunny climate (modest dress, sunscreen use, indoor lifestyle). Health Ministry recommends 800-1,000 IU/day for adults of normal weight without sun exposure; up to 2,000 IU/day for adults with obesity. | Most adults benefit from a daily supplement, especially in winter. Dietary sources (fatty fish, fortified dairy, eggs) are not sufficient alone. | | Iodine | Persistent national deficiency. Salt in Israel is not iodized by default (heavy desalinated-water use depletes the dietary baseline). 2020-21 biomonitoring found median urinary iodine 64.5 µg/L in adults (WHO adequacy: 100+ µg/L). | Iodized salt exists but is a small share of the market and sold at a premium. Encourage iodized salt where available; in pregnancy/lactation, a 150 µg/day iodine supplement is supported by current expert opinion (discuss with kupat cholim). | | Iron | Iron-deficiency anemia is common in women of reproductive age (Mediterranean diet is plant-heavy and the Eastern-Mediterranean regional anemia prevalence in women is 27-70%). | Pair vitamin-C foods (peppers, citrus, tomatoes) with plant-iron sources (lentils, tahini, dark leafy greens). Tahini (raw, 100g) supplies ~9 mg iron and ~426 mg calcium. | | B12 + iron for vegans | Israel has one of the highest vegan rates in the world (~5% of the population, plus ~8-10% vegetarian). | A B12 supplement is required for vegans (no plant source is reliable). Use calcium-fortified plant milks. | | Folic acid in pregnancy | Recommended pre-conception through end of first trimester to reduce neural-tube defects. | A standard 400 µg/day supplement is routinely recommended; many OB-GYNs prescribe 5 mg/day for women at higher risk. |

Step 8.6: Celiac and Gluten-Free Labeling

Celiac prevalence in Israel is approximately 1% (similar to global rates).

• Standard 1145 is the Israeli general food-labeling standard for prepackaged foods. Gluten-free claims must follow the Codex Alimentarius threshold of less than 20 mg/kg gluten.
• Look for "ללא גלוטן" / "gluten-free" on the label.
• Naturally gluten-free Israeli staples: rice, all legumes, all fresh produce, tahini, olive oil, plain dairy, eggs, fresh meat/fish/poultry, corn-based products.
• Common gluten traps: soy sauce (most contain wheat), seitan, bourekas, malt-flavored breakfast cereals, beer, some commercial soups and sauces.
• Kupat cholim dietitians are covered for celiac patients with a doctor referral.

Step 9: Generate Output

Provide the user with:

1. Weekly meal plan table with all 7 days, 3 meals + snacks per day
2. Shopping list organized by supermarket sections (produce, grains, dairy, proteins, pantry)
3. Red label check for any pack

…

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: skills-il
• Source: skills-il/health-services
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.