Whether you will be ringing in the New Year with fireworks and parades, parties or a quiet night with family and friends, this is a time for new beginnings – aka resolutions. Your resolutions for the New Year might involve developing some positive habits, such as getting organized and going to the gym, but did you know that you can also eat your way to prosperity and good fortune?
According to the traditions of various cultures around the world, what you eat on New Year’s Day will bring you good health, luck, and more in the year to come. So whether you’re superstitious (or even just a little ‘stitious), incorporate a few of these traditional foods into your New Years celebrations and get the year started on the right foot:
Money
Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year’s in different countries for a simple reason – their green leaves look like folded money, which are symbolic of economic fortune. Add some more “green” to your life this year when you dine on Chard and White Bean Stew or Warm Kale Salad with Lentils and Goat Cheese on News Year’s Day.
Legumes – such as beans, peas, and lentils – are also symbolic of money because their small appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked (financial rewards!). Here in the United States, it’s traditional to eat black-eyed peas. There are even those who believe in eating one pea for every day in the new year. Serve up this Green Goddess Edamame Salad recipe from Dannon, or treat your friends to a Sundried Tomato and Cannellini Bean Dip.
Long Life
Noodles represent long life. A stir-fry is pretty gentle and may be the best way to go. It’s bad luck to break or cut the noodles, so handle with care. Extend your years when you serve up Sweet Potato Noodles with Spinach or this Easy One-Skillet Lasagna.
Luck
Fish – head and tail included – ensures good luck from the beginning of the year to the end. Their scales resemble coins; they swim forward, indicating progress; and swim in schools, which invoke the idea of abundance. Add some luck to your life when you dine on Grilled Salmon and White Bean Salad, Gingery Salmon with Peaches, or Spicy Sautéed Fish with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes.
Prosperity
Fruits with their many seeds resemble prosperity. Pomegranates happen to be one of the most traditional to consume, after the fruit smashing, of course! In Greece, when a new year turns, a pomegranate is smashed on the floor in front of the door to break it open and reveal seeds symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. The more seeds, the more luck. Sprinkle those seeds liberally on a salad, such as this Kale-Quinoa Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash from Kaiser Permanente, or make into a dressing like with this Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Walnuts and Pomegranate Vinaigrette recipe.
Abundance
Rice, quinoa, barley, millet and wheat symbolize abundance, which can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Abundance isn’t just about money or wealth, it can also be viewed as love, friendship, and fulfillment in life. So help create the life you want when you eat these Asian Chicken and Rice Lettuce Wraps from Uncle Ben’s or this Quinoa Breakfast Bowl.
