8 Lucky Foods for the New Year

Jan Scott April 28, 2016
Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Beans

This year, instead of leaving your next year’€™s luck up to fate, why not feast on the foods that are said to increase your future fortune? There are a variety of foods that are thought to be lucky (some are traditional while others are more based on superstition), and while they vary from culture to culture, and aren’€™t guaranteed to ensure a happy new year, you can bet all of them will lead to a satisfied stomach.

1. Grapes

The Spanish have a tradition/superstition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, one for each month of the coming year. If you bite into a sweet grape it means the month will be good, while a sour grape is said to be indicative of a less-than-lucky time.

Recipe Idea: skewer 12 grapes and serve alongside a glass of bubbly at midnight.

2. Greens

An American superstition is that greens like collards, kale, and spinach are considered lucky because they represent paper money.

Recipe to Try: Chicken and Kale Pizza Bake

3. Circular Foods

These are thought to bring good luck because they symbolize coming ‘full circle’ and are usually served for New Year’€™s Day breakfast.

Recipe idea: Serve a breakfast buffet of bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, red onion, dill and lemon on New Year’€™s morning.

4. Beans

Also represent money, but more specifically coins.

Recipe to try: Baked Mac and Cheese with Little White Beans

5. Pork:

Believe to be a symbol of luck because they are rotund. This is said to represent prosperity and happiness.

Recipe to Try: Rigatoni with Slow Cooker Pork Ragu

6. Long Noodles:

Soba and buckwheat are popular choices and said to signify longevity, so the longer the noodle the better.

Recipe to Try: Sesame Soba Noodle and Kale Salad

7. Pomegranates:

Said to represent good luck for many reasons’€”red colour denotes the human heart, love and fertility; medicinal properties symbolize good health; and their abundant round seeds indicate prosperity’€”and are thought to be ideal for eating on New Year’€™s Day as they represent all the things people hope for with a fresh start.

Recipe Idea: Sprinkle pomegranate arils over everything from salads to bowls of oatmeal to desserts.

8. Cornbread:

Believed to bring prosperity because it’€™s the same colour of gold. Ensure extra luck by adding corn kernels, which are considered extra lucky like gold nuggets.

Recipe to Try: Cheddar and Dill Skillet Cornbread

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