5 Lucky – and Healthy! – Foods for New Year’s
Do your New Year's resolutions include eating better? You can begin on New Year's Day with these 5 traditional lucky foods. From black-eyed peas and greens to fish and pomegranates, these eats will get 2012 off to an auspicious -- and healthy -- start.
Legumes
Black-eyed peas, beans, and other legumes swell as they cook, so they represent good fortune in cultures around the world. Southerners dig into a bowl of hoppin' John made with black-eyed peas, while lentils are traditional in Italy, Germany, and Brazil.
Health perk: Legumes are high in soluble fiber, which helps chase away belly fat, stabilize blood sugar, prevent heart disease, and fend off colon cancer.
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Greens
Could the prosperity connection be more obvious? Folks around the globe will gobble plates of greens on New Year's Day, from collard greens in the Deep South to kale in Denmark and cabbage in Germany.
Health perk: Hearty winter greens like collards, kale, and chard help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis. The folate, potassium, and other nutrients in greens also guard against high blood pressure. Aim for a cup of cooked greens a day.
Grapes
New Year's Eve revelers in Spain and parts of Latin America gobble 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight to ensure a sweet year ahead. According to legend, Spanish grape growers started the tradition in the early 20th century to encourage people to consume surplus fruit.
Health perk: Grapes are chock-full of resveratrol, an antioxidant compound that fights inflammation. That helps keep heart disease and joint pain at bay.
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Fish
They swim in schools and always move forward, so eating fish, especially whole fish, will help you get ahead in 2012. Cod is traditional in Europe, but any variety will help you get off to a lucky start.
Health perk: Fish -- especially omega-3-rich coldwater varieties like salmon, cod, and sardines -- can cut your risk of dying from heart disease by 38%. Fish also helps preserve your memory, reduce arthritis symptoms, and lower your risk of diabetes. Aim for at least 1 (6-ounce) serving of fish a week.
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Pomegranates
Want to add another baby to the family in 2012? Add ruby-red sweet-tart pomegranate seeds to your New Year's Eve menu. They're cherished as a sign of fertility and abundance.
Health perk: These powerful little seeds (and their juice) help lower blood pressure and bad-for-you triglycerides while keeping your blood sugar levels steady. Pomegranates are a great anti-ager that helps protect your skin from inflammation and sun damage.
Enjoy this popular New Year's good-luck food in moderation: pork. Pigs are rich in fat and always move forward as they forage for food, so pork is thought to represent wealth and progress. You'll find it on New Year's menus in roasts, sausage, and bacon.
Marketers may sell pork as "the other white meat," but it's red. And like other red meat, pork can be high in saturated fat, and it's linked to higher rates of heart disease and cancer. Choose a lean leg or loin cut and enjoy a small portion accompanied by better-for-you greens and legumes. That's a classic -- and lucky -- combo.
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