12 New Year Good Luck Foods

Good Luck Foods For The New Year’s!

It will officially be the new year in a few hours, and I wish you a happy and prosperous new year filled with good luck, success, and joy. May this year bring you closer to achieving your dreams and goals, and may you find happiness in everything you do. In line with all the good wishes, I would like to also share some New Year good luck foods with you.

Traditionally, these recipes signify good fortune, and I pray they bring you and your family the same irrespective of when you eat these foods!! Cheers to a beautiful year ahead!

12 New Year’s Good Luck Foods + Recipes!

Black-eyed Peas.

Personally, I love black-eyed peas. However, I love them even more because it is a New Year good luck food! Black-eyed peas signify prosperity and growth in the New Year. For good luck and fortune in the coming year. Some people also believe eating black-eyed peas with greens (symbolizing wealth) will bring even more prosperity.

Black-eyed peas are one of my favorite beans to cook. One of the ways I cook black-eyed peas is the famous Nigerian beans porridge! Sometimes, I serve it with avocado; some other times, I serve it with rice! Also, akara or moi-moi are fantastic black-eyed peas recipes. Black-eyed beans and collard greens are equally very popular!

Greens are Good Luck Foods!

Greens bring wealth (well, who would have thought?) In the context of New Year’s food traditions, greens represent wealth and financial prosperity. I’m definitely making my easy spinach berry salad! Listen, I need as much good luck as possible, and now that I know that greens signify wealth, I will eat my greens more! Eating greens on New Year’s Day will bring good luck and fortune in the coming year.

The color green is also associated with growth and renewal, so consuming greens can symbolize personal growth and development. You can eat any green of your choice, such as collard greens, arugula, spring mix, spinach + more!

Good Luck Foods – Cornbread!

Cornbread is that one treat that I’m always very sure to make every New Year! Primarily because my kids love it! So, it feels incredible to know that cornbread represents wealth and prosperity in the New Year!

The golden color of cornbread resembles that of gold, and hence, it brings good luck and financial stability. In addition, cornbread is also associated with the harvest season, and consuming it on New Year’s Day is believed to bring a bountiful harvest in the coming year. See my healthier cornbread recipe here.

Round Foods such as Oranges!

Round foods such as oranges, round cakes, and pastries symbolize wealth, and eating them during the New Year brings good luck. Foods that are round resemble coins, and if you know you. Your girl gotta get her coins together!!! May prosperity follow us in the coming year. AMEN! Recipes like cranberry orange bread and orange smoothie are great, however eating an orange or mandarin is phenomenal!

Grains!

There are several New Year good luck foods, however, one that I’m intrigued about is grains. However, this should not come as a surprise, as grains symbolize abundance! For instance, you cannot just eat a single grain, you have to eat plenty of them, signifying abundance! In my head, grains mean a multitude of blessings! When God says my cup will run over, my mind immediately goes to grains because you cannot eat a single grain; you have to eat many!

Grains such as rice, quinoa, and barley are New Year’s good luck foods, and amazingly, there are different ways to incorporate these grains into our diet throughout the coming year. Typically, in Nigeria, most families make Nigerian party Jollof rice (pictured below)! Check out my coconut Jollof rice, fried rice or quinoa fried rice recipes, too. Also, my quinoa beet bowl is another banger!

Fish!

Fish is good all year round, and many cultures believe they bring abundance and prosperity. Personally, I enjoy eating fish; I have this air fryer swai fish with asparagus that I loveee. My favorite fish is salmon; I usually serve baked salmon with any choice of side dish. I plan to serve them with mashed potatoes this New Year’s Day.

I heard that the fish’s scales represent coins, so consuming fish equally brings wealth and financial success alongside being healthy and nutritious. Fish is always a simple, easy-to-make recipe to start the New Year. See this healthy salmon recipe as well as this baked salmon with spinach lime sauce. YUM!

Root Vegetables.

Root vegetables are calming and grounding; in many cultures, root vegetables symbolize stability and prosperity for the new year. This is because they grow underground and represent a strong foundation. My favorite root vegetables include beets, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, and parsnips.

Overall, incorporating root vegetables into New Year’s meals is a great way to celebrate the season while also bringing in good luck and stability for the coming year.

12 Grapes.

The tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve originated in the early 20th century in Spain as a way to use up the surplus grape harvest, but it has since become a widespread custom in many parts of the world. Grapes signify good luck, prosperity, and new beginnings for the new year. In Spain and some Latin American countries, eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve is a popular custom, each grape representing good luck for each month of the coming year.

I told my family about eating 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve, and my husband wants to know if drinking sparkling cider will count! Annnnnd I can’t stop laughing. Listen, I heard about Champagne being one of several New Year good luck foods, so sparkling cider may actually count.

Onions.

This one surprises me, but I’m down. Some cultures consider onions to be a symbol of the new year. Onions represent rebirth and growth. Also, they represent the cycle of renewal and the ability to withstand adversity. In some cultures, some people may hang onions in the home on New Year’s Eve to ward off negative energy and bring positive vibes.

Aside from using onions to cook (which I do all year round), I also like to add pickled onions to my greens and grains salad bowl. Want to see how I make my pickled onions? Here you go:

are Doughnuts New Year Good Luck Food?

This is the one my kids want! Hahaha, I don’t blame them! Doughnuts are a symbol of good fortune and prosperity in many cultures. Eating doughnuts on New Year’s Day is common in the United States. Donuts can bring good luck for the year ahead – AMEN.

The round shape of the doughnut represents the full circle of life, and the hole in the center represents the unknown future. By eating a doughnut on New Year’s Day, people hope to have a sweet and fulfilling year. Check out my Beets donuts (healthier donuts made with root vegetables)!

Pork is A Traditional New Year’s Good Luck Foods?

Pork is considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity, especially during the New Year. This is due to the animal’s plump and rich nature, which may represent wealth and abundance. Eating pork on New Year’s Day is a common practice in many Western countries, including the United States, Germany, and the Philippines. These cultures believe that consuming pork on the first day of the year will bring good luck and financial success throughout the rest of the year.

You should check out my award-winning baby back ribs without BBQ sauce!

Pomegranates.

Pomegranate fruit signifies prosperity, fertility, and good luck for the new year. Eating this fruit during the New Year’s celebrations is a way to ensure abundance and wealth in the coming year. The red color of the pomegranate is also associated with vitality and renewal, making it a famous symbol for the start of a new year.

Pomegranate is one of my fav on this list of New Year good luck foods! I legit want to eat it every day of the year, and now that I know this, I will eat some more! See my pomegranate arugula salad and pomegranate salad dressing. And this homemade pomegranate juice is the perfect non-alcoholic nutritious drink for the entire family in the New Year!

Bonus Good Luck Foods – Cabbage!

Everyone loves cabbage, right? Cabbage is considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Some believe that the green leaves of the cabbage represent paper money and, therefore, eating cabbage on New Year’s Day will bring wealth and financial success in the upcoming year. In some cultures, people may eat stuffed cabbage rolls, which symbolize the rolling of money. Additionally, cabbage is a nutritious vegetable rich in vitamins and minerals, so it is a healthy choice to start the new year.

Check out my braised red cabbage or this green sautéed cabbage with bacon (pork); see video below. Which would you be making?

More Traditional New Year’s Foods:

• King Cake
• Tamales
• Buttered bread (See my soda bread)
• Herring
• Champagne 

What part of the world are you reading this from? And what is your traditional New Year’s good luck food?

If you are ready to start the New Year right, check out my healthy lifestyle kickstart guide. It is a healthy lifestyle guide that helps you seamlessly step into your new healthy era.

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