Some say that the tradition dates back to the Civil War but wherever the tradition came from Southern tables are adorned with black-eyed peas, cabbage, and cornbread come New Years Day. The foods are said to represent different things to usher in a prosperous New Year.
Every New Years Day, we like to refocus on our health whether it’s small changes like making our favorite snacks healthier with EVOO or Resetting with Miranda. We can learn a lot from traditional New Year’s Days food when it comes to our health, nutrition, and putting our best foot forward as we head into 2022.
Black Eyed Peas
Depending on who you ask, New Year’s black-eyed peas represent luck or good health. Like most other beans, black-eyed peas are nutrient-rich and a great staple product. Black-eyed peas are a great source of complex carbs which help with weight loss because they take longer to digest than simple carbs and provide energy and fiber. They are also a fantastic source of calcium, iron, Vitamin A, and more!
Oftentimes, the peas are cooked with a hambone for flavor and that has its own meaning as well. The hambone is supposed to symbolize a positive move into the new year due to the fact that pigs root forward as they are foraging. It’s a reminder to keep moving forward even despite setbacks or mistakes. This is important to recall if you are starting a diet this month – one setback or non-nutritious meal doesn’t ruin the day or your diet. Just keep going!
Check out this Black Eyed Peas recipe with a Greek twist that uses olive oil to pump even more nutrition into the dish: Simple Greek Black Eyed Peas.
Roasted Cabbage with Olive Oil
While traditional New Year’s cabbage is cooked with bacon fat, cabbage is chock-full of nutrients and vitamins and is a great addition to a healthy diet that is often overlooked.
Here is an alternative Roasted Cabbage with Olive Oil and Garlic recipe that can also be used.
Cabbage in the New Year Day meal is intended to represent financial well being but as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The first wealth is health.” Prioritizing your health results in increased self-worth, better sleep, more energy, disease prevention, independence, and more. It event has financial benefits so there is plenty to learn from our New Year’s Day cabbage.
Cornbread
Cornbread is a staple for any Southerner’s meal but it’s especially important as a traditional Southern New Year’s Day food because it represents gold. Eating cornbread is thought to bring you extra spending money in the new year. So, if the cabbage wasn’t enough to bring you prosperity, the cornbread should make up for it.
We think cornbread is a great reminder about savoring life and enjoying the foods you love in moderation. No, cornbread isn’t particularly nutrient-dense and it is relatively high in carbs and sodium, but it’s also delicious!
Try this: Perfect Olive Oil Cornbread
No matter your New Year’s goals, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from our New Year’s Day traditions. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2022. We look forward to seeing you here at Primo.
