Rosh Hashanah favorites like brisket, kugel and jeweled rice are likely to fill you up at mealtimes. But if you get hungry between holiday meals, or if a few treats in your bag will help you (or younger family members) make it through hours of services, this list of symbolic nosh will satisfy all your holiday cravings. From freeze-dried pomegranate arils to honey-roasted nuts, these are the best Rosh Hashanah snacks.
Oh, Honey, Honey
Kick off your sweet new year with a healthy crunch. Lebby makes all kinds of chickpea snacks, but the sesame-honey flavor feels just right for the holiday. These have just the right amount of honey to make them sweet without being cloying.
These snack-sized waffle cookies make for an excellent holiday breakfast option if you’re running late to synagogue. They’re individually packaged so you can take one with you for every member of the family.
Macadamias are undeniably the best nut, and adding honey takes them over the top. You only need a small handful of these nuts to keep the hunger pangs at bay — but it might be hard not to eat the whole jar.
Festive Fruits
If you prefer your holiday apples sans honey, you’ll love these apple chips from RIND, my favorite dried fruit company. They’re unsweetened but still delicious, and the skin is left on to make them more nutritious.
Let’s face it: Pomegranates are a beautiful symbol, but cutting them properly is a painstaking process. These freeze-dried pomegranate snacks make it possible to enjoy the symbolism and have them at the ready for holiday snack emergencies.You can also eat them to fulfill the tradition of trying a new fruit for the holiday.
Dates — one of the many symbolic Sephardic Rosh Hashanah foods known as “simanim” — are a great snack on their own. But eat this version with chocolate and almonds, and you’ll wish it was Rosh Hashanah all year long.
Popcorn is the ultimate snack in any situation — it’s healthy, filling and delicious. So apple-drizzled popcorn might just be the ultimate Rosh Hashanah snack. A bag of this will help you stay sated on lazy holiday afternoons.
Simanim Snacks
If you need a tzimmes fix this season, look no further than Rhythm’s carrot stick snacks. All of Rhythm’s dried vegetable snacks are delicious, and this one will bring everyone’s favorite carrotty holiday side dish to mind, no cooking required.
Jerky of any type — be it beef, fish or portobello mushroom — is a satisfying way to chew your snack cravings goodbye. This salmon jerky packs a protein punch and is a reminder of the tradition to eat fish for the new year. If salmon’s not your cup of tea, or you don’t want your fellow synagogue-goers glaring at you because of the smell, try bringing a bag of Theo’s delicious, teriyaki-flavored Beet Jerky to services with you instead; beets are also a Rosh Hashanah symbol.
Gourds are a key element of the Sephardic Rosh Hashanah seder, symbolizing a wish for any harsh decrees against us to be torn up and our merits to be announced before God. These spiced South Indian-style dried gourd snacks are the perfect opportunity to try out this symbolic food.
If the other snacks above don’t appeal to your palate, you can’t go wrong with Pepperidge Farm Goldfish this holiday. The fish are symbolic, the flavors are varied and they come in easy-to-pack baggies that are easy to tote to temple — for the kids in your life, or for yourself.
