The Kosher Food System includes requirements that are necessary to guarantee that the foods are suitable for consumption according to the Judaic laws. The Kosher Dietary system is the only COMPLETE nutritional system in the world, able to provide consistently all the nutrients necessary for a healthy life. The Kosher system recognizes that nutrition has a spiritual dimension. Intuitively we all look for comfort foods to make us feel better. The Kosher Food System has been proven effective for more than three thousand years. The benefits of a kosher diet are available to all. The Kosher label that some foods carry indicates that only kosher ingredients have been used for a food production and preparation, and a reputable Kosher certification organization verifies that. Below you will find a very simplified description of the Kosher dietary rules. Please be aware that some important information may be missing. Contact a local Rabbi to obtain better information.   Also see the online resources listed below. Definitions The following definitions are important for understanding the Kosher Food System • Kosher [‘kouʃə(r)]: Fit or proper for use. • Pareve [ʹpa:rəvi]: Neutral foods. Parave foods are neither meat nor dairy. Parave foods include all fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and grains. All parave foods are kosher.

Acceptable Kosher

Foods

1. All fresh fruits and vegetables are kosher. 2. All unprocessed grains and cereals  are kosher. 3. All cow’s milk and its dairy products  are kosher. For dairy processed products, check the ingredients to ensure they are kosher as well. 4. Eggs from kosher fowl are kosher. However, an egg that contains a speck of blood should not be consumed. 5. All fish that have fins and scales are kosher. 6. The meat of cattle (beef and veal), sheep (lamb and mutton), venison (deer), and goat are kosher. The meat from animals with cloven hoof and from the ones that chew its cud is considered kosher. For the origin of this rule, see Leviticus 11:3 and Deuteronomy 14:4. 7. Most of the domestic fowl are kosher. That includes domesticated species of chickens, Cornish hens, ducks, geese, and turkeys.

Banned Foods by

the Kosher Food

System

1. Shell fish. 2. Eggs containing blood specks. 3. Meat of swine and rabbits. 4. Predatory and scavenger fowls. 5. Insects of any type.

Rules for Kosher

Eating

1. Neutral or pareve foods (fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and grains) can be eaten at any meal. 2. Meat and dairy products shall not be eating together at the same meal. Meat and dairy shall not be cooked together or served as a separate dish at one meal. Breads, cakes, cookies, or desserts suitable for meat meals shall not contain dairy products or milk derivatives. 3. Dairy products shall not be eaten immediately after eating meat. The waiting time before eating dairy varies in different regions of the world. The waiting time ranges from 30 minutes to six hours. 4. Meat may be eaten right after eating dairy products, except hard cheeses. 5. Each kosher foods have a corresponding before and after eating blessings. Those blessings are indicated on the cards. If you are not a follower of the Jewish faith, you may skip those blessings.

Rules for Kosher

Fruits and

Vegetables for

foods included in

NutriCards

For information about the specific practices regarding a food, consult the Chicago Rabbinical Council reference included below. 1. Vegetables that require a general inspection to rule out obvious infestations: Cabbage, celery, chard, corn on the cob, cucumber, date, mushroom, rice, seeds, sprouts, and strawberry. 2. Vegetables that must be washed very well and inspected to rule out infestations: Blueberry, cabbage, celery, chard, grape, lettuce, mushroom, and strawberry. 3. Vegetables that must be eaten with caution washed and obtained from reputable Kosher food sources; otherwise, avoid them because the serious risk of insect and vermin contamination: Artichoke, asparagus, blackberry, broccoli, Brussel’s sprouts, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, parsley, salad greens, and spinach. 4. Vegetables that must have the tops cut off and the gently rub while rinsing under a strong stream of water: Asparagus and strawberries.

Food Blessings

Many cultures and faiths around the world bless their foods as a way to thank God, the provider, and the whole chain of life, including the hands who prepare their food, for making possible those foods available for eating. Those blessings also set the mood for the body to accept and process those foods in a similar way a song with a strong emotional content can trigger memories and physiological reactions in our bodies. The Judaic faith blesses their foods before and after eating them. Jewish say those blessings in Hebrew or a transliteration of them - transliteration is expressing words of a language by means of the characters of another alphabet-. Those blessings are food specific. By doing this, each body is receiving an information package that transcends their bodies until reaching their souls. In this way, Jewish obtain maximum benefits from the foods they eat.  There are six before meals blessings:  Hamotzi, Mezonot, Ha-aitz, Ha-adamah, and Shehakol. Their transliterations are included in NutriCards. The after meals blessings’ content is longer than what it could be fit in a game card and change periodically within a Jewish calendar year. Consult a Rabbi for the text of the following blessings: Birkat Hamazon, Al Hamichya, Al Ha-aytz, and Borei Negashot.

Theology of the

Kosher Foods

For information about the religious aspect of the Kosher foods, contact your local Rabbi even if you are not a follower of the Jewish faith. Additional Resources Kosher – Chicago Rabbinical Council (https://goo.gl/6kYsj) Kosher: An Overview – OK Kosher Certification (http://www.ok.org/consumers/kosher- an-overview) Guide to Food Blessings – OU Kosher (https://oukosher.org/guide-to-blessings)

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