Kosher snack for kids?

[alphamommy]

DD9 turns 10 on Tuesday, and I'd like to take a snack to her hockey game on Wednesday. The catch is that several of the boys on the team are Jewish, and eat Kosher.

I talked to one of the dads about this a month or so ago, but he just told me not to worry about it, that they're used to not being able to have cupcakes, etc. However, I don't like to leave them out when I might be able to find something for everyone to enjoy.

My question is: are there different "levels" of "Kosher-ness"? If I find a bakery that sells Kosher foods, will the kids be able to eat it, or might there be more restrictions that I don't know/understand?

Thanks for any education you can offer!

[Disney4us2]

You could probably find snacks in the grocery store. Just look on the package for a U with a circle around it or a K. That indicates that it is Kosher. Just looked in the pantry... our Chips Ahoy cookies have the U and so does our popcorn. You will be suprised at what is Kosher. The reason they won't eat cupcakes is they don't know what else is baked in the pans. Hope this helps

[Disney4us2]

Forgot to mention. What ever you bring, make sure it is sealed in the original packaging. Also, serve with paper plates and plastic utensils. We did this when a friend who was strict Kosher came to visit.

[DisneyDog]

If you look for the K symbol, make sure it has a star of david next to it or a circle around it. Anyone can slap a plain K on a product and claim it to be Kosher when, in fact, it isn't. Apparently, you want either the U with a circle around it, the K with a circle around it, or the K with the star of david next to it. I did a little researching after I read your post -- I'm Jewish but not Kosher, so I've always been curious -- and it's a bit of a tricky thing to determine what is really Kosher. And it seems there are also levels of Kosher-ness. Just do the best you can. I am sure the parents will know what can be eaten and what can't. You could always bring in fruit for the kids who aren't sure (apples and honey are a great, healthy treat).

[RenDuran]

I always thought things marked "parve" were kosher.

[alphamommy]

Thanks for the replies!

I ended up picking up individually packaged Mini Oreos. The box is marked with a "U" with a circle around it. I found a website that listed snacks that are Kosher, and these were explicitly listed.

We'll see how things work out tonight!

[DisneyDog]

Did that work out?

[MegaDisney]

I always thought things marked "parve" were kosher.

Parve is a Hebrew term (pareve is the Yiddish term) that describes food without any meat or dairy ingredients.

[thrillme]

I'm not Jewish...I have a couple of friends that are but they're both "sorta" Jewish "Lites".

They wouldn't say no to cupcakes or cookies. I wouldn't have even thought it to be a problem...but...it's very interesting. I wonder if "cupcakes" would be kosher if they had the little cupcake paper....just has me "curious" now.

[ElenitaB]

Paper has nothing to do with something being kosher or not. It has to do with ingredients and the means of preparation (as regards slaughtering animals). And as regards your friends, not all members of the Jewish faith keep kosher.

[Meteora]

thrillme--as ElenitaB noted, a lot of Jewish people are not kosher. (I certainly am not!) People who keep kosher have kosher kitchens, with separate pots, pans, plates, silverware, etc. for meat and dairy so that they never touch. In fact, a lot of people who keep Kosher live as vegetarians just because it's easier. So people who keep Kosher can't eat something cooked in someone else's kitchen, because it is likely both dairy and meat have touched whatever was used to cook the food, and that is against the rules of keeping Kosher. So in addition to the fact that cupcakes are baked in someone's kitchen, they also usually contain dairy. People who keep kosher can eat dairy products, but then must wait a certain amount of time before eating meat. Hope that helps!

[DisneyDog]

I'm certainly not Kosher...I love shellfish too much If you are Kosher, you can't eat certain animals. No shellfish, no pork...nothing with a cloved hoof. It was most likely started because of cleanliness and avoiding food poisoning. Now that there is refrigeration and meat facilities have to meet certain government standards, keeping Kosher is no longer for food safety purposes. But, people who keep kosher do so for tradition.

There are some people, who can afford it, who actually keep several full kitchens. I recently spoke to someone who had a friend with 3 kitchens in their home! I suppose one is for meat, one is for dairy, and the 3rd must be for Passover?

[Scar]

For anyone interested in learning about this, it is best to go right to the source and read Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.