Holiday Gift Guide from Food Foundation

It’s a season of gift-giving and why not make it healthy! Food Foundation is truly a lifestyle for me and my family and yes, it does even extend to giving gifts. Below are a few of my favorite things and suggestions for your holiday shopping.

For The Tea Drinker

A tea kettle or new mugs from LeCreuset! A nice tea kettle is a lovely gift to anyone who loves tea. I’ve also developed a few downloadable recipe cards with my favorite tea recipes that would be a wonderful companion to this gift.

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If you’re looking for something a little smaller or more unique, try giving a single herb tea like lemon verbena or dried hibiscus flowers in a mason jar. You can also combine a few herbs and make a lovely little herbal blend. Think lavender with mint and chamomile. If you have these growing in your yard, start drying them now or you could find loose leaves in a health food store.

For the Cook

You know I love a good pan and especially one that doesn't leach toxic chemicals into the food. Cast iron is my favorite and enameled iron looks so pretty in the kitchen. LeCreuset is guaranteed quality and makes cooking more fun. They are having some really good sales right now too! I recommend that everyone has a dutch oven and casserole dish in their repertoire to cook and be able to serve in the same dish.

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If you want to go pure cast iron, I recommend Smithey ironware company. To make this gift extra special, they even offer custom engraving on their products! What a special gift to have a quality cast iron pan with a personalized message engraved on the bottom. This is something the cooks in your life will cherish forever and they will last forever. 

• Did you know that cast iron is not only non-toxic, but scraping them can offer bits of iron that may even boost your iron levels.

For the Adventurous Eater

Have you ever made your own yogurt? How about cheese? Cultures For Health is a wonderful company that sells starter kits for all sorts of fermented and pickled foods. From sourdough starters to kombucha and everything in between, I love these products!

They make it so easy to make the most difficult sounding ferments. Once, I made tempeh which is supposed to be incredibly difficult, but turned out perfect and delicious. I will never be able to eat store bought tempeh again. 

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Fermented and pickled foods are excellent for gut health and digestion and I think the kits are a super fun way to feel more connected to your food. Right now, get free shipping on all orders over $40!

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If you think your gift receiver may like fermented foods but not have time to make a DIY, you could make them a jar of pickles or spicy sauerkraut with daikon radish I like to call Mexican kimchi.

For the Cozy Seeker

Do you know someone who is always looking for more cozy things or what my Danish neighbor calls hygge? What about giving them soup for Christmas? If you live nearby, there’s nothing better than bringing an already cooked soup, made with love.

If you live far away, try these heat and eat soup packets from Vital Choice. Soup is such an easy dinner solution that is guaranteed to delight and these packets have decent ingredients too. Use code 1VCAF5 at checkout to get 5% off Healthy and Hearty soups.

Vital Choice also has a limited edition holiday gift box with a curated collection of their products for only $149 with free shipping. I’m eyeing this one for myself to be honest, wild salmon, fish broth, and super yum seasonings. I like to make my own fish broth and my own seasoning mixes, but seriously on a Friday night after a long work week, I’m looking for the quickest healthiest dinner possible. These look like a great short cut for the working family that still wants to eat healthy. Code 1VCAF5 will also work for 5% off this product at checkout.

For the Reader

If you’re looking for a cool DIY cookbook that can bring amazing benefits to your health, I recommend a fermentation book by Sandor Katz. He has a brand new one out called Fermentation Journeys and he is a master fermenter. I haven’t read this yet, but I have all of his other books and he really solves the mystery of how to ferment. Katz makes it easy and will be a unique gift for your foodie at heart.

For a Little Self Care

If you’re shopping for someone into lotions and potions, I recommend looking for a clean line. I’ve tried them all and I love these clean beauty products from Neal’s Yard Remedies. You do need to order through a consultant, so I’m sending you to my mom’s homepage, someone I trust. Along with clean bath and body products, this is also where I get all organic essential oils.

If I have time, I love to make a DIY option, and I think they make the best gifts. Try using up the leftover sugar in your house from holiday cookies to make this homemade sugar scrub.

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For the Kids

Toys that promote imagination can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike and are always winners in my book. Try this recipe for non-toxic play dough for a safe and fun activity during the holiday break!

Don’t have time to shop?

Look around your yard and see what resources you may have that your friends may not. Maybe you have a lemon tree. A basket full of lemons is a wonderful gift! Maybe you have a full flower garden. Hand delivered fresh flowers are sure to delight and the gesture is so  thoughtful.

No matter what you decide to give, I hope you share from the heart, buy less stuff, and have a wonderful holiday season!

Your wellness guru,

Jessica

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

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Clean Products For A Healthier Home -- 3 Tips For A Holiday Meal Without Indigestion -- Sustainable Fall Decor