ByAcademy of Culinary NutritionLast updated onReading Time: 8 minutes
It can be challenging at times to buy gifts for healthy foodies. Those of us that follow the culinary nutrition way of life tend to be selective about the foods and ingredients we consume, plus we are careful about mindless consumption of products that will create both food and environmental waste. That means we can’t just grab a box of chocolates from the drugstore when heading over for a holiday dinner – yet mindful gift-giving can be easy when we know what to look for! That’s why we’re sharing our best holiday gifts for culinary nutrition enthusiasts so you don’t need to worry.
With these holiday gift ideas, you will become everyone’s favourite gift-giver!
Get re-usable food wraps, which can completely replace plastic wrap or aluminum foil for food storage. We adore the Abeego wraps because they are eco-friendly, come in a variety of sizes and are made of soft, pliable beeswax. One of our Culinary Nutrition Experts, Melissa Torio, also has a line of wraps called Simply Swell Kitchen that are made with three ingredients: cotton, beeswax and coconut oil. They’re great for wrapping up half-cut onions or lemons, covering leftover food in baking dishes, or wrapping up sandwiches or snacks.
3. Conscious Gift Baskets
A thoughtfully curated gift box with nutritious goodies, beauty care and lifestyle products that are designed to support wellness are always appreciated. We love this approach to gift-giving because it includes products that we’ll actually use and eat. One fantastic option is,The KindCurator Co, created by Culinary Nutrition Expert Miya Didrichsons. The Kind Curator boxes are made with love in Canada featuring locally sourced, eco-conscious, wellness centric products. With every purchase, they plant a tree!
Anyone can learn to cultivate a green thumb with these easy indoor herb gardens! All you need is a windowsill, some sunshine and a positive attitude. We like Back to the Roots, where you have the choice between multiple herbs, mushrooms, and tomatoes, plus you have the options of growing in super cute cans or Mason jars. This is a really fun project if you have kiddos in the house, too. More ideas about easy foods you can grow indoors here.
5. Glass Straws
Glass straws are the best for sipping up your blended dairy-free smoothies. They are re-usable – which means no plastic waste – and dishwasher safe. Our fave is Strawesome – they have beautiful designs (they can even customize your straw for you) and offer a lifetime warranty. We’ve been using them for years and they are very tough to break, so no need to worry about safety.
6. Medicinal Mushrooms
Mushrooms, like chaga and reishi, are some our favourite herbal adaptogens. You can certainly glean the benefits of mushrooms by eating them, but the mushroom extracts are a more concentrated source. We prefer dual-extracted mushrooms from Four Sigmatic, as the owners really know their mushrooms. Mushroom powders are easy to use – you can either mix them with water or dairy-free milk, or toss them into your favourite elixir recipes.
7. Healthy Cookbooks
Recipes are everywhere on the internet, but they will never replicate the enjoyment of cracking the spine of a printed cookbook, thumbing through the crisp pages for inspiration and bookmarking the most appealing recipes to try. Check out our Top 30 Whole Food Healthy Cookbooks and The Best Cookbooks By Culinary Nutrition Experts – there are tons of great cookbooks for holiday gifts in there!
8. Food-Grade Essential Oils
We love using essential oils in cooking – oils such as lavender, lemon, lemongrass, peppermint, grapefruit, cinnamon, thyme and more are a wonderful way to add potent flavour and health benefits to your food. However, it’s important to choose food-grade essential oils that are safe for internal consumption.
No one will be disappointed by receiving chocolate as a gift. We like raw chocolate because it is high in antioxidants and magnesium for relaxation (which some people may need during the holiday season!), and is rich in flavour. Aim for dark chocolate, as it’s going to have more cacao and less sugar, as well as a more robust taste.
A hot cup of tea is incredibly nourishing and soothing, plus you can use them as the base in elixir recipes. We like Mountain Rose Herbs for teas because they have something for everyone – both the basic teas like chamomile and fun concoctions.
12. Grocery Gift Cards
Why not let your recipient choose his or her own gift? You can buy gift cards from local grocery stores or farmers’ markets, or opt for an online gift card. We like Well.ca here in Canada, and Thrive Market is great for those in the United States.
13. An Easy Edible Gift
Edible gifts are simple to make. It doesn’t take long to whip up a batch of cookie mix in a Mason jar or toast some spiced nuts. We’ve got 8 gluten-free, plant-based edible holiday gift ideas for you to check out for inspiration.
14. Herbal Remedies
There is an endless array of herbal remedies, so you can find something that suits everyone in your family! We love Mayernik Kitchen – another business by one of our Culinary Nutrition Experts – that offers organic tea blends, honey, tinctures and beauty care products that celebrate the beauties of the land and are great for our health!
Perhaps the best holiday gift of all is the one that allows us to spend more time loving the people in our lives. Instead of a tangible gift, you could offer the gift of your time. This could be taking a walk, having a cup of tea or going for a hike. It may be an inexpensive experience, like going to see a movie or attending a yoga class with a friend. Maybe you offer to babysit a friend or family member’s kids (and even teach them to cook!) – many parents would appreciate that!
No matter what kind of gift you choose or how much it costs, when it is given with appreciation and love it’s guaranteed to be received with gratitude.
Looking To Treat Yourself Or A Loved One with Culinary Nutrition?
Don’t leave yourself out of the gift-giving! Give yourself the gift of culinary nutrition education, which offers a fun experience and shows you how to cook tasty food from scratch that supports your health. If you want to purchase one of these workshops for someone else, reach out to us and we’ll help you make it happen!
Some online courses to consider:
Everyday Culinary Nutrition
This is culinary nutrition at its foundation – the basics – where you’ll learn how to make everyday meals and staples that are delicious, quick and easy to make, and good for us. In this self-paced course, you’ll learn how to effortlessly integrate Everyday Culinary Nutrition strategies into your everyday eating, and positively impact the health and well-being of your family, reduce your household food and packaging waste, and save money.
Do you like the idea of herbal medicine, but don’t know where to start? Though herbal medicine can be used to treat specific conditions naturally, it also has a lot more function in everyday use than most of us realize. Everyday Herbal takes the overwhelm out of herbal medicine. Learn what you need to start creating and using your own natural remedies and herbal applications straight away – including infused salad oil with herbs, teas to use as the base in smoothies or elixirs, massage oil, digestive lozenges, infused honey and more.
Reading Time: 8 minutes 
