Healthy holiday gift ideas

The holidays are a time to enjoy the season and extend appreciation for friends, family and coworkers. This year, try taking a mindful approach to gift-giving and incorporate a healthy holiday theme. It’s the perfect way to share a gift that contributes to overall health and well-being.

Here are some of Hy-Vee’s registered dietitians’ favorite healthy food-focused holiday gift ideas.

Nuts are packed with protein and heart-healthy fats which make them an ideal snack to stay energized between meals. The higher fat content in nuts helps promote satiety, though it also means they are calorie dense.

Sticking with a one ounce serving will give you all the benefits without overdoing your snack. Fill a festive box or basket with mini-packages of favorites such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and more. Fill an attractive holiday decanter with mixed nuts for everyone to enjoy. Additionally, for people with high blood pressure, it’s beneficial to look for options that are unsalted or lightly salted.

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Say “heart-healthy holidays” with a gift basket of high-quality olive oil. Graza is always fresh, never blended — a single origin olive oil. Picked, pressed and bottled all in the same season, the harvest date is even on the label.

Include in your basket the top three varieties:

Include convenient Graza olive oil spray along with marinated olives and crusty French bread.

Put together an Italian-themed meal prep gift with Graza Olive Oil and include a recipe card with ingredients for Festive Marinara Meatballs. For a Mediterranean version, gather prepared hummus dip, pita bread and kalamata olives to pair with Nana’s Italian Meatballs from Mulay’s. They are ready-to-cook and free of the top nine allergens. Mulay’s products are sustainably sourced with simple ingredients and no sugar, nitrates or preservatives. If traveling, include an ice pack to keep the meatballs at a safe temperature.

From classic favorites to unique flavor blends, popcorn has always been a pantry staple.

A three-cup serving of this whole grain snack offers three to four grams of fiber which helps control appetite and plays a role in supporting stable blood sugar levels. Look for varieties with minimal butter, sugar and sodium to maintain its nutritious profile. Popcorn that is air-popped is especially healthy as it requires no butter or oil to make.

Another bonus, popcorn is naturally gluten-free! If you have celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten, it’s still important to read the ingredient list to make sure added flavorings or processing did not introduce any allergens. Wrap up a variety pack with a festive ribbon.

Instead of making that forbidden fruit cake, send a seasonal fruit basket this year.

Fruit is a sweet treat that’s also filled with vitamins, minerals and fiber. For best results, look for fruits that are in season as this will help with both affordability and optimal taste. Pomegranates, apples, pears and kiwi are a handful of winter fruits that are sure to make for a colorful gift.

If you’re looking to add a few tropical pieces to the basket, pineapple, mango, papaya, dragon fruit and passion fruit all have their growing season in the southern hemisphere during our winter. Mix and match for your perfect basket.

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Julie Gallagher is a registered dietitian at Hy-Vee.