Have a foodie on your list? Treat ‘em right
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
If you want to give a food gift this holiday season, skip the sugary baked goods and candy and give food gifts that are both decadent and healthful.
Many people enjoy nut mixes or spiced nuts. They’re also good for your health.
“Nuts and seeds have a lot of antioxidant potential and higher in the heart healthy fats,” said Mary Jo Parker, registered dietitian in private practice in Williamsville. “Nuts and seeds are good sources of fiber and protein. They’re great for stabilizing blood sugar. Nuts are helpful for weight loss. They’re great sources of vitamin E and many minerals.”
She suggested including nuts in a trail mix or making cocoa dusted nuts or chocolate covered nuts.
Packaging nuts in glass jars adorned with ribbon bows adds a festive touch. Parker is also a fan of fruit, whether a fresh fruit basket or an assortment of dried fruits.
“Dried fruits are a fabulous source of fiber,” she said. “Anything that’s a good source of fiber helps with gut health. If you have good motility in your GI tract, you’re decreasing the risk of diverticulosis and diverticulitis and other problems of the colon. It also bolsters your immunity. Fiber can also help to fill you up.”
As for a fresh fruit basket, Parker advises going for a good variety of colors in the selection for optimal healthfulness.
“Fruits are rich in polyphenols and have an anti-inflammatory property,” Parker said. “A standard fruit basket or edible arrangement is packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals and phytochemicals that are protective and would benefit every system of the body.”
Lay a tea towel or other padding in the basket to cushion the fruit and arrange the fruit so it piles above the rim of the basket. Tuck in a few small items among the pieces of fruit, like English walnuts. Consider securing the fruit in place with cellophane if you need to transport the basket, and top with a large bow.
Dark chocolate has long been touted for its antioxidant properties. Give dark chocolates that have at least 70% cacao.
“It is loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols, and catechins (a powerful antioxidant),” Parker said. “They’re protective at the cellular level. In a similar vein is cocoa beans. If someone gave a cocoa mix or made one with cocoa that was dark, not alkalized or Dutch processed, they’ve been shown to possibly reduce cardiovascular risk, reduce blood pressure, and improve blood flow. It can reduce insulin resistance and lower LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides. They’re good for circulation and can improve brain function.”
She recommended dark chocolate drizzled popcorn, as it provides the above benefits of dark chocolate along with the popcorn’s fiber.
For another DIY dark chocolate gift, create healthful dark chocolate bark by pouring a layer of melted chocolate over broken nuts arranged on waxed paper. Allow the chocolate to harden in the refrigerator before breaking into pieces and packaging.
Create chocolate raspberries by washing raspberries to completely dry. Gently place a dark chocolate chip inside the berry with the flat side at the bottom and arrange on a glass tray.
Coffee and tea are also rich in antioxidants. Find a few “fancy” flavors to nestle in a basket with mugs, a tea towel and flavoring agents like honey.
“Different types of teas have incredible antioxidant potential,” Parker said. “They’re loaded with flavonoids which decrease cardiovascular disease risk and some types of cancers. Some studies show that tea can help increase focus and attention because of the caffeine in it. Coffee can as well. Teas have been shown to improve fasting blood glucose levels, whether white, red, green or black. There’s a lot of variability with herbal tea.”
Give local goods. Rosanna Monteleone, functional nutritional therapy practitioner and owner of Nature to Nourish Wellness in Niagara Falls, recommended New York-sourced products such as honey for its antimicrobial properties and maple syrup or maple sugar, as they contain antioxidants.
“Maple syrup and sugar is something you can cook with, too,” Monteleone added. “It has trace minerals and calcium.”
Many people have begun cooking more at home since the pandemic.
“Organic spices would also be nice,” Monteleone said. “If you have your own rosemary, sage and thyme, that would be nice.”
She also suggested DIY gifts such as soup mixes. Layer dried beans, dried pasta and spices and tying a recipe card to the jar with ribbon. https://masonjarrecipe.com/34-mason-jar-dry-soup-mixes-recipes offers numerous healthful mixes.
Monteleone also said to try making jam with chia seeds, dehydrated apple rings or “anything like dill pickles or dill zucchini you put up. Make someone homemade pumpkin bread or banana bread. You can make it healthier.”