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I’m so glad you’re here looking for healthy gift ideas!
And yet, I know the holidays aren’t a time that you usually think about health. When I was teaching about healthy eating at Whole Foods it was literally the “dark” time. People would avoid my desk for months and I’d be “loaned” out to the meat department to sling turkeys.
But maybe, just maybe, there is a way that we can be thoughtful, intentional, and healthy this holiday season. What is a healthy gift anyways?
We talk all about the considerations that go into a healthy gift idea on this episode of the A Very Full Plate podcast. Check it out if you’re interested in hearing all about our experience with and thought process around healthy gifts.
In case reading is more of your jam, here are the considerations we talked about when it comes to healthy gifts:
What are healthy gifts anyways?
Good for the Earth
How much random plastic crap do you have hiding in your drawers? What about the holiday stuff that you’re holding onto out of guilt instead of joy? The holidays are full of love and joy, but also lots of obligation.
One of the main ways that you can make choices that will better support the earth and not contribute to the gobs of plastic that gets thrown away. Intentionality is a really key piece of this. Here are some of the considerations that you can help you be more intentional in your gift giving (vs. being guided by what’s on sale):
- Carefully consider who you really need to give a gift to: Gifting out of obligation and stretching our gift giving budget to the limit can be one of the main motivators for buying small things that won’t last and aren’t personal
- Consider where the gift came from
- Think about what the gift is made of – key is reducing plastic and thinking more about durable, reusable materials like stainless steel, glass, etc.
Good for the Soul
These are “feel good” purchases”
Some ideas include:
- Homemade
- Experiences
- Date night gift certificates
- A photography package
Especially helpful in identifying gifts that will be soul-satisfying your loved one is knowing their Love Language. There are 5 of them:
- Words of affirmation
- Acts of service
- Receiving gifts
- Quality time
- Physical touch
You can take a quiz to find out your own love language and your kids’ love language to help understand what would best show your love.
Good for the Person
This is all about physically good for someone. After all, you’ve deemed this person worth giving a gift to, but have you considered that some of the things you’re gifting might be bringing more harm than health?
Some ideas might be:
- Less-toxic products (you can hear more about these in episodes 33 and 34 of the podcast)
- A health session that they might not normally treat themselves too
- Still delicious but healthier treats
- Certificate to a healthier product or food option
So what should I give?
Healthy Gift Ideas Shopping List
I’m so glad that you asked!
Here are some of the ideas we shared on the podcast episode, with easy clickable links for your shopping convenience:
I’ve done my best to place each gift in the category it best supports and give a small hint of why.
Good for the Earth
- Rothy’s: They’re durable and made from recycled water bottles. Use this link to get $20 off
- ThredUp: For second-hand high-quality clothing
- Repurposed Christmas decor
- Natural Christmas decorations
- Hydroflask: my favorite reusable water bottle because it’s metal and holds hot and cold liquids. (I’ve been known to throw it in my bag, full of coffee, while traveling with the kids.)
- Reusable produce bags
- Bee’s Wrap: Introduce them to this cool alternative to plastic wrap
Good for the Soul
This one will, obviously, highly dependent upon the person you’re gifting to, but here are some cool ideas:
- Zoo or museum membership for the family
- National Park passes
- Moviepass membership
- Time together
- Gift certificate for a date night dinner
- Headspace (my favorite) or another meditation app
- IOU gift certificates for things they’ll love
- A reminder of a special date via this Night Sky poster: we have one of these that we were gifted for our son and LOVE it
Good for the Person
It IS the holidays, so no need to go crazy over the top on making it healthy. In some cases, healthy for the person might actually be about the absence of something that’s unhealthy for them. Here are some ideas:
- High-quality essential oils that address something they need
- Beeswax candles (want to know why these might be healthier? More on that from Wellness Mama here)
- Air cleaning house plants
- Dried fruit trays instead of more cookies (though I’m definitely not advocating skipping the cookies during the holidays) – I like to look for unsulphured ones
- Paleo chocolate like Hu Kitchen (P.S. it is super tasty too)
- Reflexology and other health sessions
- Healthier food subscriptions/services. Some I love:
- Sun Basket
- Butcher Box
- A local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription
- Imperfect Produce
- Membership to Thrive Market
Want more gift ideas? I have some other healthy gift ideas included in my other guides:
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