Healthy holiday gifts for giving

Food is always a popular gift at holiday time, but those gifts don’t have to be unhealthy.

“Instead of cheese balls, sausage sticks and gallons of alcohol, why not give great-tasting food gifts that also offer the gift of health,” said Joan Carter, instructor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.

According to Carter, a dietitian at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor and cordon-bleu trained chef, a simple trip to the grocery store could take care of a lot of people on your list.

She offers these suggestions:

• The Mediterranean Cook: Line an inexpensive colander with a red-checked napkin. Fill with whole-wheat pasta, a jar of marinara sauce, an ounce of dried mushrooms, a wedge of Parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, a nice olive oil and perhaps a bottle of red wine.
• The Healthy Baker: Use a baking pan, mixing bowl or muffin tin as the container. Add a package of whole-wheat flour, some raisins, and walnuts. To complete the gift, include a recipe card for your favorite muffins and a grocery store gift certificate for the milk and eggs likely called for in the recipe.
• The Sweet Taste of Health: Fill an attractive candy dish with small, individually wrapped blocks of rich dark chocolate or apricots dipped in dark chocolate, some whole-wheat sweet biscuits or cookies made with wheat flour, and a tin of your favorite green tea.

“With a little imagination and a trip to the grocery store, you can give a creative food gift that is not overloaded with high-fat, high-calorie foods,” said Carter. “The baskets can be personalized to fit individual tastes to make them special, thoughtful gifts.”