Gift ideas for the healthy foodie in your life

The holiday season is a time for giving. It’s hard to beat the warm fuzzy feeling that comes from sharing a smile with a stranger, baking a gingerbread loaf for a neighbor, or presenting family and friends with presents wrapped to ‘pinable’ perfection. Giving a gift is a wonderful way to express an emotion that may not be as easy to convey with words. But let’s be honest, receiving gifts is pretty fun too. When Rogers and Hammerstein included, “brown paper packages tied up with string” in the Sound of Music classic Favorite Things, I’m pretty sure they meant for their names on at least one tag. I say, go ahead, make that wish list, check it twice, and whether you were naughty or nice is your business.

This is a selection of my favorite gifts for the home cook. Add them to your wish list or gift them to the healthy foodies in your life.

Microplane – Remember when I told you to drop everything and order a microplane because it will change your life? Well just in case you forgot here is another reminder. Put this revolutionary device at the tip top of your wish list and zest your way into the new year! (under $15)

Citrus Juicers – After you have massaged the fragrant outer layer from all your citrus give them a good squeeze with these fun and surprisingly effective juicers. My brother-in-law calls them “margarita makers.” (under $10 each)

Misto Oil Mister – The newest addition to my healthy kitchen is this sleek and sassy oil mister. They come in classic stainless and colored canisters. I am adding a second Misto to my wish list to expand my oil misting repertoire. (around $10)

Infused Vinegars &Oils – Feel like a true gourmand with a pantry full of flavored oils and vinegars. Use them to make one of a kind salad dressings and marinades. Imagine the possibilities in a bottle of rosemary and roasted garlic olive oil or a citrus infused balsamic vinegar. (prices vary and start around $10)

Spice Jars &Spices – One of the very best tools for a healthy cook is a rainbow of fresh spices. Give the gift of flavor via a gift certificate to a spice store. The best ones let you see, smell, and even taste the best the globe has to offer. I don’t know if it makes choosing easier or harder but it is a heck of a lot of fun! Wrap the certificate up with a collection of empty jars so the new ingredients will already have a spot in the pantry. These little pots are great for counter top storage. I have a number of basic jars like these from Williams-Sonoma and they make me quite happy. (prices vary; small jars can start around $1.25 a piece)

A Great Knife – Slicing and dicing piles of healthful produce is an act of pure joy with a great knife in your hand. My favorite for almost every task is J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Chef’s Knife, around $50. (Given an A rating by Good Housekeeping) Pick one that is solidly built and feels good in your hand. Once you have a knife you love make sure to take care of it and KEEP IT SHARP! (price varies $35 and up)

Measuring Cups – Not the strictly functional variety, but a set of artistic and possibly handcrafted cups. These measuring cups will bring color and whimsy to your kitchen. They may not be pie-crust precise but it will be worth portioning snacks and breakfast cereal just to be able to use them! I love these from Anthropologie. (price varies $35 and up)

Silicone Baking Mats – Two of these treasures came into my life last Christmas and they are marvelous! Healthy cooking is simple and easy now that I don’t need to use non-stick spray every time I pull out a cookie sheet. Rolls of parchment paper last many times longer since these baking mats can be used over and over again. Their near magical properties give foods a nicer texture and very little if anything sticks to their slick surface. (around $20 a mat)

Air Popper – Popcorn is a super satisfying crunchy snack. Fluffy air popped kernels are delicious straight out of the chute. They also make a marvelous platform for flavor packed creations both sweet and savory. A word of caution – do not let your dying-to-be-helpful toddler pour a bottle of oil into your popper. If they do you will be adding one this to next year’s wish list too. ($20 and up)

Are any of these on your wish list? What are your favorite kitchen items to give as gifts?

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.