Make Your Own Healthy Gifts this New Year
Even though most people rarely give gifts for New year’s, it would seem like the best time to give a friend something that is healthy and delicious.
Today, many want to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Along with losing weight, eating healthy helps one avoid most health problems. So, a healthy gift is something everyone would appreciate.
Here are a few easy ideas to get you started.
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler or microwave.
- Dip the strawberry, whole, into the chocolate such that half of it is covered in chocolate.
- Place them on a baking sheet to set.
- Once set, place them in a box or tin. Place each individual strawberry in a mini cupcake case before placing it in a tin or box.
- Tie box with ribbon
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Combine 2 mashed ripe bananas, I cup oats and ¼ cup chopped walnuts.
- On a greased baking tray, drop tablespoons of the mix and bake for 15 minutes.
- Add cinnamon for added flavor.
- Hummus in a Jar
- Cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker till soft.
- Once cool, place the chickpeas in a blender along with tahina paste, garlic, lime juice, olive oil and salt.
- Place the hummus in dry jars.
- Sprinkle cumin and chili powder on top.
- Ask friends to keep the hummus in the fridge (for not more than 5 days).
- Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celsius.
- Cut 4 sweet potatoes into 1-inch wide wedges.
- Brush with olive oil, chili powder and salt.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes turning once halfway through baking time.
- Remove from oven and add seasoning if desired.
- Healthy Gift Hamper
- To a gift basket add, dry fruits, chia seeds, granola, rice cakes or rice crackers, sugar-free jam, pure peanut butter, almond butter, almond milk and bran muffins. Cover with cellophane paper and tie a ribbon.
- Mixed Nuts
- Melt butter and add salt, pepper, chili powder and brown sugar. Dissolve sugar in the butter mixture.
- Place nuts on a greased baking pan and pour the wet mixture onto the nuts evenly.
- Bake in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius until nuts are roasted.
- Package cooled nuts in tins or bottles and finish off with ribbons and a gift card.
- Homemade Garam Masala
- Lightly roast, individually, 2½ teaspoons of peppercorns, 6 cloves, 10 sticks of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of cardamom, mace, 4 teaspoons of coriander seeds, 3 tablespoons of cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg and salt.
- Grind cooled spices to a fine powder.
- Sieve to remove any pieces.
- Package in pretty, airtight jars.
- Homemade Masala Chai Spice Powder
- Grind ¼ cup of peppercorns, ¼ cup ginger, 15-20 cardamom pods,3 sticks of cinnamon, 20 cloves and ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg to a fine powder.
- Sieve any pieces.
- Package in pretty, airtight jars.
- Deconstructed Apple Crumble
- Peel and chop 3 apples.
- Cook the apples with ¼ cup brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Remove from heat when the apples are soft but still have texture.
- On a baking parchment, sprinkle the crumble made from175 grams flour, 110 grams caster sugar and 110 grams cold butter.
- Sprinkle oats and sugar on to the crumble and bake till crisp and golden brown.
- Place the cooked and cooled apple mixture at the bottom of a dry jar.
- Sprinkle the crumble on top.
- Make sure the jar is airtight.
- Fat-Free Fruit Trifle
- Place pieces of fat-free sponge cake at the bottom of a jar. Make the next layer with assorted seasonal fruits. For the third layer, instead of cream, add a layer of sweetened yogurt with honey. Repeat this order till the top of the jar.
- Refrigerate till it’s time for gifting.
