Well, it's that time of year again! ‘Tis the season to be HEALTHY! Check out some of my Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas for your gift-giving pleasure this season. With gifts for all of the different folks in your life and at price points from under $15 up to over $100, there's something for everyone.
For the Paleo-Snacker:
Nesco Dehydrator & Jerky Maker
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Under $60 for this jerky
(and other dried goodies)
making machine!
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Check it out >Wow, making jerky is REALLY easy. All I do is get a nice, lean cut of grass-fed beef (lean meaning I don't see much white running through the meat, and anything on the outside I trim off and render down to use for cooking), freeze it, slice it thinly, and then marinate it for just about 20 minutes before laying it down on this dehydrator. It's a pretty small unit and has four trays but if you find you need more, they're available as add-ons. I think that this little baby is a great deal and makes at-home snack making a breeze. It's especially coming in handy for the traveling I'm doing to teach Practical Paleo Nutrition Workshops around the country since I need trip-friendly snacks. I'm even now able to soak and dehydrate nuts to reduce the phytic acid (anti-nutrient) content in them… Perfect!
For the Paleo Swag Enthusiast:
Cave Girl Cafe Note Cards, Gifts & Coffee
Check it out >
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| Fantastic stocking-stuffers for just around $4 – $20! Patches, note cards, travel mugs & coffee! |
Who doesn't love getting mail? It's such a forgotten form of expression and I think we should remember it a bit more. And what can I say? The ladies over at Cave Girl Cafe have created an adorable yet SASSY line of note cards that are gluten free, paleo-centric and fantastic for thank-you's, greetings and spreading holiday cheer. Note cards aren't all they've got for your holiday stocking this year, their shop is filled with some fantastic coffee, travel mugs and patches as well. I recommend grabbing some of the holiday cards to send out as well as some gifts for friends and loved ones this season.
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| Under $100 for this invaluable kitchen tool! |
For the Busy Paleo-Cook:
Cuisinart 7-Cup Food Processor
Check it out >
This food processor takes all of those chopping, slicing and grating tasks that you don't want to slave over and completes them for you with ease in mere seconds. Any time you're finding yourself spending more time with the knife than you really want to, or worried about being able to grate veggies without also grating your fingers, just break out your food processor. Some of my favorite uses for this food processor are grating carrots and zucchini for a crustless quiche or carrot salad, slicing carrots, zucchini or cucumbers for a quick salad, whipping up some cilantro macadamia nut pesto and puréeing turnips into a smooth, buttery mash.
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| Just $37 for over 200 recipes, instantly! |
Simple Paleo Recipes Cookbook
Stop searching through cookbooks to try and find a recipe that meets with the paleo diet, and stop trying to find a recipe that not only meets with the paleo diet but that is simple and is easy to prepare, this cookbook contains over 200 recipes that are simple to put together, easy to prepare and are all 100% paleo friendly. When you have the Simple Paleo Recipes cookbook, and you gain instant access after purchase (available as a downloadable e-book), you can head to your local farmers markets or supermarkets, pick up some wholesome foods and you can cook up and create a simple paleo recipe – today!
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| Under $22 for this set of sturdy storage containers. |
For the On-the-Go Paleo:
10-Piece Glass Storage Bowl Set
Check it out >
I'm a huge fan of planning ahead and taking food with me where ever I go- but it can be tricky if you're not prepared with the right storage solution. These handy glass storage bowls can go from the freezer to the oven safely and have spill-proof lids for the trip in between. I love how sturdy they are and, since I don't use a microwave, it's great to know they they can even pop into a toaster oven to get heated up. These are great for taking leftovers for lunch to work or even for a day/weekend trip in the car.
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| Under $15 for an amazing wealth of information. |
“The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet” by Robb Wolf
If you've been trying to help your friends or family to understand your diet but haven't quite figured out how to do that without sounding like a crazy person, I recommend that you get them a copy of Robb Wolf's book “The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet.” Chances are that you already own a copy yourself, but if not, grab a second copy to keep as a resource and a reference. I recommend reading it through once and then flipping back through it to re-read nuggets that you may forget as time goes on. It's amazingly funny for a book about pseudoscience and nutrition, so hey, maybe your friend or loved one will be pleasantly surprised and not ask so many questions the next time you serve up burgers with bacon wrapped in some giant lettuce leaves. Yum.
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| Just $20 for a fantastic calendar and to support a good cause! |
The 2011 Deadlifts & Dresses Wall Calendar
Why this calendar? Well, besides checking out some strong and sexy ladies, partial proceeds of all sales go to the “Sexy Savage Strong Project” which will help sponsor people who WANT IT but CAN NOT afford it. Deadlifts and Dresses is looking to sponsor a full year membership to a CrossFit Affiliate through sales of the DD Calendar and hopes to sell 1000 calendars! Please buy them for yourself, your gym, as Christmas Gifts, and for random people on the street!
For the Budget Conscious Paleo Cook:
A 6-Quart Crock Pot / Slow Cooker
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| Under $40 for this crock pot makes budget cooking easy! |
The possibilites are endless when you have a slow-cooker at your disposal! From whole chickens to stews to braised meat dishes, slow-cooking is a fantastic way to not only pack in tons of flavor but to use some tougher cuts of meat that are wallet-friendly and will taste amazing. A slow cooker usually takes anywhere from 2 to 6 hours to cook meals, but the temperature settings are low so you can leave them unattended and let them cook for you while you're off around the house doing other things. Some people even keep one at work and bring food with them to toss in it while they're at the office and take it home to eat for dinner. There are many options out there for crock pot slow cookers, but here's one I think is slick looking, has a nice shape that will fit a whole chicken easily and has a pretty nice price tag at under $40.
More Great Ideas for the Paleo Gift Giver:
I know I'd be thrilled with any of these non-traditional gifts myself!
- a knife skills class if they've never taken one
- cooking classes – for them or for two of you together
- a butchering class
- a cow, elk or lamb share or portion
- cook a meal for your friend or loved one
- make a play-date for a paleo picnic in the park
Happy gift-giving!
Comments 2
These are great suggestions, Diane! I couldn't live without my crock pot. At least twice a week it's cooking dinner while I'm at work. A day doesn't go by that my kids don't want dinner as soon as I walk in the door in the evenings and with my crock pot it's easy!
I also love the idea of the glass storage containers. All of mine are plastic and I'm always concerned about what kind of chemicals they're leaching into my food, not to mention that if you use any kind of tomato product they're stained forever. I have to travel for work too so these would be perfect!
Thanks so much for the awesome ideas!
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