What does a Dietitian give her loved ones for Christmas?

Healthy gift baskets!  I used to bake with my mom and grandma during the holidays and I loved the idea of making gifts for family and friends.  This year I wanted it to be 100% healthy so I decided to channel my creative energy into another Christmas project...healthy gift baskets!  (These could double as New Year gifts too)

I went down to the Dekalb Farmer's market and loaded up on items that people typically do not have on their grocery list.  The farmer's market is a great place to buy in bulk without breaking the bank.  Here is what I picked up....

• California organic almond flour- can be used in low carb pancakes, muffins, bread, etc. It is a great source of healthy fats
• Philippines organic coconut flour- can also be used in low carb baked goods. Coconut has numerous health benefits including high potassium levels.
• Organic whole wheat pastry flour - great high fiber alternative to the low nutrient enriched bleached flour, but be careful because this does contain gluten. 
• Raw pumpkin seeds- can be thrown into granola or Greek yogurt for heart healthy fats
• Australian Chia seeds- add to smoothies for heart healthy omegas
• Aluminium free baking powder (in case you did not know that most mainstream baking powders contain toxic aluminum)
• Stevia drops- all natural, non-calorie sweetener great for baking and replacing sugar in most recipes
• Blackstrap molasses- great for baking and avoid processed sweeteners

Then some of my favorite supplements that I threw into the baskets in addition to the above....

• DaVinchi Spectra Reds and Greens- great source of antioxidants- can be added to water or smoothies
• Relora-plex, natural herb shown to reduce cortisol levels and belly fat (Douglas Labs)

Finished the baskets off with my favorite hand written recipes containing all of the healthy goods! 

There is nothing like giving a loved one the gift of health :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Dana