Holiday shopping for the special men in your life just got easier! Whether you’re shopping for your husband, boyfriend, father, brother, son and more, you’re sure to find something they’ll love with these unique gift ideas.
Are you holiday shopping for a chocoholic this year? If so, chocolate lovers will melt over any one of these delicious gifts. I also love combining several of these items for a sweet “themed” gift basket, which anyone will enjoy receiving!
Chocolate gets a bad rap for being "bad" or unhealthy. The commercial varieties found on the shelves of your supermarket may deserve the less-than-stellar reputation, but real chocolate doesn’t! Really rich, high quality, low sugar chocolate with 85% or more cacao is considered a superfood. Cacao is a rich source of antioxidants and feel-good neurotransmitters, and has numerous health benefits.
Homemade Chocolate: If the person on your list enjoys baking, why not give them a gift basket filled with the ingredients necessary to make their own homemade chocolate? This includes cacao butter, cacao powder, and a sweetener such as honey, coconut nectar, or coconut palm sugar.
A second option for making homemade chocolate is to use cacao liquor. Don’t let the name fool you—no alcohol here, just a mix of cacao powder and cacao butter. Add a sweetener and you’re ready to make high-quality chocolate creations.
Sunbiotics Probiotic Chocolate Bar will satisfy any chocolate craving + improve your gut health! These one-of-a-kind chocolate bars contain 10 billion probiotics in every bar. Made with raw cacao, this bar is vegan and free of dairy, gluten, soy and nuts, but don't let that fool you--it's certainly not free of flavor. These bars come in three flavors: Ginger Spice, Pure Peppermint, and Chocolate. It's sweetness comes from real, organic, raw vanilla bean and low-glycemic organic coconut sugar. Yum!
Cacao Berry Clarity Bar and Mint Berry Clarity Bar by Power Organics are little dark chocolate cups that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and made from completely non-GMO ingredients. They come in two flavors, and are bursting with beneficial, superfood ingredients such as blueberries, goji berries, Klamath blue-green algae, raw cacao nibs, mesquite powder, maca, hemp seeds, and a touch of salt crystals to enhance the flavor. They’re even packaged in cute little blue or emerald green foil wrappers, make great stocking stuffers, and will satisfy any chocolate craving!
JEM Almond Butters + a spoon. That’s all you need. These are at the top of the list when it comes to a nut butter spread. Ok, technically there’s only one JEM almond butter that has cacao in it, but these will soothe even the most ravenous chocolate craving. You’re going to have a very difficult time deciding which one to buy!
Here are your four choices, and just a tip…buy one for yourself too!
JEM Chocolate Hazelnut Raw Cacao Sprouted Almond Butter
JEM Raw Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter
JEM Raw Coconut Cardamom Sprouted Almond Butter
JEM Super Berry Maqui Camu Sprouted Almond Butter
Emmy’s Organic Dark Chocolate Sauce: This sauce is the real deal and has been described as chocolate gold. In a jar. It’s like a thick, rich fudgy frosting and melts with ease to drizzle over fruit or dessert of choice. The consistency is rich, and the flavor is more of a semi-sweet than dark chocolate. Made simply with all organic, raw ingredients: agave, raw cacao powder, vanilla bean, and Himalayan crystal salt, it’s scrumptious!
Rawmio makes raw, vegan, gluten-free chocolate treats that will delight any chocolate fan. The Rawmio Truffle Cake is a spectacularly rich, indulgent dessert that is sinfully delicious, but made with heavenly ingredients. Organic raw coconut, almonds, currants and cacao make a crispy sweet base for a dense, fudge-like filling. Hand-crafted, stoneground, and processed at low temperatures, the Rawmio chocolate cake is the perfect thing to take to holiday parties, to give as a hostess gift, or to share with your loved ones this holiday season.
Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Coconut Chunks: Chunks of pure organic coconut are luxuriously draped in organic dark chocolate, resulting in a bite-sized, chewy, satisfyingly sweet treat. They make a great stocking stuffer, hostess gift, or gift for your neighbors.
Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Goji Berries: Yum! The combo of the sweet-tart goji berries and silky-smooth dark chocolate makes this treat hard to put down. Goji berries are sweet red fruits native to Asia, and contain over 4g of protein, 21 essential minerals, 18 amino acids, and an impressive array of antioxidants. This organic treat is a great gift option for kids and adults alike.
Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Almonds: Covered in a dusting of cacao powder will remind you of handmade chocolate truffles. The organic almonds are full of flavor and heart healthy monounsaturated fat, making this snack a little more guiltless.
There's something for every chocolate-lover on your list, from the superfoodies who want their raw chocolate wrapped around the world's most beneficial superfoods, to the purist who demand nothing but the best, pure dark chocolate. As for that one last person you may have overlooked - don't forget to treat yourself to a decadent chocolate treat this holiday season, too!
Happy Holidays!
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
Your holiday shopping just got easier. Everyone knows a traveler or someone who’s always on-the-go. This Christmas gift guide is suitable for the person who always seems to be on vacation or never seems to be home, that busy mom, the businessman who is regularly on the road or flying for work, and the soon-to-be honeymoon travelers. Also consider combining several of these items for a killer “themed” gift basket, which I personally love receiving!
Here are our top picks this holiday season with just that person in mind.
Dr Mercola sleep mask with lavender: This mask combines the benefits of eliminating light with the aromatherapy benefits of lavender and chamomile. Wearing a sleep mask at night blocks light from clocks, electronics, and outside lights, helping the body to get the uninterrupted, rejuvenating rest it needs. The scent of lavender promotes a sounder, more restful sleep. With over 100 million Americans reporting occasional sleep problems, the gift of better sleep is sure to be well received. 100% cotton sleep mask with a silky linen satin exterior.
Morrocco Method 5 Elements Shampoo Travel Set includes a sleek, sealable bag and five different shampoo scents in 2 fl oz bottles: Pine Shale, Apple Cider Vinegar, Sea Essence, Earth Essence and Heavenly Essence. The shampoo is 100% color safe, vegan, gluten free, animal cruelty free, and fair trade. It makes a great gift!
ChicoBag Travel Pack rePETe, Black w/Honeycomb: This bag contains a variety of pockets and straps to make traveling easier. There's a large main compartment, side and top stash pockets, and a storage area for your Kanteen water bottle. Each bag is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, making it lightweight and machine washable. It also contains a one year warranty!
Kleen Kanteen Stainless Steel Bottle: We love Klean Kanteen flasks because the double wall vacuum insulation keeps food hot for up to 6 hours or cold for 24+ hours—you can’t do that with a paper or plastic cup! Hydro flasks are made with BPA-free, food-grade stainless steel and are non-porous, which prevent any bacteria from growing or weird odors. For frequent flyers, airlines allow stainless steel water bottles thru security if they're empty. These bottles also come with a variety of nifty top accessories, such as a café cap, wide flip D-ring cap, or wide loop cap. Can you say, “lifetime warranty?” Yep, it's true!
Live Superfoods Endurance Trail Mix: This is a must for travelers and those on-the-go. Avoid expensive, unhealthy airport food, or long, hungry car commutes by packing your own delicious food. This organic trail mix contains cashews, pistachios, cacao nibs, goji berries, mulberries, and golden raisins, which gives you steady energy and long-lasting satiety.
Live Superfoods Mango Slices: For whatever reason, these taste even better when you’re traveling. They're the perfect chewy texture and don't contain any added ingredients. Mangos are rich in vitamin A, C, E, and fiber, plus iron, potassium, and antioxidants. They also contain an enzyme with stomach-soothing properties.
Oatmega Omega-3 & Whey Protein Bar: If you’re on-the-go for work or family reasons, and no time or opportunity to stop to eat, Oatmega snack bars will certainly come in handy. This bar is low in sugar, and the 14 grams of protein + extra heart-healthy fat will give you long-lasting satiety. It also comes in many delicious flavors: Chocolate Coconut Crisp, Chocolate Mint Crisp, Lemon Chia Crisp and Brownie Crisp.
Vega One Nutritional Shake: Just add water and you have a meal! Available in berry, chocolate, vanilla chai, French vanilla, and natural flavors, this vegan all-in-one shake is full of plant-based protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, greens, omega-3’s and antioxidants.
ChicoBag Snack Time: Use this fun, fashionable pouch to keep all your travel supplies in. It's a great alternative to plastic bags. It's water and stain-resistant interior allows for sandwiches, nuts, or other snacks.
Dr. Mercola Melatonin Sleep Support Spray: We know you’re busy, but you can’t be awake all the time. This is the perfect accompaniment to the sleep mask, delivering the ultimate in improved sleep. This all-natural melatonin supplement comes in a peppermint flavored spray. Just one pre-measured superfine spray dose will help increase feelings of sleepiness and enhance overall sleep quality.
Whether you're looking for a small gift, large gift, or stocking stuffer, any one of these items are bound to please the travelers and busy bodies on your Christmas list this year!
Happy Holidays!
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods
Chocolate lovers will melt over any one of these delicious gifts, and combining several items would make a sweet “themed” gift basket, which I personally love receiving!
Chocolate gets a bad rap for being "bad" or unhealthy. The commercial varieties found on the shelves of your supermarket may deserve the less-than-stellar reputation, but real chocolate doesn’t! Really rich, high quality, low sugar chocolate with 85% or more cacao is considered a superfood. Cacao is a rich source of antioxidants and feel-good neurotransmitters and has numerous other health benefits.
Homemade Chocolate: If the person on your list enjoys baking, why not give them a gift basket filled with the ingredients necessary to make their own homemade chocolate? This includes cacao butter, cacao powder, and a sweetener such as honey, coconut nectar, or coconut palm sugar.
Cacao liquor is a second option for making homemade chocolate. Don’t let the name fool you—no alcohol here, just a mix of cacao powder and cacao butter. Add a sweetener and you’re ready to make high-quality chocolate creations.
Sunbiotics Probiotic Chocolate Bar will satisfy any chocolate craving + improve your gut health! These one-of-a-kind chocolate bars contain 10 billion probiotics in every bar. Made with raw cacao, this bar is vegan and free of dairy, gluten, soy and nuts, but don't let that fool you--it's certainly not free of flavor. These bars come in three flavors: Ginger Spice, Pure Peppermint, and Chocolate. It's sweetness comes from real, organic, raw vanilla bean and low-glycemic organic coconut sugar. Yum!
Cacao Berry Clarity Bar and Mint Berry Clarity Bar by Power Organics are little dark chocolate cups that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and made from completely non-GMO ingredients. They come in two flavors, and are bursting with beneficial, superfood ingredients such as blueberries, goji berries, Klamath blue-green algae, raw cacao nibs, mesquite powder, maca, hemp seeds, and a touch of salt crystals to enhance the flavor. They’re even packaged in cute little blue or emerald green foil wrappers, make great stocking stuffers, and will satisfy any chocolate craving!
JEM Almond Butters + a spoon. That’s literally all you need. These are at the top of the list when it comes to a nut butter spread. Ok, technically there’s only one JEM almond butter that has cacao in it, but these will soothe even the most ravenous chocolate craving. You’re going to have a very difficult time deciding which one to buy!
Here are your four choices, and just a tip…buy one for yourself too!
JEM Chocolate Hazelnut Raw Cacao Sprouted Almond Butter
JEM Raw Cinnamon Red Maca Sprouted Almond Butter
JEM Raw Coconut Cardamom Sprouted Almond Butter
JEM Super Berry Maqui Camu Sprouted Almond Butter
Emmy’s Organic Dark Chocolate Sauce: This sauce is the real deal and has been described as chocolate gold. In a jar. It’s like a thick, rich fudgy frosting and melts with ease to drizzle over fruit or dessert of choice. The consistency is rich, and the flavor is more of a semi-sweet than dark chocolate. Made simply with all organic, raw ingredients: agave, raw cacao powder, vanilla bean, and Himalayan crystal salt, it’s scrumptious!
Rawmio makes raw, vegan, gluten-free chocolate treats that will delight any chocolate fan. The Rawmio Truffle Cake is a spectacularly rich, indulgent dessert that is sinfully delicious, and made with heavenly ingredients. Organic raw coconut, almonds, currants and cacao make a crispy sweet base for a dense, fudge-like filling. Hand-crafted, stoneground, and processed at low temperatures, the Rawmio chocolate cake is the perfect thing to take to holiday parties, to give as a hostess gift, or to share with your loved ones this holiday season.
Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Coconut Chunks: Chunks of pure organic coconut are luxuriously draped in organic dark chocolate, resulting in a bite-sized, chewy, satisfyingly sweet treat. They make a great stocking stuffer or hostess gift.
Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Goji Berries: Yum! The combo of the sweet-tart goji berries and silky-smooth dark chocolate makes this treat hard to put down. Goji berries are sweet red fruits native to Asia, and contain over 4g of protein, 21 essential minerals, 18 amino acids, and an impressive array of antioxidants. This organic treat is a great gift option for kids and adults alike.
Live Superfoods Chocolate Covered Almonds: Covered in a dusting of cacao powder will remind you of handmade chocolate truffles. The organic almonds are full of flavor and heart healthy monounsaturated fat, making this snack a little more guiltless.
Something for every chocolate-lover on your list, from the superfoodies who want their raw chocolate wrapped around the world's most beneficial superfoods, to the purist who demand nothing but the best, pure dark chocolates. As for that one last person you may have overlooked - don't forget to treat yourself to a decadent chocolate treat this holiday season, too!
Happy Holidays!
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods
Fact: everyone benefits from a good night sleep! If you’re holiday shopping for a night owl or someone whose sleep is disrupted by shift work, insomnia, jet lag, or children, you’re guaranteed to find some gift ideas here. The gift of better sleep is priceless because even just minimal sleep loss takes a toll on your mood, energy, hunger hormones, and ability to handle stress. A combination of any two or more gifts would make a great gift basket, which I personally love receiving!
Sweet Dreams Melatonin Products: For the traveler experiencing jet lag or the loved one who just changed work shifts, melatonin is such a simple remedy for sleep deprivation considering it can take over one’s life! Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in the body that helps control sleep and wake cycles. It helps reset our internal clock, and may promote sleepiness, lessen the time it takes to fall asleep, and lengthen sleep duration. This product comes in liquid or capsule form.
Dr. Mercola Sleep Mask with Lavender: Good quality sleep is nothing to take for granted, and if you know an on-the-go person, or you are one yourself, you understand there isn’t time for an energy lull during the day.
This 100% cotton mask combines the benefits of light elimination with the aromatherapy of lavender and chamomile. Wearing a sleep mask at night blocks light from clocks, electronics, and outside lights, helping the body get the uninterrupted, rejuvenating rest it needs. The scent of lavender promotes a sounder, more restful sleep. With over 100 million Americans reporting occasional sleep problems, the gift of better sleep is sure to be well received.
Boiron Quietude: This natural, homeopathic remedy works for temporary relief of occasional sleeplessness or restless sleep associated with nervousness, worries, or exhaustion. Unlike other sleep aids, Quietude is non-habit forming without any grogginess. It would make a great stocking stuffer for adults and children ages 12 and up.
Hyland’s Calms Forte 4 Adults: This homeopathic sleep remedy is used for the temporary relief of simple nervous tension and sleeplessness. Homeopathy is great because it’s natural, non-habit forming, and you won’t wake up with a foggy, groggy feeling in the morning.
Ancient Minerals Magnesium Lotion with Melatonin is a topical magnesium lotion with melatonin. This is no ordinary lotion. Topical application of magnesium allows the mineral to be absorbed through the skin to be quickly transported to cells in the body. Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps to relax muscles and nerves, and aids in the production and regulation of sleep inducing hormones. Follow a relaxing bath with an application of this lotion and you’re certain to head off into a deep, restorative night of slumber.
Seeking Health Optimal Sleep is a blend of vitamins, minerals, and adaptogens that naturally promote relaxation. It's melatonin-free, for those who prefer non-hormonal sleep support.
Dragon Herbs Lights Out is an effective and safe herbal formula intended for occasional sleeplessness. The combination of safe herbs help calm emotions like worry, fear, and anxiety, and melts away all your tension.
Medi-Rub Foot Massager: If you want to change someone’s life, this is the perfect gift! This foot massager is wonderful for anyone on their feet all day, athletes, “week-end warriors,” people with fibromyalgia, diabetes, or plaguing injuries, or frankly, anyone who wants to relax the tension in their body. The foot massager is designed to increases circulation and stimulate blood flow in the feet and calves. This gift will be like a never-ending spa treatment for the person who receives it!
Cuddle Ewe Underquilt and Free Pillow: This is a top gift for him or her! The underquilt is placed between your mattress and fitted sheet. It’s made from soft, supportive wool batting wrapped in a breathable cotton cover. As a bonus, the underquilt comes with a cuddle ewe pillow. The combo of the two is certain to transform any bed into a rejuvenating sleep retreat!
Naturepedic Organic Pillowtop: Delight your loved one with comfort and luxury that will be appreciated for years. This 3” pillow top is made of organic cotton, and is ideal for older kids and adults. With its “plush” feel and full body contouring comfort, you’ll definitely give the gift of a great night sleep every night!
Chi’s Enterprise Bath Detox: Eastern alternative medicine meets western science. This all-herbal, salt-free rejuvenating detox extracts waste and toxins through the skin, and all you do is relax in the tub for 20-30 minutes! Sounds like a cool gift to me!
Bath soaks, magnesium therapy, a sleep-promoting mask, luxurious bedding, and even a top of the line foot massager-- these gifts are sure to bring rest, relaxation, and restoration to anyone on your holiday list.
Happy Holidays,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods
Christmas is here and we’re no Oprah, but who says she’s the only one who can have a favorite things list! My co-workers and I have tasted, tested, and used many products here at Healthy Goods, and there are definite standouts we don’t go without. We also think our favorites would be wonderful gifts to give or receive this holiday season. Enjoy our list of favorite Healthy Good things for all the family and friends on your list.
It’s unanimous…everyone at Healthy Goods absolutely LOVES JEM Almond Butter and we’re all known to eat it straight out of the jar. Honestly, write your name on top of the jar and get your own spoon. It’s that good! They aren’t too oily, nor filled with processed sugars. JEM almond butters are organic, raw, vegan, and addicting!
JEM Almond Butter is available in four delicious, unique flavors, and they’re great for anybody who loves nut butters. They’re also delicious baked into cookies. Our Operations Manager likes to eat her JEM chilled, saying it’s the perfect little sweet after dinner. This stuff also works well if you need a protein pick-me-up in the afternoon. Any one of these flavors will make awesome stocking stuffers, and we highly recommend you pick one up for yourself.
Here are the four flavors:
Cinnamon Red Maca Almond Butter
Coconut Cardamom Almond Butter
Super Berry Maqui Camu Almond Butter
Chocolate Hazelnut Raw Cacao Sprouted Almond Butter
It's not unusual to walk through Healthy Goods and see a hydro flask bottle on every employee's desk. I love my Hydro Flask water bottle and take it everywhere. There are a variety of sizes available and they all work flawlessly. The double wall vacuum insulation keeps food hot or cold for hours, and I mean hours! They also don’t sweat, ever. The wide mouth hydro flask is easy to fill with ice, and easy to drink from. The lid stays on tight and they don’t leak. One employee says, the bottles are super fun to customize with some cool pics and a little bottle of Modge Podge.)
The hydro flask food canisters are also AWESOME. They would be a great gift for the outdoorsy-type, or taking food on-the-go. I love these canisters for my preschooler’s lunch too.
Hydro flask bottles and canisters are ideal because they’re made with BPA-free, food-grade stainless steel and are non-porous, which prevent any bacteria from growing or weird odors. These bottles also come with a variety of nifty top accessories, such as a straw top, café top, or flip lid. Can you say, “lifetime warranty?” Yep, true!
This is bar none my husband and my favorite appliance. It makes the perfect smoothie--silky smooth. But it’s more than a smoothie maker. It can make hundreds of different things, such as sorbet, hummus, butters, and soup. This gift will certainly last a lifetime!
I love the beautiful bend style and use it every day. I’ve always been a straw-user, but boycotted the plastic ones, which led me to Glass Dharma. This straw is 9 inches long and available in a 9.5mm and 12mm size. I have used both and prefer the 12mm for smoothies, and the 9.5mm for water and the like. Also, the straw has an incredible lifetime guarantee against breakage! Can’t beat that!
Healthy Goods’ Brand Manager loves this brand, especially the lip balm. It doesn’t dry out your lips and smells great! Everybody needs a high-quality, natural lip balm. It’s petroleum, paraben, and gluten free, and contains 93% organic ingredients.
Avoid long, hungry car commutes or expensive, unhealthy airport food by packing your own delicious snacks. This organic trail mix is a must for travelers, those on-the-go, and very convenient for backpackers and hiking excursions. The mix contains cashews, pistachios, cacao nibs, goji berries, mulberries, and golden raisins, and will give you steady energy and long-lasting satiety.
Healthy Goods’ Content Manager regularly uses chia seeds and hemp seeds for baking in his house. They’re easily added to muffins and breads, and certainly add a healthier element to food, to say the least. Chia seeds are high in protein, fiber and the essential omega-3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc. I personally add chia seeds to smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal and homemade nutrition bars.
Hemp seeds are an excellent source of essential omega-3 fats and plant-based protein. They're chewy, and a bit nutty, and easy to sprinkle over oatmeal, or mix into baked goods.
Wishing you and your loved ones a happy holidays!
In Health and Happiness,
Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods
