Share the gift of nutrition
It’s Nutrition Month, and what better time to celebrate heart healthy eating with your friends and loved ones! Consider sharing some of these gifts that will help inspire others to eat well and lead heart healthier lives.
An eating adventure. Invite your family or friends to accompany you on an eating adventure right in your own home. This is an opportunity to encourage others to explore new flavours and textures. It can be as simple as using a different type of whole grain bread for the kids’ sandwiches or making pancakes with buckwheat flour, instead of regular flour. Or, if you don’t want to stop there, your eating adventure can be as elaborate as creating an ethnic-themed supper using aromatic ingredients and sauces!
Culinary ideas. Share heart healthy cooking with others. Give a new heart healthy cookbook, or lend one of your own cookbooks, highlighting your favourite recipes. When entertaining, give out printed copies of your heart smart recipes to friends and family members.
Fruit bouquet! Here’s a twist on the usual dessert fruit platter that will make a great gift for the host or hostess. Thread wooden skewers with grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew melon slices. Top each skewer with a juicy strawberry or pineapple wedge. Arrange your heart healthy bouquet in a vase, and keep it refrigerated until it’s time for dessert.
“From the kitchen of…” coupons. Give a coupon to your friends and family, redeemable for your famous whole wheat cranberry apple loaf or a pot of your sensational vegetarian chili.
Heart healthy munchie mix. Create a heart healthy munchie mix by adding a handful of different nuts to a clear jar. Toss in some low-sodium pretzels, a handful of dry cereal, whole grain crackers and dried cranberries for added colour. Tie a bow on the jar, and put it next to the coffee machine at work. Your coworkers will love nibbling on this healthy snack!
Heart-shaped cake. Get yourself a heart-shaped baking pan and dig up one of your favourite low-fat cake recipes. Instead of layering on the whipped cream, go for a light dusting of icing sugar topped with sliced kiwi, canned peaches or other fruit. This makes a light and refreshing end to a good meal. Check here for some dessert recipes from Becel.
Cooking classes. Grocery stores, community colleges and schools offer a wide range of cooking classes that will tempt and tantalize anybody’s taste buds. Sign up with a friend, and enjoy a few hours of fun and creative cooking!
Basket of love. Put together a small basket filled with an assortment of heart healthy foods. Line the basket with pink and red tissue paper or small paper hearts. Then add fibre-filled apples, pears and pomegranates. You can even toss in a package of assorted teas, some home-made muffins and a box of low-fat whole grain crackers. This is a thoughtful gift for anyone, anytime of the year.
Your time and company. Eating is so much more pleasurable when you’re engaging in conversations across the table and catching up with old friends. Despite your hectic schedule, take the time to enjoy a nutritious meal with your family too. Research shows that families that eat together, eat better. Bon appétit!