Edible Gift Ideas
         for the Holidays

If there’s one thing that most people love, it’s eating. The holidays are no different. For the people on your list that you want to give a gift but don’t exactly know what they would like, give the gift of food. Edible gifts won’t go to waste.   

Loaf desserts and breads are easy to make and fun to eat.  Choose a few festive breads:  pumpkin, zucchini, banana nut, or sweet potato.  Pound cakes of all sorts are also yummy.  Use a spring form pan or bundt cake pan and you can split the cake in half, giving you two gifts instead of one.  To avoid confusion, use different color cellophane wrapping to distinguish the different loaves that you have.  Make homemade gift tags to tape to each one.  These are perfect for gift giving at church or around the office.   

Edible gifts should be packaged securely.  Be sure to bake or cook them as close to the delivery date as possible to avoid spoiling.  If there are special instructions for storage, be sure to include a card with the storage directions printed on it. 

New neighbors or new moms would especially appreciate edible gifts.  For these folks you can purchase meals from a company that makes dinners.  Preparation kitchens that allow you to purchase meals that they have made or make your own and take them home, are popping up everywhere.  They take the guesswork and time out of meal preparation and their ingredients are usually all natural and healthy for the family.  Choose the meals yourself or purchase a set number of entrees and let the gift receiver go into the kitchen and choose the ones that they would prefer. 

Mail order edible gifts are popular from companies like Fiji’s and Fruit-of-the-Month Club.  These companies are experienced in sending foods so they are guaranteed fresh.  Send a basket of fresh seasonal fruit to someone special.  They’ll receive their first gift around the holidays and each month afterwards for as long as you choose.  Fiji’s offers a variety of cheeses, meats, candies, and gift packages that can be mailed directly to the recipient along with a Christmas card.   

As an alternative to both of these, send someone an edible gift that they can assemble themselves.  If they are pasta lovers, send them a gift of pasta, homemade sauce, a loaf of French bread, utensils, and seasonings inside a large pot or a bread basket.  Be sure to include a recipe and cooking instructions for a favorite recipe. 

Edible gifts are great ideas for college students, apartment dwellers, new parents, grandparents and just about anyone you can think of.  Besides, who can resist a meal or dessert that they didn’t have to prepare?