Top 5 Sustainable Gifts for Foodies
Homemade bread is one of my go-to sustainable gifts
Gifts are often high-waste products that require loads of energy to produce and ship, but gifting doesn’t have to be this way. In this post, I’ll tell you all about my top five favorite sustainable gifts for foodies.
A Homemade Recipe Book
A personalized recipe book is a thoughtful gift that anyone can appreciate. Simply pick out your favorite recipes, or recipes you know your giftee will like, and write them down or type them up. Get creative with decorations and other artsy touches to make it more personal. This gift is zero waste, costs little to nothing and will likely stay with the recipient for years to come.
Cooking Classes
Experience-based gifts are often more sustainable than tangible presents because they produce less waste and usually don't require as much energy to create. This quality makes cooking classes an amazing eco-friendly gift option. On top of the no-waste, low-energy benefit, cooking classes are fun, informative and might even inspire your giftee to learn more about the sustainability of their everyday food choices.
a Recipe website subscription
Many websites that publish recipes, like The New York Times Cooking and America's Test Kitchen, have paywalls blocking some or all of their recipes. If you know that your friend is a major fan of recipes from a specific site, you can gift them a subscription to give them access to all recipes the site has to offer. Many websites (including NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen) have giftable subscription options that make it super easy to buy a subscription in someone else's name.
Vintage Cutlery or plates
If the foodie in your life also happens to love design and style, you could head to nearest thrift store to find the perfect gift. Thrift stores often carry high-quality silverware, dishes and bakeware that are eager for a chance at a second life. These items are perfect if you want your giftee to have a tangible present to open, but also want to gift sustainably.
Food
When in doubt, give the gift of food. Whether it's a box of Christmas cookies, homemade dry pancake mix, a loaf of bread or a bottle of wine, food is a thoughtful no- to low- waste gift. If you live in a warm climate and keep a garden through the winter, you could even gift a box of produce from your garden. Inexpensive, zero waste, delicious and thoughtful: what's not to like?