Valentine’s Day Gifts

Valentine’s Day Gifts to Support Health

In this article:

• Valentine’s Day can be a time to show how much you love others and yourself.
• Explore gifts that can make it easier to stick to your healthy eating goals and to live a healthier lifestyle. These gift ideas can fit a range of budgets and are great for a loved one or yourself.
• Lark can help you lose weight s as you log food, get tips for eating healthier, and make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.
  

Valentine’s Day can lead to mixed emotions for many people, and we’re not talking about relationships. We’re talking about health. Chocolates, candy, and decorated cupcakes and cookies can be delicious, and they may be given with the best of intentions. However, these and other treats can be sugar-laden and high in calories.

There are plenty of healthier gifts that can be just as fun as chocolate and cheesecake. Along with finding more nutritious foods, you can look for items that make it easier to eat well throughout the year. Here are some ideas that can fit your budget, and help you and your loved ones stay healthy.

Air Fryer

This increasingly popular countertop appliance lets you cook foods with little to no added fat. Using an air fryer lets you make popular foods such as French fries and fried chicken with less fat than if you deep-fried them. However, an air fryer can cook almost anything, from vegetables and fish to bread.

In addition to healthier cooking, having a small appliance like an air fryer can encourage you to prepare food at home, which is often healthier than eating out.

Oil Sprayer or Mister

An oil sprayer, mister, or spritzer lets you use just a touch of oil instead of pouring it on. You can fill the spray bottle with whichever kind of oil you like, or purchase a pre-filled bottle if you’re looking for a gift that’s all-in-one. Olive oil and canola oil are some everyday healthy oils to use.

These are some possible uses for oil sprayers.

• Spritzing your salad instead of drowning crisp greens in high-calorie dressing
• Spraying non-starchy and starchy vegetables, chicken, and fish when roasting them
• Spraying baking sheets to reduce sticking
  

Regardless of which foods you use a mister for, you can slash calories and fat while still getting the benefits of healthy oils.

Reusable Containers with Leak-Proof Lids

Storage containers may be basic, but they can also be life-changing. Here are some reasons why making it easy to pack up your leftovers can be so important.

• Pack up extra food after a meal so there’s no pressure to overeat
• Prepare ingredients, like cut vegetables or cooked skinless chicken, ahead of time so it’s quicker to make a healthy meal or snack when you need one
• Take your breakfast or lunch with you instead of going out to eat
  

These tips can help you find containers that work for you.

• Choose air-tight and leak-proof containers with lids that are easy to open and close
• Check that they’re safe for the microwave, dishwasher, and freezer if those are important to you
• Find larger containers can can hold salads, leftovers, and prepped fruit and vegetables
• Medium containers can hold sandwiches, boiled eggs, and cooked chicken and fish
• Small containers can carry salad dressings and other condiments
• Find square ones for sandwiches and stackable ones for holding various snack items
  

Insulated Tumbler or Water Bottle

Drinking more water can help you lose weight and improve your health. An insulated tumbler, canteen, or water bottle can send the message that you’re in favor of drinking more water - or hot or iced tea or coffee. As you search for the perfect gift, consider the following factors.

• Do you want features like a handle, a carrying hook, a pop-up lid, and a straw?
• How big should it be? Smaller bottles may be more convenient, especially when there are places to refill often, while larger bottles may be more helpful when trying to keep track of daily intake
• Would it be helpful to have markings on the side of the bottle to show how much you’ve drunk and how much is left?
• Should you personalize the gift with the person’s name or a favorite photo?
  

There’s no better way to send an “I love you” message than with a useful way to drink more water, which is the most important nutrient for life.

Reusable Straw

Reusable straws can be handy for smaller gifts, especially if you need something for several people in a group. Straws can make drinking more fun, but they’re known for being harsh on the environment and ecosystems. Reusable straws solve many of the problems that plastic and other disposable straws create.

They come in all sorts of materials, shapes, sizes, and designs, so have fun picking out the perfect straw for each recipient.

Reusable Lunch Bag

If you haven’t used a lunch bag since you were in grade school, it may be time to try again. A reusable lunch bag is more fashionable and eco-friendly than a paper bag, and it can hold all of the foods you need to get through the day.

Consider these features when you look for a lunch bag.

• They can be shaped like rectangular coolers or be soft like tote bags
• Bento boxes typically have 3-6 compartments of various sizes so it’s easy to keep multiple components of your lunch separate
• Most are insulated
• Check if they’re dishwasher-safe if that’s important to you
  

Whether you think of it as a lunch bag, small cooler, or reusable sack, it can be a great way to support your intention to bring your meals and snacks with you instead of depending on fast food and convenience stores.

Cloth Napkins

Cloth napkins can provide the extra motivation you need to pack a lunch instead of going out for fast food. You can make your own if you like to sew or embroider, or just purchase some monogrammed napkins for a personalized option. Showing off your beautiful napkins could be an incentive for you to eat your healthy, home-packed lunch in front of everyone at work or school.

Popcorn Popper

Plain air-popped popcorn is a low-calorie, whole-grain snack, but where do you even find it? Most pre-popped and microwave popcorn options have salt, oil, and other additives, and not everyone wants to take the time to pop plain kernels in a pot on the stove.

Enter the popcorn popper. Someone who loves appliances may enjoy a stand-alone countertop popper, but a more compact option is a microwave popcorn popper. Here are some benefits,

• They’re easy to wash
• They’re often collapsible and are easy to store
• It takes only a couple tablespoons of kernels to make a bowl of popcorn
  

You can have fresh-popped popcorn within seconds. You can control what goes into it, whether you choose to have it plain or add sea salt, a spritz of olive oil, or cinnamon.

Nutritious Food Gifts

It’s understandable if you want to stick with food gifts. They’re somewhat traditional and sure to be appreciated if you choose well. The nice thing is that many nutritious options are still gifty and festive. Here are a few options.

• Plain, lightly salted, or spiced nuts
• Herbal or other wellness tea bags or tea leaves
• Gourmet round coffee or coffee beans
• A fresh fruit basket or a subscription to a monthly basket
  

Making your own mixes lets you put personal touches on your food gifts. Add the ingredients to a jar and decorate the jar if you like. Include instructions for preparing the mix on beautifully printed cards or on the back of gift tags.

Here are some mixes you can give.

• Soup mixes with ingredients like dried beans, peas, or lentils, dried brown rice, whole-wheat pasta or barley, dried vegetables, and dried spices
• Snack mix with ingredients like nuts, peanuts, unsweetened whole-grain cereal, dried fruit, and mini chocolate chips
• Whole-grain pancake mix with ingredients like whole-wheat or oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, salt, and a dash of cinnamon. The recipient might add eggs, milk, and cottage cheese or pureed banana before cooking the pancakes
• Spice rubs or spiced coatings for chicken or fish with ingredients like whole-grain flour, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, ginger, or Italian herbs
  

How Lark Can Help

Weight loss and weight management are easier when you have the foods you need, so it’s important to know how to select the best options. Lark offers additional tools and support. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for nutrition and physical activity coaching and tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications.

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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