Whether one of your coworkers or staff members in your office is struggling, you might want to do something to let them know that you care. Food is the ultimate gift for giving someone who is struggling, unwell or feeling down. Whether your coworkers or team members have COVID-19, are worried about job losses or are overwhelmed with their workload and remote learning for their children, you could send one of these five healthy food gifts to demonstrate your concern.
Coffee Samplers
Coffee is one of America’s favorite beverages, and many people start their day with it. Drinking a few cups of coffee each day is associated with a lower risk of diabetes, certain types of cancer and inflammatory conditions. You could send a coffee sampler basket to your coworkers. If your coworkers have a single-cup brewer at home, you could send a sampler of the brewing cups. Flavored coffees are also popular. You could also consider adding flavored syrups, creamers or spice blends to add to the coffee. You could take this gift up a notch by giving some locally-roasted whole coffee beans and a coffee bean grinder.
Collection of Herbal Teas and Honey
Herbal tea, which is low in caffeine, is another healthy food gift for those who are struggling in your office. Tea contains antioxidants, which repair the oxidative damage to cells caused by exposure to pollutants and metabolic waste products. Studies have also found that drinking herbal teas lower a person’s risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. There are herbal tea blends made specifically for certain health concerns, such as teas that encourage sleep, relaxation or stress relief. There are also tea blends for health ailments, such as sore throats or congested lungs. Ginger tea is well-known as a solution for nausea.
Consider including some locally-collected organic honey with the tea bags. Consuming locally-collected tea could lower the risk of allergies. If you are sending loose-leaf tea, a strainer would be a nice addition to your gift basket. A honey jar gift box is also an excellent choice because honey is an energy-dense food that contains many ingredients essential for growth and good health.
Popcorn, Popping Oil and Seasonings
Movie theater popcorn is notoriously unhealthy, but air-popped popcorn made at home can be a nutritious, healthy and tasty snack. You could send a food gift of blue, red and white or yellow popcorn kernels, olive oil for popping and an array of low-sodium or sodium-free seasonings. Popcorn is a whole grain, and just one serving of it contains 70 percent of an adult’s daily recommended allowance of whole grain. At only 30 calories per cup for air-popped popcorn, it could help a coworker lose weight. Popcorn is also a good source of fiber. Some tasty seasonings to include in this food gift for your office mates include Parmesan cheese, sodium-free taco seasoning, black pepper and cheese powder.
Shelf-stable Snacks
If your office mates are working long hours or stopping in one day of the week and working the other days from home, consider a gift basket of shelf-stable snacks. Trail mix is a healthy treat that offers a satisfying combination of salty and savory flavors. Beef jerky and turkey jerky are also healthy snacks. Packs of nuts, crackers with nut butter and sunflower seeds are good sources of protein. You could also include some of the best protein powders for women or men in the basket.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
HuffPost suggests sending a basket of fresh fruit and vegetables from your local farmer’s market to those struggling in your office. You could give a selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers. For fun, you could add some locally-made fruit spreads, salsa, or other treats. If you want to make this an ongoing gift, you could provide a gift of community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscription or fruit-of-the-month club. If you want to go all-out, consider adding a veggie spiralizer or a blender for making smoothies to accompany the fresh fruits and vegetables.
Each of these five healthy food gifts is a generous way to show your employees, staff or coworkers that you care. Even if you are in isolation at your home or worried about members of your office who are under quarantine, you can arrange for one of these gifts to be delivered. The recipients of your gifts will remember your kindness long into the future.
Tarah Mills has always had a passion for writing. Her philosophy is that not only can writing be educational, but it can change the world. While she is dedicated to her work, she still enjoys a good game of basketball, curling up to a good book, and all things Star Wars. She currently resides in the Richmond, Virginia area with her family.