Diet | Detective: Healthy Holiday Gift Guide 2008 

A few healthier gifts for this holiday season.

Gift: Edible Arrangements Fruit (Starry Sleighride)

 Why: At first I actually thought this was a bit silly and wouldn’t look as good or impressive as it sounded. But I must say, if you want to stay away from the standard “junk” most companies send out and offer a healthier message, this is just the ticket. The fruit was exceptionally good, and it really makes a statement when it comes to your door.

 Description: The Starry Sleighride is a delicious fruit bouquet with pineapple daisies, pineapple stars, strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe and honeydew in a souvenir sleigh container. It’s the perfect gift for the holidays. All Edible Arrangements’ artistic fruit arrangements are made to order from the highest quality, freshest fruit available. No preservatives or sweeteners are ever used. Edible Arrangements uses a fruit vendor program through which franchisees buy locally grown produce to use for their arrangements. There are currently more than 800 locations in the United States.

Health bonus: Fruit has amazing antioxidant health benefits, and it’s low in calories.

Price: $75 for the sled, plus a $12 flat fee for delivery.

What we liked least: A bit pricey, but an attractive choice.

Where to buy: www.ediblearrangements.com

Gift: Soft-Serve Ice Cream and (Non-fat) Yogurt Maker

Why: Soft-serve ice creams, yogurts, sorbets and sherbets are now available right at home with the Cuisinart Mix It In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker. Operation is fully automatic; simply pour in the “healthy” ingredients and turn the dial.

Description: Has a pull-down handle to dispense healthy soft serve ice cream directly into cones or bowls. Makes 1½ quarts of frozen dessert in as little as 20 minutes — or a bit longer if you’re creating a healthier recipe (meaning without heavy cream, sugar and whole milk). Just add your favorite fresh healthy ingredients and turn the dial. Removable parts for easy cleaning.

Health bonus: You can show your family exactly how ice cream is made while using healthier ingredients such as fat-free half and half, skim milk, ripe bananas, strawberries, apple juice concentrate, gelatin and, if you like, an artificial sweetener (such as Splenda or Stevia).

Price: $99.95.

What we liked least: You can still use the machine to make the less healthy kinds of ice cream.

Where to buy: www.cuisinartwebstore.com

Gift: Wusthof Knives

 Why: Having a great set of knives is half the battle when you’re cooking at home. Without them, you’re going to have a tough time preparing those healthy meals. This is a very special gift that can (believe it or not) be handed down from you to your children.

 Description: These high-performance knives are crafted to last a lifetime. They are razor-sharp right out of the box, and the blades retain their edge longer due to a special steel metal formulation that provides durability, stain-resistance and sharpening ease. They also have balance and heft. A well-made knife should feel like an extension of your hand, and that requires balance and enough heft to give the knife enough power to do the work easily (without a lot of effort and strain), and without being too heavy or bulky. The pro-style knives are forged from a single piece of metal from the tip of the blade to the heel of the handle, ensuring optimum durability and power cutting through all types of foods. And, finally, the durable, stain-resistant plastic Classic Ikon handles are permanently attached. They are dishwasher safe, but hand-washing is recommended.

Health bonus: The more excited you are about cooking at home, the more you will end up eating at home, and so consume fewer calories. (We consume more calories when we eat outside the home.)

Price: Prices for the Wusthof Classic 8-piece knife block set (model 8418) vary but Amazon and Williams-Sonoma.com are selling the set for $299.99 (comes with an 8-inch cook’s knife). You can also get a two-piece Classic starter set that includes a 3.5-inch paring knife and an 8-inch chef’s knife for approximately $139.99.

 What we liked least: These knives are expensive, but they’re worth it.

Where to buy: Williams-Sonoma.com, Macys.com, Amazon.com

Gift: FoodTee Healthy Living Sweatshirts

Why: Wearing sweatshirts with healthful fruits and vegetables and cute or funny sayings helps keep you motivated. Plus, you’re setting an example and showing off your healthful lifestyle. And they’re really adorable. Think: An image of an upside-down banana with the words “Downward Dog” below it, or a celery stalk that says “Stalker.” Beets that say “Heart Beet.” Very cute. FoodTee products are a great look for a healthy life, and the images speak for themselves. Not only that, but recent research in the Journal of Health Promotion shows that using visual cues — such as FoodTees — can help you make better health choices.

Description: Warm, cozy sweatshirts that let people express themselves through healthful food images paired with slogans (e.g., cherries + No Sugar Added; cauliflower + Flower Child; wheat + Grainiac). [FoodTees are affiliated with DietDetective.com.]

Health bonus: A portion of the profits is donated to three not-for-profits dedicated to promoting and educating people about healthful school lunches.

Price: $39.

What we liked least: They are only sold online, but shipping is free, and there’s no tax.

Where to buy: FoodTee.com

Gift: George Foreman 360 Grill

 Why: This is the best GF grill yet. And grilling is the best way to cook healthful food.

Description: The grill has 106 square inches of round cooking surface, five round dishwasher-safe removable grill plates (two ribbed grill plates, two quesadilla plates and one deep-dish pizza pan / griddle / bake plate) a durable triple nonstick coating that eliminates the need for oil and a sloped design that reduces the fat. Embedded heat elements provide consistent heat and rapid recovery time.

Health bonus: It makes cooking healthy so simple. You turn on the grill, throw on fish, shrimp, chicken and/or veggies and a few squirts of nonstick spray and you’re done.

Price: $179.99 is the suggested list price, but Wal-Mart, Amazon and other retailers are selling it for about $150.

What we liked least: It’s a bit pricey compared with the $20 Champ (also from George Foreman), but it’s definitely an upgrade.

Where to buy: Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, Target

Gift: Polar Heart Rate Monitor (Model F11)

Why: Heart rate monitors are great for making sure that you’re getting a decent workout; otherwise, you might not be burning nearly as many calories you think you are. The primary purpose of a heart rate monitor is to give you a better understanding of your exercise intensity. Polar is the world leader in heart rate monitors, and I’ve been using this one for a few months now. It’s easy to get started, with very few complicated features – exactly what I like. But don’t get me wrong — it has plenty of bells and whistles, including a personal-training program that tells you how hard, how long and how often to train in order to achieve your personal fitness goals.

Description: It’s easy to set up and beeps when you’re in your training zone. Also shows how many calories you have burned.

 Health bonus: It works in the water, too.

Price: Lists for $179.99.

What we liked least: It’s a bit pricey and could still look a bit snazzier.

 Where to buy: Amazon.com, www.heartmonitors.com

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CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, founder of DietDetective.com, and host of the new WE television series I Want To Save Your Life. Copyright 2008-2009 by Charles Stuart Platkin. All rights reserved. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter and iTunes podcast at www.DietDetective.com