Holiday Gift Guide: Food Basket for People with Special Dietary Needs

Food is a universally appropriate gift. Men and women, kids, students, couples and loners- food can be eaten and appreciated by all. It is almost foolproof. Almost. There are a few tips to giving the best general-interest food basket, to be enjoyed by anyone.

1) Don't fill the basket with all of one kind of food, such as all chocolate. People adhere to diversity of diets, including low-carb, diabetic, vegetarian, sugar-free, and on and on. In addition to diet preferences, some people have diet musts. Serious food allergies require all kinds of special concerns- from gluten free, to dairy-free to peanut-free. The best way to ensure the basket contains something suitable for all diets is to include a variety of items.

Fruits and vegetables are good for most kinds of diets, so include a variety of these items. To make the fruits and veggies most appealing, pick seasonal produce, such as cranberries and winter squashes. The produce should be unprepared, should have a long shelf life, and should not require constant refrigeration. Examples of such produce are apples and sweet potatoes.

Nuts have a long shelf life and pecans are seasonal pie favorites, walnuts are a great ingredient in holiday fudge and cookies, and chestnuts, of course, are perfect for roasting. Just don't include too many, as people may be allergic.

A few indulgent pieces of candy can be appreciated by people on any diet, so long as it isn't the basket's main offering. Try a variety of candies. For example, Godiva stores offer custom truffle boxes in various sizes. A small box of four to eight candies is sufficient. Choose from white, milk and dark chocolate truffles, dipped fruit, and chocolate covered nuts. Any combination would offer something for almost any taste.

2) Include beverages, since you can't guarantee satisfaction with the food items. Again, choose items that don't require refrigeration and will have a long shelf life.

Virtually everyone can drink tea, no matter what their diet, so include a holiday mug and several bags of good herbal or holiday spiced tea in the basket.

Hot chocolate mix is loved by adults and children equally and can be mixed in to milk or dairy substitutes suitable for vegetarians and people with dairy allergies. People who are allergic to chocolate will not be able to partake, but can always set it aside to serve to holiday guests.

Apple cider is another popular holiday drink. Rather than loading up the basket with a giant jug of apple juice or cider, consider putting together a small baggy of cider spices, such as cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg. Whatever ingredients you use in your own recipe or whatever you can find in a recipe online is suitable for this purpose. If an individual receiving the basket doesn't like cider, these spices are also great for holiday-scented mulling potpourri.

3) Spices, herbs condiments are great fillers. No matter what else is in the basket, fresh herbs and sticks of cinnamon, gourmet stone ground mustards, infused oils, specialty salts and peppers, and jarred dips and tapenades can be used in any recipe regardless of the recipient's special diet. Include one-to-three of such items for a pleasing variety, or make them the main feature of the basket.

4) Utensils are essential. A small ladle for the apple cider, a brewing basket for the tea, a microplane grater for the spices, or a peeler for fruits and veggies are all excellent additions to a generic basket, because none of those items are subject to be eaten. Choose one or up to two utensils, as these tend to cost more than some food and beverage items. These items can be used repeatedly and definitely won't cause allergic reactions. They can be found in specialty shops, grocery stores, and even Super centers so they aren't hard to find, nor will they be necessarily expensive.