Is there a new or aspiring vegan on your holiday list? Give them a little help with a creative gift package that provides everything they need to get started. Think of it as a “vegan starter kit” that includes some practical help along with a few festive treats. Start with a good cookbook, add a helpful how-to book, and tuck in some special foods to create your own “vegan care package.”
Start with an all-purpose vegan cookbook: Compassionate vegan cooks have every type of cooking imaginable covered. Among the best all-purpose cookbooks are Big Vegan by Robin Asbell, World Vegan Feast by Bryanna Clark Grogan, and Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.
Add a guide to vegan lifestyle: Choose The Ultimate Vegan Guide by Erik Marcus, a friendly and quick manual for adopting a vegan lifestyle, or The 30-Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau for a more in-depth introduction to vegan eating.
Pack a time-saving food basket: New vegans sometimes falter on those extra busy days when there is no time to cook or plan meals. Give them a hand with an emergency pantry basket from the Meals in Minutes section of online store Vegan Essentials.
Tuck in some treats. Online store Pangea has boxes of fancy Belgian chocolates as well as little bags of vegan Hanukkah gelt. Add a few non-food items, too, like a jar of cruelty-free hand lotion, or some sweet-smelling vegan soaps.
Virginia Messina is a dietitian specializing in vegan nutrition. Her new book is Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-based Diet. Learn more about vegan nutrition by reading her blog TheVeganRD, or by following her on twitter.
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