Homemade Immune Boosting Gift Baskets for the Holidays
In 2020, it’s never been more important to take care of your immune system. This holiday season, consider giving the gift of immunity with a homemade Immune-boosting Gift Basket.
There’s nothing like receiving a thoughtful, homemade gift from a loved one. This year, receiving a homemade gift filled with goodies that could help strengthen your immune system will be even more special.
We’ve put together a list of food, beverages, and other fun gifts that are not only delicious, they’re packed with antioxidants and other immune-supporting nutrients.* Consider filling a beautiful basket with some of these treats to gift to a family member or friend. It’s also a great gift idea for those in your life who really need the extra immune support,* like teachers, nurses, and grandparents.
Gift Basket Quick List
These immune-strengthening goodies* are the perfect gift for anyone this holiday season. Add them all or pick your favorites and wrap them up in a beautiful basket and festive bow.
- Ginger candies or ginger tea
- Green tea with local honey and lemon
- Citrus fruits or fresh-squeezed OJ
- Mason jar full of fresh berries or berry jam
- Homemade chicken stock and egg noodle
- Mixed nuts & seeds
- Dark chocolate
- Turmeric
- Sambucol black elderberry syrup*
- Black Elderberry gummies*
- Skincare mask
- Flowers
Immune Boosting* Gift Basket Goodies
Foods and other items that are naturally bursting with antioxidants are important in helping support a healthy immune system.* We used Healthline’s Top 15 Foods That Help Boost the Immune System to help curate this list of immunity goodies. Many of these items are perishable, so when putting your basket together, be sure to gift it as soon as possible, and keep it refrigerated if you can.
Ginger
Why add it? This spicy root is a great immune booster. Ginger may help reduce inflammation, which can help with sore throats and other inflammatory responses. It may also help with nausea, which is why so many people turn to ginger ale when they have an upset stomach.
How to add it? You can always add some fresh ginger root to your gift basket, especially if you know the recipient likes to chop it up and put it in some hot water with lemon. For those who may want a sweeter treat, ginger lozenges and candies taste great and can help soothe sore throats. Ginger tea is also a great way to send some support to your loved one.
Green tea
Why add it? Speaking of tea, green tea is an amazing addition to any immune support gift basket. Green tea is packed with antioxidants, including flavonoids (the same type of antioxidant found in the nutrient powerhouse black elderberry*), as well as epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG. EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function. Green tea also contains the amino acid L-theanine which may aid in the production of a germ-fighting compound in your T cells. T cells play a central role in immune system response.
How to add it? Including a few bags of green tea in your immunity gift basket is the easiest way to ensure your recipient gets this tea’s incredible immune benefits. A container of loose green tea is also a good idea, just make sure whoever receives it has a tea infuser (or include one!)
Adding a cute mug and a jar of local honey and some fresh lemon will make your gift basket look better, your loved one will be able to enjoy a hot cuppa right away. Plus, they’ll be reminded of you every time they reach for that mug.
Citrus fruits or fresh squeezed OJ
Why add it? If you’re thinking about including a fresh lemon to pair with your green tea, also consider adding some more citrus fruits to your basket. Citrus fruits have long been held in high regard for their immune support benefits because they’re loaded with vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C helps build your immune system and it also may help increase production of white blood cells, which play an important role in healthy immune system function.
How to add it? Simply place a few citrus fruits throughout your basket to add color and texture for a pleasing aesthetic and a powerful immune boost. These citrus fruits are wonderful additions to your basket:- grapefruit
- oranges
- clementines
- tangerines
- lemons
- limes
Another way to add some delicious citrus to your basket is with fresh squeezed orange juice or grapefruit juice. You can put the fresh squeezed juice in a decorative jar or container to dress up your basket.
Berries
Why add it? Other fruits to consider including are berries. Berries are filled with antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation and support a healthy immune system. These colorful fruits get their rich, gorgeous color from the antioxidants they contain; anthocyanins are blue, purple, or red pigments that protect cells from free radical damage. Anthocyanins are what give black elderberries their deep purple color.
How to add it? Fill a mason jar or other decorative container with different berries to add a colorful element to your basket. These berries are a delicious way to get some immune supporting antioxidants:
- strawberries
- blueberries
- raspberries
- cranberries
- blackberries
Homemade jams are a good alternative if you can’t include fresh berries in your basket.
Chicken stock
Why add it? Chicken noodle soup isn’t just a nostalgic remedy to warm your soul, it may actually help you feel better. Chicken broth may help lower inflammation and help you feel better thanks to B6. B6 plays a role in forming new and healthy red blood cells, along with other chemical reactions in the body. So help your loved one feel better again with some homemade chicken soup.
How to add it? You can always add a can or box of ready-to-make chicken noodle soup. If you want to kick it up a notch, include some homemade chicken broth in a mason jar and a pack of egg noodles so they can easily make their own homemade soup at home without much effort.
For an extra boost, use garlic in your broth. Garlic is also a powerful immune supporter because of its high concentration of sulfur-containing compounds.
Nuts and seeds
Why Add it? Nuts and seeds are great immune boosters because of their powerful blend of nutrients. Almonds, for example, contain a high amount of fat-soluble vitamin E, which is key to a healthy immune system. Since the body won’t absorb vitamin E without the presence of fat, the healthy fats already present in nuts means vitamin E is ready to be absorbed.
Seeds such as sunflower seeds are also great immune system supports. They not only contain vitamin E, but also vitamin B6, phosphorus, and magnesium. The nuts and seeds you should consider including in your basket are:- almonds
- walnuts
- pistachios
- cashews
- peanuts
- hazelnuts
- sunflower seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
How to add it? Grab a bag of mixed nuts at your favorite grocery store, or personalize the mix with nuts and seeds from the bulk bin. Transfer the mix to a decorative bag or jar, tie a ribbon around the top and you’ll have a beautiful display to add some texture to your basket.
Dark chocolate
Why add it? Not only is dark chocolate a delicious delicacy and perfect for dessert, it also contains antioxidants, including polyphenols and flavonoids. Dark chocolate may also help reduce inflammation in the body. A delicious treat and immune system support? Yes, please.
How to add it? Look for dark chocolate bars with high percentages of cacao; 70% or more is best. The more cacao, the more antioxidants the bar will contain.
Turmeric
Why add it? Turmeric is a bright yellow spice with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric contains high concentrations of curcumin which not only give its distinctive color, but also may help support a healthy immune system and even decrease exercise-induced muscle damage.
How to add it? Grab your favorite jar of this eye-catching spice or scoop it from a bulk spice bin and transfer it to a pretty container. Turmeric is an integral part of many curries, but can be added to myriad dishes or even a favorite smoothie. Include a printout or handwrite your favorite turmeric-containing recipe for your loved one to try.
Selfcare Immune Support Staples*
Food and beverages aren’t the only way to help your loved one stay healthy this holiday season. Here are some other immune-support staples to include in your gift basket.
Sambucol Black Elderberry for Immune Support
Black elderberries are renowned for their powerful antioxidant properties, including a high concentration of flavonoids that give the berries their deep purple color. Antioxidants can help support a healthy immune system and keep your body running in tip top condition.*
Sambucol black elderberry syrup and gummies are an easy way to get the immune support benefits from black elderberries.*
Skincare Mask
The ultimate selfcare ritual: include your favorite face or under-eye mask to give your loved one a moment of at-home spa pampering. Clay, mud, charcoal, and collagen masks are all perfect ideas.
Flowers
Maybe they don’t help support the immune system themselves, but flowers brighten up anyone’s day by increasing positive energy and helping people feel less stressed. Add a beautiful bouquet to get those endorphins buzzing and create a colorful focal point in your gift basket.
Immune Boosting Gift Baskets Are the Perfect Gift for Holidays
Gift baskets with a focus on immunity are the perfect gift for teachers, nurses, grandparents and any family member or friend this holiday season. Whether you fill a giant basket with all the immune-boosting goodies* mentioned above, or a small basket filled with a few favorites, your loved ones will appreciate the personalized attention you gave to their gift and the extra care you put into making sure they stay healthy and safe this holiday season.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.