Holiday Gift Guide 2019

The holidays aren’t supposed to be stressful! However, we know that finding the perfect gift can sometimes make the holidays a little more hectic than they should be. Thankfully, everyone has a gift guide these days, helping to alleviate some of the stress in finding exactly what you’re looking for. Before we dive in, check out these gift guides for some inspo!

Beverley Cheng, founder of Born To Sweat, created ‘A Christmas Gift Guide For All Budgets’ aiming to help you find something for everyone, no matter your budget. Check it out here!

Arti Jalan put so much work into making sure you could find the perfect gift for literally everyone on your list; your yogi friend, the minimalist, even your coworker and modern witch. The best part? Everything in the guide is sustainable, so you really feel good about what you’re giving. Get the gift guide straight to your inbox by signing up for the Forage and Sustain newsletter here. 

Amber Romaniuk aka Amber Approved put together this list way back in the beginning of November. The best part about this list is that it not only gives you some ideas for healthy gifts and experiences for your loved ones, but it’s also packed with local Canadian brands, which we of course love to support. Check out the Amber Approved Holiday Gift Guide here! 

Now on to our list...

Over the last year we also had the opportunity to partner with SO many amazing North American brands. We wanted to take the time to shout out these businesses, big and small, who continue to work hard to bring you high quality products like organic skincare, fair trade coffee, plant based options and sustainable goods. So many of the brands mentioned below offer a wide variety of products perfect for secret santa parties, hostess gifts, stocking stuffers and more. Check them out below!

Hale Coffee

Hale Coffee, a coffee company from Toronto, takes pride in their goal of increasing transparency in coffee. They’ve established direct farmer relations and work hard to ensure that the highest quality coffee is sourced and delivered. For those days when your turmeric latte with probiotics doesn’t give you enough gas in the engine, hale coffee has your back.

Revitasize

Revitasize is more than just a juice company. This Toronto, family based company shares our mission and goal: to bring you healthy organic options. When you’re on the go and don’t quite have the time to whip up your own superfood smoothie or acai bowl, stop by Revitasize for an array of plant based options.

Abeego

Over the last couple of years we have seen a big push towards sustainability, especially when it comes to food waste and packaging. Enter, abeego. Abeego is the OG of beeswax wraps. Their beeswax wraps are breathable, helping not only to save leftovers but also prolong the life of your food. Abeego wraps are the perfect stocking stuffer, not only for people already looking for more sustainable options, but also for those who just don’t understand how easy it is to show our planet a lil more love. 

Kanabia

CBD infused goods and usage really took off this year which also resulted in a highly saturated market. Unlike so many CBD products out there, Kanabia has the science to back its formula and ingredients. If you’re still new to CBD, check out our blog post here! Infused with superfoods like rosemary and turmeric, Kanabia offers a variety of flavours and benefits. 

Bioraw

Another Toronto based company that we LOVE is Bioraw! Bioraw offers 100% USDA certified organic, nutrient dense, gluten free, plant based ready to go meals to help fuel your day. Top off your Bioraw bowl with some of our dried fruit, seeds and nuts or better yet, pair it with one of our instant lattes while you’re on the go!

Chimptreats

You scream, I scream, we all scream for NICE cream! Chimp Treats have created a line of delicious, good for you plant based ice cream made entirely from fruits. What we love about Chimp Treats, other than the fact that you’re fueling yourself with nutrient dense food, is that their nice creams are so versatile - just like our superfoods. Follow @chimptreats on instagram for easy, fun and delicious ways to use your nice cream (many of which include incorporating superfoods!)

Embiria

We were so happy to contribute to a number of Embiria events in 2019. If you’re unfamiliar, Embiria hosts a number of curated experiences designed for creativity, community and connection. Sometimes the best gift is presence, and let us tell you - you won’t regret being present at one of Embiria’s events. They have something for everyone from workshops on calligraphy to yoga sessions, vision boarding, DIY holiday wreaths and more. If you’re based in Toronto or the GTA and you’re still on the hunt for gifts for the holidays, check out Embiria’s curated experiences here!

Milkadamia

Moo is moot. Milkadamia offers a variety of dairy free mylk substitutes made from, you guessed it, macadamia nuts! Whether you’re dairy free or not, you’ll love Milkadamia. Milkadamia supports regenerative farming methods to help keep our carbon levels in balance - that’s definitely something we can get behind. We love adding a little bit of extra plant based creamy goodness to our instant lattes!

Motherraw

Another company that’s showing us that eating plant based doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taste is Mother Raw. Mother Raw offers a line of dressings, dips, quesos and condiments; all made with the power of plants. We love topping our Bioraw salads with some Mother Raw dressing and an assortment of our nuts and seeds! 

Wholly Veggie

BBQ season was in full effect this year. As the plant based burger movement really took off, we were left wondering; is this really made of plants? There’s one Toronto based plant-based burger we’re definitely not questioning though, and it’s Wholly Veggie. Wholly Veggie now offers a range of veggie based patties, pizza crusts and now bites! We can’t wait to grill up more of their veggie patties while we sip on some iced probiotic lattes in Summer 2020. That doesn’t mean we’re waiting until then to enjoy some Wholly Veggie though, as their new plant based bites will be a favourite at the holiday parties this season - guaranteed!

Tonica

If you know us, you know that we love a good gut nourishing drink (*ahem, our family of instant probiotic lattes). This is one of the many reasons we LOVE Tonica Kombucha. With an array of flavours to choose from, there’s something for everyone. Plus - Tonica’s lightly carbonated low sugar kombuchas are brewed right here in Toronto and use the power of superfoods to flavour their beverages. Even better, Tonica also offers a DIY kit so you can brew your own kombucha at home! We’ve experience first hand just how easy this it to do and even added some of our full spectrum powders for added nutrients and a delicious flavour. 

Peace River Honey

You know we’re all about natural sweeteners at Organic Traditions. If you’re looking for high quality, unpasturized local honey, look no further than Peace River Honey! Wolfe’s Peace River Honey comes in both liquid and creamed varieties and is certified organic and non GMO. When we’re out of yacon syrup, we love adding Peace River Honey to our teas, lattes, baked goods and raw deserts. Nothing’s sweeter than supporting local!

SmoothiesGo

Subscription services also had quite a year and thankfully this included pre packaged and portioned smoothies, ready to pop in your blender and go. SmoothiesGo is a family run, Canadian company delivering nutrient dense smoothies right to your front door. For those days when you’re limited on time, SmoothiesGo offers a variety of pre-measured, pre-packaged 100% natural smoothies that can be stored in the freezer and ready to blend at a moment’s notice. Add some of of our adaptogens and you’re ready to take on the day!

SoYoung Inc.

Did we mention we love female founders? Catherine Choi, founder of SoYoung created a brand of elevated lunch bags with a mission to spread the message of transformation through incremental change. Their lunch poche’s are designed for the wellness-focused woman and parent and featured a minimal aesthetic and thoughtful features to help you conquer the day. We also love their sweat proof ice packs which help keep our instant ice lattes cold all day long!

Healthy Crunch

Who doesn’t love a good snack? Healthy crunch offers a huge range of healthy artisinal snacks from kale chips and coconut chips to school safe trail mixes. For those times when hunger strikes we like to grab a bag of allergen free, school approved healthy crunch snacks to munch on. All of their snacks are made by hand in the GTA plus they aim to support local farmers by sourcing as many local ingredients as possible. If you’re looking for stocking stuffers, Healthy Crunch offers a wide variety to fit all of your needs!

Station Cold Brew

Station Cold Brew was inspired and determined to evolve the coffee industry by developing a range of coffee products that didn’t include the usual heaps of sugar and artificial ingredients. Their goal is to handcraft products that are not only high quality but also convenient. Just like Organic Traditions, Station Cold Brew is committed to sourcing the best quality and certified organic ingredients. Responsibly sourced using fair trade policies, their range of flavoured cold brew coffees come in cans that you can pick up at many local retailers. 

Nena Skin Care

We’re understanding more and more that it’s not only about what we’re putting in our bodies but also what we’re putting on our bodies. Nena offers natural skincare products made with sustainably harvested and clinically proven Glacial Oceanis Clay, sourced from right here in Canada, specifically Northern British Columbia. It’s rich in over 60 minerals and botanical extracts helping to cleanse, hydrate and nourish the skin. Nourish your skin from the outside in with Nena while you nourish it from the inside out with our skin supporting superfoods like Rice Bran, Matcha, Amla and more.

Balanced Snack Box

As mentioned, subscription boxes really blew up this year. We had the pleasure of partnering with the Balanced Snack Box to give one lucky winner a box full of nutrient dense organic, non-GMO snacks. The Balanced Snack Box was created right here in the GTA by Evie Levitin, a mom of 3 and RHN. Subscription boxes are the perfect gift that keeps on giving. Plus, who wouldn’t want to receive healthy (and delicious!) snacks on a monthly basis, delivered right to your front door.

Fatso Peanut Butter

As much as we were loving our baru seeds and baru butter this year - we absolutely fell in love with Fatso. Fatso is the happy medium between the delicious, classic peanut butter we all know and love and the popular nut and seed butters that popped up in the last couple of years. They’ve taken the classic peanut butter up a notch by loading it with healthy fats and fiber like MCT oil and chia seeds. Fatso peanut butters are all plant based, gluten free and keto friendly. We couldn’t help but make some healthy peanut butter cups with our Fatso peanut butter! (link to recipe on IG)

Little Life Box

We’ll tell you one last time, giving the gift of a subscription box is up there as one of the ultimate gifts you can give someone - because it literally keeps on giving. Little Life Box delivers curated seasonal boxes packed with 8-12 items right to your front door. It’s filled with not only snacks but cosmetics, wellness products and more - all of which are healthy and sustainable alternatives to many of the things that we consume on a regular basis. The best thing about these types of subscription boxes is that it gives you (or a loved one!) the opportunity to discover new products - find our limited edition holiday spice latte in next Little Life Box!

Rawcology

Rawcology offers a variety of coconut chips and grain free granola in so many delicious flavours. This proudly Canadian and family owned business aims to create revolutionary organic and nutritious plant-powered goods that can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions. We looove adding their coconut chips to our superfood packed smoothie bowls and raw deserts. The best part? All of their products are certified organic, allergen friendly, non-GMO and certified vegan!