Healthy Food Hampers | Gifts - Create A Hamper

Foods for healthy blood pressure

Much is debated about reducing salt in our diets to help lower blood pressure - along with many other no no's when it comes to what we eat and drink for our health's sake but we think it appropriate to highlight what we should eat more of in order to feel great and stay in good health.

Often overlooked are the benefits of certain types of super foods - especially fruits and vegetables that when eaten in combination.

Essential minerals - amny only found in specific types of fruit - contribute to a healthy heart and maintain a good level of blood pressure - see getting the most benefit out of fruit and veg.

How much?

Loads - it's common to hear five a day but fruit and vegetables could make up at least a third of your entire food intake.

Give a healthy hamper of food

As an example we have put together a "gift hamper" selection which might provoke you to create your own hampers with top quality healthy food that you know the recipient enjoys.

Suggestion for healthy hampers

Most gift hampers are usually full of luxury food and drinks - rarely the best health option - although the benefits of red wine and chocolate are sometimes reported in the health news.

Here's our ideas of things to include in your hampers which needn't cost a lot but if packaged properly will be a great gift.

• banana - high in potassium - a great bp lowering food
• apples
• pears or at least one
• oranges are not the only fruit
• avocado - notorious super food
• plums - get you r gums stuck into plums
• grapefruit

if its a seasonal gift, christmas hampers can include all the festive fruits you cna fing - figs, satsumas and of course whole nuts beans and pulses - remember however much you eat, beans and pulses count as one portion each day

Fresh fruit is important but the concentration of dried fruit can also help the mineral intake so add these to your gift hampers too.

dried fruit (such as raisins and apricots)

healthy drinks

a glass (150ml) of fruit juice (however much you drink, fruit juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day)

No so easy for these food hampers is frozen or cooked food but don't be shy - they too caount as one of the five a day - frozen peas are more likely to be nutritionally better than raw peas as they are frozen to seal the healthy bits in quickly