Diwali is here! A happy time when friends and family meet, eat and make merry together. Food is a big part of the equation here, without doubt as I mentioned in an earlier post too. After all what’s Diwali without some Diwali dinners, and lots of mithai. But the question of diwali gifts needs to be tackled too. So what are you planning to gift this year? Will it be crockery again? Something they’ll have no choice but to pass on, if they don’t like say the flowers on it…or a brass lamp (that won’t go with they decor at all!)…

Why not gift some health this year! I have a suggestion: shortlist a health giving kitchen tool from the list below and add some health besides cheer to the lives of your loved ones this Diwali.

My top picks:

A soup maker: to help them make a delicious soup in a jiffy, consider (and not consider it a chore), and boost their veggies intake.

A sprout maker: to help increase their consumption of health giving micro nutrients and enzymes exponentially. This is an absolute delight to use and is a must have in all kitchens that believe in healthy eating.

A steamer: to help them cut their fat intake and make delicious steamed dishes (momo’s dhoklas, idlis) that cut calories from their meals. Can’t resist sharing this tip here: While steaming the momos and idlis use the base pan to make soups and stews. You put water in the base pan to produce steam. In the same pan add pieces of vegetable or meat and chicken with herbs. By the time the item is steamed and ready your stew and soup will also be done.

Mini blenders: so that they can whip up fabulous sauces and salad dips. Share the recipe of this dip as a bonus too: 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 cup hung curd, mint – a few sprigs, coriander – a few sprigs, garlic – a couple of flakes, salt and pepper, to taste. Blend all ingredients into a paste.

Kitchen Scissors: as it is perfect to trim excess fat and skin from chicken, cutting hot steaming boiled vegetables into manageable pieces and chopping fresh herbs like parsley, chives, basil, rosemary or coriander. A recipe I love: Boil spinach, chop it fine with the kitchen scissors and mix it in a bowl of thick yoghurt. Temper with ½ tsp of mustard seeds and two green chillies in a spoon of oil. The taste is divine.

A good set of storage containers: you’ll be surprised how handy these will be as having food storage containers of various sizes on hand makes it so much easier to plan meals and snacks and store nuts, vegetables, cooked toppings for pizzas in different containers, all neatly sorted out.

They’ll appreciate these far more.  Ask yourself: Wouldn’t you too?

Kavita Devgan is a Nutritionist, Weight Management Consultant and Health Writer based in Delhi. She contributes to the column Kavita’s Korner every Wednesday for this blog.

Follow her on Twitter here: @kavitadevgan