The holiday season can be challenging for even for those of us with the best of intentions. I am committed to prioritizing my health during the holiday season. It can be a stressful time so I need my balanced meals and snacks and my regular physical activity more than ever.

So imagine my response when I opened a recent holiday gift – an enormous cheesecake. Well, actually it was a package of twelve slices of cheesecake in different flavors; each slice looked like it could be dessert for a family of four. Not quite what I needed to have around as I focus on my health goals!

I know that many of us face similar challenges when those holiday gift baskets start arriving in the office. Chocolate, cheese, candy…the list of temptations go on.

But how would it be if holiday gift baskets actually helped us move towards our health goals?

If you are responsible for organizing some corporate holiday gifts this year, consider thinking way outside the box…the chocolate box that is.

• Imagine a stress relief gift basket – how about some relaxation CDs, boxes of wonderful teas, some squeezable stress balls (with your company’s logo on them), and perhaps some soothing neck pillows too. You could even include a gift certificate for a massage company to provide onsite chair massages for employees.

• How about a “getting active” gift basket? You could include pedometers, jump ropes, resistance bands, a deck of cards with stretches you can do at your desk…the possibilities are endless. A Wii Fit for the office sounds good to me!

• A cooking healthy gift basket is another fun idea. You can include healthy cookbooks, herbs and spices, gourmet olive oils, vinegars and mustards, and some aprons which look great with a company logo on them.

• Instead of the usual fruit basket, you can provide a local fruit and/or vegetable box with a gift certificate for weekly or monthly produce boxes for employees to enjoy.

More and more, gift companies are providing some health-oriented choices or are willing to customize gift baskets with suggestions you provide. However, beware the “healthy option” like the organic cookie tower or “all natural” chocolate collection that I found when searching for some corporate gifts online. Organic or natural does not always equate to a healthy choice!

Another option is to think about providing a fun and valuable experience instead of a tangible gift. Could you provide a gift certificate for a personal chef to do an onsite cooking demo to help employees learn how to make some quick and easy dinner meals? Or bring in a yoga instructor to do some gentle, relaxing yoga classes to help with holiday stress?

It is fun to think about how your gift may positively impact the recipients’ health rather than making it more difficult for them to feel vibrant and healthy during the holiday season. A healthy holiday gift is definitely a gift worth giving!