Beautiful (and Easy) Food Gift Basket!

Food is always a good idea for a new mom, someone who just had surgery, or perhaps a family that is grieving a loved one. Why not dress it up beautifully to make a lovely present in itself!

Meal calendars are great, but sometimes they fill up quickly or don’t work with your schedule. In those cases, a food gift basket is a great idea. Fill it with things that people can use to make a quick salad or sandwich. Better yet, you can drop it off anytime (just pack some bagged ice in the basket if the temperature warrants it).

Honestly, when I was on bed rest, I appreciated it so much when people brought pints of different salads. Lighter foods were a nice alternative to the usual suspects of King Ranch Chicken Casserole or Mexican Lasagna. Plus, you can make sandwiches and salads for days!

In this basket, I packed some cranberry chicken salad and jalapeño pimento cheese from Festive Kitchen, one of my favorite places for “to go” food in Dallas. I also stopped by Trader Joe’s and got some bread, flowers, hummus, and fruit.

Here are some other things to put in a food basket or bag:

• Any kind of salads – pasta, fruit, egg salad, etc.
• Soup/Chowder
• Sparking water (A little something fun to drink for pregnant and nursing moms!)
• Bread or crackers
• A bag of washed lettuce is always good
• Flowers are a thoughtful touch. (I got mine from Trader Joe’s for under $5 and took the plastic off for better presentation!)
• Always include a card or note
• Filling helps position everything nicely

This is not something I do every time I bring food to a friend, but it is certainly easy enough to do often, especially when you buy several baskets at once. I bought this medium-sized Ashland basket at Michaels.

What would you add to this food gift basket? Or do you have a go-to dish you bring to friends?

Happy Giving!

Sources: Basket: Michaels ($14.90 but 50% off) // Peach Ribbon: Michaels // Food: Festive Kitchen, Trader Joe’s