2022 Holiday Gift Guide

It’s time for my 2022 Holiday Gift Guide, where I list all of my favorite things! If you’ve got cooks, moms, dads, health nuts, food lovers, and gadget lovers in your circle of friends and family, these gifts are sure to pamper and please them!

Yep—it’s that time of year again! As loyal Nomsters know, every year I write up an epic holiday gift guide filled with items I’ve purchased, tested, and 100% endorse. That’s right: this isn’t a sponsored post and nothing in this article was given to me for free, so you can feel confident that I love every single thing on this list. In fact, there are a few repeats on this list from previous years’ gift guides because I’ve found them to be time-tested, reliable, and the best gifts year after year.

Got someone on your list who loves to cook, hoards gadgets, collects cookbooks, eats voraciously (but healthily), and/or could stand to indulge in some self care? Then you’ll be sure to find the perfect present in my holiday gift guide!

Gifts for Nomsters

For starters, if your pals love cooking along with my blog and iOS app recipes, they’ll love my three cookbooks and Nom Nom Paleo spice blends!

Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!

Our newest New York Times bestselling cookbook is sure to delight your favorite Nomster. Henry and I poured our blood, sweat, and tears into this one and think it’s our best cookbook yet. In fact, it has close to 800 5-star Amazon reviews and a starred review in Publishers Weekly!

You can buy our cookbook wherever books are sold, but if you want a personalized and signed copy of Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!, you can order one from our favorite local bookseller, Books Inc. They ship nationwide so click HERE to order. I’ll even throw in some free stickers!

Oh, and don’t forget to complete the trilogy by purchasing our first two cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans and Ready or Not!

Nom Nom Paleo Spice Blends

I LOVE my Nom Nom Paleo Spice Blends and I use them in place of salt in everything I cook! All four are incredibly versatile; I use them to flavor chicken, beef, steak, pork chops, veggies, stir-fries, rice—you name it! Also, they’re now award-winning because my Spicy Sichuan Powder just won two 2023 Scovie Awards!

All our spice blends are available on Amazon, but you can buy them directly from The Spice Lab.

So go stock up on our spice blends at The Spice Lab by clicking HERE. (Use one-time code LETSGO to save 15% off)

Gifts for Cooks

Anyday Bowls

Anyday microwave cookware are the one kitchen purchase that I have used EVERY SINGLE day since I bought them. These durable, all-glass bowls have transformed the way I view and use my microwave—it’s now an essential cooking appliance rather than just a boring box that reheats leftovers.

Why are Anyday Bowls so amazing?

• The bowls and lids are made of glass—an extremely durable, heat-resistant borosilicate.
• The lids feature a platinum-grade silicone rim so they form an airtight, leakproof seal. Each lid also has a silicone knob that can be pulled up to create a vent when you’re microwaving. This way, the food can steam and cook in the bowls and not explode!
• All the bowls are dishwasher-, freezer-, and oven-safe as well. That means you can cook in them, store leftovers in them, and toss them in the dishwasher when you’re done!
• Believe it or not, the stainless metal around the edge of the lid is A-OK for the microwave oven! It’s specially designed to be microwave compatible because the metal is rounded and won’t spark.

Bonus: Anyday Bowls now come in a bunch of cool colors and sizes. The sizes I use the most are the large deep dish, large shallow dish, and the new small dish—but I really use ’em all. That’s why I buy The Complete Set for all the people I love! Get this practical gift HERE.

Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-quart Air Fryer

When my old Philips air fryer needed to be replaced, I pored over online reviews before finally deciding on an Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-quart air fryer. What tipped me over the edge? It’s the highest rated air fryer according to the experts at Cook’s Illustrated—plus, the capacity of this air fryer is big enough to feed my family (it fits at least 6 chicken thighs) and the basket can be easily hand-washed with hot soapy water.

My family now uses it regularly to cook lots of tasty stuff, including my Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets,  Air Fryer Cracklin’ Chicken, Air Fryer Fish Sticks, Air Fryer Whole Chicken, and Air Fryer Carrots. It’s the most wished-for countertop appliance for good reason! Get one HERE. The version with the window is also great—get one HERE.

THERMAPEN ONE

This is my favorite instant-read thermometer of all-time! The Thermapen One is faster (it now reads in 1 second!) and even more accurate than the previous versions. My Thermapen One is the not-so-secret reason my meat dishes (or anything that needs monitoring!) come out perfectly. Get one HERE.

Vitamix 5200 Blender

I’ve owned my trusty Vitamix 5200 for 10 FREAKING YEARS and in my opinion, no other blender and no other make or model outperforms it! I’ve been using it a lot lately because I make daily protein shakes for myself and the boys (I use this  chocolate flavored protein powder) and this blender just doesn’t quit. Also, this is the only blender that can make sauces and soups silky smooth. Get one HERE.

Hedley and Bennet Aprons

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the only aprons I wear in my kitchen are made by Hedley and Bennett because I find them to be the most stylish, functional, and durable. I’ve loved them for years; I even recommended H&B aprons on my inaugural holiday gift guide back in 2013! The size of my apron collection is starting to rival my cookbook stash and that’s a scary thing. Get your own H&B apron HERE.

Tasty Cookbooks

Danielle Walker’s Healthy in a Hurry

Danielle’s done it again with another fabulous collection of easy, healthy, and delicious grain-free recipes. This time, she’s streamlined all of the dishes so you can get dinner on the table in no time flat! Get a copy HERE.

Frankie Gaw’s First Generation

As you all know, I love collecting cookbooks—even if I can’t eat the recipes with gluten. Frankie’s fabulous collection of colorful dumplings, baos, and mouthwatering Taiwanese-American dishes is breathtakingly beautiful. Plus, his coming of age stories sprinkled throughout the book will make you laugh and cry. Get a copy HERE.

Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kailtlin Leungs’ The Woks of Life

I’ve been a fan of The Woks of Life food blog for years and am delighted that they’ve released a debut cookbook. It’s so inspirational that this Chinese American family has shared so much of their culture and secrets to deliciousness! Get a copy HERE.

Gregory Gourdet’s Everyone’s Table

Loyal Nomsters know that I love Chef Gregory’s show-stopping, umami-packed, globally inspired, technicolor dishes, and I’m over the moon that I can cook his genius recipes at home! Can’t get a reservation for his hit restaurant, Kann—a.k.a. the best new restaurant in America? Give this fantastic cookbook to all your foodie friends—I promise they won’t even notice that everything is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free! Get it HERE.

The Garza Family’s The Siete Table

As a die-hard fan of the Garza family’s food for over a decade, I’m obsessed with their delicious secrets to nourishing, gluten-free Mexican cuisine. I’ve lost count of the classic homestyle recipes I’ve already bookmarked in it! Get a copy HERE.

Suzy Karadsheh’s The Mediterranean Dish

Suzy truly is the queen of Mediterranean-inspired recipes and her debut cookbook does not disappoint! Her cookbook is filled with foolproof recipes, gorgeous pics, inspiring stories, and lots of ways to oomph up the spice in your home cooking! Get it HERE.

Gifts for active folks

Oura Ring

I’ve been an obsessive superfan of the Oura Ring ever since it first launched in 2015. I’ve had a Gen 3 Heritage ring for over a year and I love that the latest version adds 24/7 heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring, period tracking(!), and spO2 measurements. It’s pricey, but it’s the one device that I use to actively improve my health every day, so getting the Gen 3 was a no-brainer. Get one HERE (Save $50 on every style through 1/8/22)!

Shokz OpenPro Bone Conducting Headphones

I love Shokz bone conducting headphones, but this latest version really is the best! These headphones keep my ears unobstructed so I can hear what’s happening around me while I listen to my favorite music or podcasts. They’re especially handy when I’m exercising outside so I can look out for traffic or other pedestrians or if I’m cooking in the kitchen and my kids need my attention. Water resistant as well, these headphones are comfortable, lightweight, have a long battery life, and offer great sound quality. Once you go bone conducting, you’ll never go back! Get one HERE.

GoRuck Ruck Plate Carrier

After hearing from Melissa Urban about the benefits of rucking (going on walks with a heavy weighted backpack), I started doing it a few times a week. Per Melissa’s suggestion, I started by simply loading a regular backpack with weights—but my rucking game was leveled up when I finally invested in a streamlined GoRuck Ruck Plate Carrier plus a 20-pound plate. It’s a sleek and a pretty comfortable way to lug around a heavy weight during my neighborhood walks. Get one HERE.

Feetup

I bought my Feetup inversion trainer three years ago and I continue to work on my headstands every day. It’s a great way to de-stress and work on my core stability at the same time! Get one HERE.

Bellicon 44-inch Classic Rebounder

I’ve been bouncing on this amazing trampoline for many years now and I still love it. I jump on it as soon as I wake up to get my blood pumping and to shake out all the kinks. On days when I’m busy typing on my laptop, it’s also a great way to add some movement. My kids love jumping on it, too, so it’s perfect present for the whole family! Get one HERE.

Gifts for getting your zen on

Tomarion 2

Last year, I learned about this magical heated rock from my favorite podcast, Add To Cart. The Tomarion 2 is a kidney-shaped portable infrared heating pad made out of tourmaline, a naturally occurring mineral. There is no cord or battery—you simply plug it into a charger for six minutes and then it magically heats up and stays hot for hours. I use it when I have cramps, aches, pains, or just want to warm myself up. If you have someone you know who is always complaining about being cold or achy, this gift is perfect for them!

One caveat: the Tomarion 2 is not soft and smushy—it’s a hard object covered with a soft fabric that you press against your body. I love it and recommend it to all of my friends with cold extremities or chronic muscle pain. Get one HERE.

Resteck Shoulder Massager

Two summers ago, I hurt my neck after too many hours hunched over my computer editing our latest cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! After suffering through two weeks with a painfully stiff neck, I bought a Resteck Shoulder Massager and it magically kneaded my stiff muscles, leaving me relaxed and limber afterwards. There are lots of awesome massagers on the market, but hey: this one has over 50,000 positive reviews and it was delivered the next day. Since its arrival, I’ve used it at least three times a week while I’m watching TV to prevent my neck from seizing up again. It’s kind of amazing. Get one HERE.

Brene Brown’s Atlas of the Heart

Brene Brown’s latest book has totally changed my life because I now can put a name to the emotions I’m feeling and clearly express myself to others. It’s a total game changer. Get it HERE.

Melissa Urban’s Book of Boundaries

My pal Melissa is one of the most direct and compassionate people I know and she’s channeled her superpower into a new book that helps people-pleasing folks like me come up with scripts on how to tell our loved ones not to cross certain lines. It’s easy to read and will motivate you to take action. Get it HERE.

Need more holiday gift ideas?

• Check out my Amazon shopping page here filled with all my favorite things!
• Want to make DIY homemade edible gifts? Check out these tasty ideas!

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Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).

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