Some of the most popular Christmas stocking stuffers are chocolates and candy. Unfortunately, these often-gifted items aren’t very healthy. To keep Christmas morning fun, while making it a little healthier, consider switching things up and adding other fun or tasty items like toys, fruits, and nuts.
Small toys fit nicely into a stocking and can be a lot of fun on Christmas morning. For small children, think about adding toys like stuffed animals, Play-Doh, stickers, coloring books and crayons, or small Lego sets. For older children and adults, consider adding gift cards, Christmas ornaments, CDs, DVDs, or jewelry. For an added bit of excitement, wrap some of the gifts before putting them into the stocking.
Certain types of fruit also make for a nice addition to any stocking. Just be cautious about which types you choose, because not all types of fruit are durable enough to survive an excited Christmas morning stocking rummage intact. Some good choices include mandarin oranges, apples, and pomegranates.
Nuts are another fun food item that can easily be added to Christmas stockings. Better yet, an assortment of different types of shelled nuts are always fun once the children are old enough to use a nutcracker. Consider adding a nutcracker to each stocking and be sure to provide a place for the cracked nut shells. For obvious reasons, nuts should not be added to any stocking when there is a chance that the recipient might be allergic.
Stockings are a fun part of any Christmas, but unfortunately, not the healthiest part of the holiday season. Hopefully, by using some of these suggestions, you and your family will still be able to enjoy all the cheer that comes from opening a Christmas stocking, while knowing that you are free to have fun and indulge in these healthier stocking stuffer choices.
