Everyone knows the best part of December: candy canes, caroling, and cookies. But even though holiday season is the best time of the year, it can also be pretty stressful. Deciding what to give as a gift to a new buddy or someone you’ve known forever is just plain difficult. But if your friends happen to be foodies, you’re in luck. Food magazine subscriptions are the perfect gift: they come all year long, are filled with delicious recipes, and can be tailored to individual preferences.
Since it’s an ingenious way to show your friends a little extra attention, you want to make sure that you pick the right magazine. If you don’t, then you’ll be forced to hear about it at least once every month. Trust me.
So fear not — here’s a round-up of the best food magazines for every type of friend out there. This way, you can make a quick (and cheap) purchase to become the best gift-giver in your whole squad.
For the all-around foodie: Saveur
Sometimes you just really need to appreciate food for all that it is. Saveur is perfect for those no-frills people in search of a magazine with real quality. From ethnic dishes to childhood classics, anybody’s tastes will be satisfied. You honestly can’t go wrong here.
For the vegetarian: Vegetarian Times
Vegetarianism is all the rage right now, but a lot of food magazines still trend on the meat-heavy side. Give your veggie friends some love with Vegetarian Times, which is full of seasonal recipes with a meatless flair. Just take note — most of the recipes in this magazine contain dairy and/or eggs, so it’s not the best option for vegans.
For the vegan: VegNews
This is the best option for vegans. VegNews is completely free of meat, dairy, eggs, and all other animal products. It’s nice to tell your vegan friends that you value their opinions and respect their dietary decisions. What better way can you do this than by providing them with the best cruelty-free recipes and product reviews on the newsstand?
For the clean-eater: Clean Eating
Clean-eaters strive to eliminate food additives and processed products from their diet of nutritious whole foods. Most of the time, recipes will call for at least one “unclean” ingredient. With this magazine, your friend won’t have to stress about finding wholesome, yet tasty, meals any longer.
For the environmentalist: Eating Well
This magazine tackles a broader meaning of “healthiness” than some of the more specific options out there. Eating Well highlights how certain kinds of food affect the body, how it ends up on our plate, and how its production changes the world around us. This magazine will help you be more conscious of both the environment and your own body rather than making sure you stick to a set of rules.
For the dieter: Cooking Light
If someone you know is looking to shed some pounds or lighten up their diet, Cooking Light is the way to go. Instead of eliminating important food groups, like carbs or fats, this magazine features balanced recipes with an overall lower calorie count. But don’t worry, there aren’t any plain chicken breasts here. These recipes are just as delicious as some of their calorie-bomb counterparts, so you can feast and leave the guilt behind together.
For the one with all the allergies: Gluten Free & More
From Living Without, this magazine specializes in recipes that are free of common food allergens. Your dairy-free, gluten-free, food-sensitive friends will appreciate being able to make some bomb goodies without stressing over their allergies.
For the diabetic: Diabetes Forecast
With 29 million Americans suffering from diabetes, it’s no fair to leave them out of all the subscription fun. Diabetes Forecast comes directly from the American Diabetes Association to provide tasty low-carb meals, health advice, and product reviews to help those living with this disease.
For the southerner: Southern Living
Ease your southern friend’s homesickness with this classic magazine filled with comfort foods, lavish decorating tips, and the southern charm you can’t find anywhere else.
For the one with kids: Family Circle
We all know that one friend who already seems to have their whole life together. Lend them a hand with their family dynamic by giving a subscription to Family Circle. They’ll receive kid-friendly recipes and advice to make every day just a little easier. Now you can feel better about refusing to babysit on Friday night… again.
For the traveller: Food & Wine
This subscription will help fulfill anyone’s wanderlust… or make it worse; but hey, it’s a cool magazine nevertheless. You’ll feel like Andrew Zimmern after reading just one issue with all of its worldwide cultural influence. It also doesn’t hurt that Food & Wine is a renowned classic with tons of trendy recipes and their own freakin’ festival.
For the minimalist: Cook’s Illustrated
Cook’s Illustrated is stuffed with recipes accompanied by beautiful matching illustrations. While this magazines sticks to the basics, it happens to do them extremely well. It’s a great option for friends who appreciate the artistic side of cooking while reveling in the simpler things.
Now that you know what to give your friends this holiday season, act quick — most of these food magazines have special deals going on right now. You’ll impress yourself and your friends with such a thoughtful gift that keeps them thankful all year long.