Food basket gifts can be made of anything. The old standby of sausage and cheese is always a favorite, but wine and cheese gift baskets are becoming more and more popular as well. But don’t forget chocolate! Gourmet chocolate gift baskets are a big hit with many people. Besides, research is telling us that a little chocolate gives many of the same health benefits as red wine, so food basket gifts filled with chocolate can only be good for the recipient, right? Just make sure it’s dark chocolate, since that’s the one with all the benefits. (Mmmmm, dark chocolate. . .)

Pick something you know the recipient will enjoy. While most food basket gifts are pre-assembled with a prescribed list, you can always create your gift basket by visiting your favorite store or by buying gourmet foods online, and assembling your own basket. By giving foods that you know your loved ones likes, you can design food basket gifts that will contain everything they enjoy, and not just somethings

And don’t just limit yourself to a one size fits all food basket gift either. Give a theme to your food basket gifts. While sausage and cheese baskets are popular, you can get just about any type of food from any part of the world. If your gift recipient is from a certain part of the world, get food from the ancestral home. Brie and Cabernet for someone from France, smoked Gouda and ontbijtkoek for someone from Holland, smoked herring and Jarlsberg cheese for someone from Norway.

The container for your food basket doesn’t even need to be a real basket. While a basket is lighter and easier to ship, we’ve seen people use galvanized wash tubs, plastic flower pots, terra cotta pots, or even mixing bowls for their food basket gifts. Just keep in mind that some things, like the wash tubs and terra cotta pots weigh a lot more, and the terra cotta may break during shipping. Reserve those types of baskets for gifts you deliver personally.

And don’t limit yourself to just food for your gourmet gift basket. Include some other things the recipient might enjoy. If he or she is a writer, include a nice pen and a leather bound journal. Give a golfer a sleeve of golf balls. For a baseball fan, include an autographed ball, a ball cap from their favorite team, or even a bobblehead doll of their favorite player. A combination food and item basket gives your recipient something to remember and something to nibble on.

Kids would even love food basket gifts if you pack it with the right stuff. Pick a few of their favorite food items, toss in a couple DVDs or small toys, and pack them into one of the non-basket baskets we talked about earlier. Whether it’s a little girl who loves Disney princesses, or a little boy who loves Thomas the Tank Engine, you can create some wonderful gift baskets that will be sure to be a big hit with the little ones in your life.

Finally, make sure you’re careful about any allergies or food issues your food basket gifts recipients might have. Don’t give cheese to someone with lactose intolerance, nuts to someone with peanut allergies, or sausage to vegetarians. It’s the thought that counts, it’s the insensitivity that will be remembered.

You really can’t go wrong with food basket gifts this holiday. They’re easy, convenient, and allow you to create a variety of combinations to please even the most hard-to-please on your holiday gift list.