A Healthy Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day is this Sunday, and if you’re like me, you still have no idea what to get your dad. My go-to gift for my dad is a restaurant gift card or a collection of his favorite sweets. While my dad loves these gifts, they are unfortunately not the healthiest options. To help avoid that problem this year, I put together this list of healthy Father’s Day gift ideas. Whatever your father’s interests, this list is the perfect guide to choosing a gift that promotes an active and healthy lifestyle.

For the Active Dad

If you have an active dad who’s into sports and/or exercise, here are some ideas for gifts that will keep him moving:

• Golf clubs, fishing poles or other equipment related to his sport
  

  Photo by Scott Ableman / CC BY-ND

• New running shoes
• Camping gear
• Weights
• Pedometer
• Waterproof watch
• New gym bag
• A nice water bottle
• A gym membership or personal trainer sessions

For the Foodie Dad

If your dad enjoys cooking almost as much as he enjoys eating, try giving him one of these gifts to encourage healthier eating:

• A new grill
• A food steamer
• A juicer, to make juice without the added sugar
• A gift basket full of healthy snacks, such as nuts, trail mix, etc.
• Cooking classes
• Healthy cookbooks

For the Productive Dad

If your dad spends most of his time at the office, ergonomic office equipment is available to improve health while sitting at a desk. Here are some gift ideas for the dad who loves to work:

• A new chair with good back support
• Ergonomic keyboard
• Ergonomic mouse or mouse pad
• Lunch box, to encourage homemade lunches instead of eating out

For the Intellectual Dad

For dads who are thinkers, try one of these gifts to help stretch his mind:

• A Lumosity subscription
• A book of puzzles and mind-benders
• Subscription to a health/nutrition magazine
• Books about health or nutrition

For the Relaxed Dad

Photo by Dale Moore / CC BY-ND

For a hard-working dad who needs to get a good night’s sleep:

• A high quality or anti-snore pillow
• Humidifier
• Sound soother/white noise machine

For the Fun-Loving Dad

For the dad who just loves to have fun:

• A video game that promotes fitness, such as Wii Sports or Just Dance
• A board game that gets you moving, such as Cranium, Quelf or Guesstures
• Take him out for a night of bowling, mini golf, laser tag, paintball, rock climbing or another fun, active activity

Other Healthy Gift Ideas

If none of the above categories fits your dad, try one of these other gift ideas that help promote a healthy and active lifestyle:

• Gardening equipment
• Toolbox/tools
• Gift card to a healthy restaurant or health food store
• Or if your dad’s teeth could use a little love, consider getting him a discount dental plan so he can save on that needed dental work

Whatever you end up getting, we hope that you and your family have a fun and safe holiday. And to all the dads out there – Happy Father’s Day!

What did you get your dad for Father’s Day?