Thanksgiving is over and the time for holiday shopping has started for foodists everywhere. Each year I compile a list of my favorite foodist gadgets and obsessions.

This year I have been all about learning, and have spent an extraordinary amount of time reading, listening to audiobooks, and taking online courses. The stuff listed here is more food and health centric, but I’ve been reading a ton of psychology and self-help as well.

I’ve also discovered a few new favorite toys that would make excellent stocking stuffers. Plus there’s some old standbys that no foodist should live without.

Happy Holidays!

Summer Tomato Holiday Wish List 2014

1. Lose Weight Without Dieting with Darya Rose on CreativeLive $99 (moving to $149 at the end of the day)

I’m extremely proud of this 3-day course I put together for CreativeLive this year. It was an absolute pleasure working with students and helping them upgrade their healthstyle in front of a live studio audience.

Bonus extended: until the end of the day Christmas the course is available for only $99. I think CreativeLive courses are already some of the best deals on the internet, so a discount like this is a no-brainer.

Another of my favorite courses this year was Master Your People Skills by Vanessa Van Edwards.

2. Nomiku sous vide machine $299

Not sure why it took me so long to jump on the Nomiku bandwagon, but this is by far the best home sous vide machine available.

Invented by a physicist and foodie husband and wife team, Nomiku allows you to turn any pot in your house into a sous vide circulator and mimic the best cooking techniques of restaurants.

Sous vide is probably the #1 thing you can use to take your cooking skills to the next level.

If you’re serious about it, you should also probably get a vacuum sealer to use with it. Here’s my fave: FoodSaver vacuum sealer $63

3. bkr water bottle $30

I discovered these gorgeous glass bkr water bottles a few months ago and am totally obsessed. They come in the most beautiful colors and have a simple, foolproof design. I loved my 500 ml bottle so much, I also purchased a larger 1L bottle to use at home.

4. Audible audiobook subscription $14.95/mo

I am a total audiobook junkie and think it is the absolute best thing you can do with your brain during down time such as your commute, during your work out, or waiting to pick up your kids from school.

Audible is a monthly subscription, so you get one new book every month for this incredibly great price (audiobooks can get really expensive otherwise). If you’re a new subscriber you can also get your first book (maybe Foodist?––I read it myself) for free.

Some of my other favorite audiobooks I discovered this year include: The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, Antifragile by Nassim Taleb, Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn, and Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.

5. Rancho Gordo heirloom beans (5 pack sampler) $29

Those of you who’ve been reading Summer Tomato for awhile know that Rancho Gordo beans changed my life. They were even the most popular part of my Thanksgiving menu! (I’m not a stuffing and mashed potatoes kinda girl).

Imagine my delight when I found out you can get them on Amazon. Hallelujah!

6. Fitbit One $94

People are always asking me if Fitbit is still my favorite activity tracker and my answer is a resounding YES. I’ve gone through a few over the years (stupid washing machine), but when one breaks I don’t hesitate to get a new one immediately.

I consider my Fitbit One, which I can easily conceal in  my undergarments (I don’t like the bulky wrist bracelets) to be indispensable to my healthstyle.

7. Foodist $29

If you haven’t read my book Foodist: Using Real Food and Real Science to Lose Weight Without Dieting yet I’m incredibly disappointed in you. Just kidding 😉

Seriously though, it really is the cheapest and easiest guide to getting healthy you’re likely to find and it has changed thousands of people’s lives. It also has over 60 5-star reviews on Amazon.

8. Mercado farmers market bag $19

For those of you who don’t know, a few years back I worked with a company called Quirky to create a farmers market bag that would let you get all your delicate farmers market produce home without bruises. It works AMAZINGLY, and I bring two with me to the market every week.

It was even one of the gifts at the TED Conference a few years ago.

For some reason though, Quirky seems to have stopped production. I’m not sure why, since it was selling well and according to the reviews people love it.

My request to you is if you’d still like a Mercado bag go onto their site and leave a comment for them to make them available again. If enough people ask, maybe they’ll reconsider.

In the meantime if you’d still really love to have one, email me personally and we can try to work something out. I have a few stashed for emergencies.

Thanks as always for your support and happy shopping!