Meal kit delivery gifts offer great pet loss grief support
For however long they are part of our lives, our pets are sources of unconditional love and joy. Sadly, the day comes all too soon when we need to say good-bye to our beautiful fur babies, knowing that they’ll wait for us just over the rainbow bridge.
When a pet dies, self-care often goes out the window as we strive to deal with the emotional anguish. When a human dies, we are surrounded by friends and others who want to help. They fill the fridge with prepared meals so that the family can deal with their grief. But that isn't always the case when a pet dies. Wouldn’t it be nice if we did the same for our friends who are under the emotional and physical strain of grief related to pet loss? Offering to bring over food - or better yet, setting up a meal kit delivery service for a time may be one of the best gifts you can give. We'll guide you through how to avoid the pitfalls of inappropriate sympathy gift giving with these tips on how best to support a someone in pet loss with healthy food offerings.
Meal Kits are a Wonderful Sympathy Gift During Pet Loss
For pet owners, caring for a sick pet and then dealing with a loss can be incredibly taxing - emotionally and physically. If organizing meals for your grieving friend isn't practical, a meal delivery service may be a perfect way to provide ongoing pet grief support without having to do all of the cooking yourself.
This is a LOT easier than you think - and this list of the more popular options on the market will seriously simplify which one you choose.
BIue Apron
This service delivers fresh, healthy ingredients in the exact proportions needed to cook a delicious meal.
$ per meal: Starts at $8.99 serving
Pros: Recipes are based on farm fresh seasonal produce, hormone-free meat, sustainable seafood. There are even global recipes, such as fresh ramen noodles.
Concerns: The company cannot guarantee cross contamination with allergens during manufacturing process.
Vegetarian/Vegan options: Yes
Eco packaging: Deliveries come in refrigerated boxes with insulated linings. No information is available on recyclability.
Hello Fresh
This service offers convenient meal kits delivered right to the door with all of the ingredients needed to whip up tasty dinners.
$ per meal: Starts at $8.74 serving
Pros: Plans include customizable menus. The family plan includes kid-friendly menu options such as cheeseburgers. Recipe cards are easy to follow.
Vegetarian/Vegan options: Yes
Eco packaging: Cardboard boxes are made from recycled and virgin materials with fully recyclable liners.
Plated
This service delivers farm-to-door fresh ingredients for diverse recipe options that answer the question of what’s for dinner.
$ per meal: Starts at $9.95 serving
Pros: The recipes are broken down into simple steps that are easy to follow for cooks at any skill level. It's easy to change delivery options such as dates and serving numbers per meal.
Cons: Price per meal is among the most expensive of the meal kit options.
Vegetarian/Vegan options: Yes
Eco packaging: Delivery boxes are made of jute, a compostable liner made of 100% recycled materials, and non-toxic, non-hazardous gel packs for cooling.
Chef’D
This service provides home delivery of ingredients to create culinary delights based on highly-personalized needs.
$ per meal: Starts at $9 serving
Pros: There are a variety of personalized plans to choose from based on such options such as Atkins Diet, American Diabetes Association, Weight Watchers, and more.
Cons: Some meal options are not as filling or flavourful as others.
Vegetarian/Vegan options: Yes
Eco packaging: Insulated containers are used for delivery. No information on recyclability of packaging.
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Remember while meal kit delivery prices might be higher than supermarket prices, they do save significant prep time, shopping time, and waste. For someone who is caring for sick animals or is struggling to recover from grief of losing a pet, meal kits can make a huge difference. Consider this a thoughtful gift to help someone take care of themselves (avoid grief-related weight gain) when they need it most. But I'd love to hear other creative ways to provide food for those going through pet loss - share yours here.
Image: Brooke Lark & Brooke Lark
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Health Disclaimer: I’m passionate about wellbeing and health but I’m not a medical professional, nor am I a licensed therapist. Any content you read on this site is intended for inspiration and for information only – by not means am I providing medical advice. Please consult your certified professional for personalized recommendations on the mental health or physical health ideas I write about.