# Anyone used a meal shipping service? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844 "2009-09-28T13:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/1 "2009-09-28T13:44:20Z")
As posted in a Cafe Society thread, we’re trying to help my in-laws with meals (the CS thread is about ideas for stupid-easy stuff my FIL can cook). Another option is to send them prepared meals. We’re 900 miles away so can’t easily pop down there and stock the freezer for them with home-cooked stuff. I’ve used a assemble-it-yourself place called Let’s Dish, the nearest similar place to them is Dream Dinners and that’s 25 miles away from their place, not to mention my FIL would NOT do well at assembling the stuff. Well, I don’t think he would, anyway, even though the process is pretty straightforward. I believe he’d be able to cook such meals himself, though. **Typo Knig** did some googling and found a number of businesses that ship ready-to-eat meals - some of them even offer specific diabetic meals (FIL has Type 2). In general, though, I’d think careful choices of regular prepared meals would do fine, given how FIL typically eats. The services are considerably more expensive however (15-20 dollars for portions for 2 people). Some names are: > **[Freshly Prepared Meals Delivered to Your Door](https://www.magickitchen.com/)** > > Order freshly prepared meals delivered to your door! Magic Kitchen's healthy, delicious frozen meals are quick to prepare & ideal for seniors and busy families. [dinewise.com](http://dinewise.com) > **[Send a Meal, LLC - Official Send a Meal, Prepared Meals Delivered](https://sendameal.com/)** > > Send a Meal offers a wide selection of freshly prepared meals, delivered right to your doorstep. Choose from our variety of healthy, delicious, and convenient options for any occasion. > **[Family Chef ® | Prepared Gourmet Meals, Home Delivered Meals](https://www.familychef.com/)** > > Chef prepared gourmet meals delivered to your home. Meal delivery services include, gourmet meals, diabetic meals, senior meals, weight loss meals and meal plans. Anyone have any experience with these or similar places? Any SE-Floridopers have any recommendations for any local services that might do the same sort of thing? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/2 "2009-09-28T13:59:39Z")
[Seattle Sutton](http://www.seattlesutton.com/) is another option that offers home delivery and specialized meal plans by dietary concerns - I’m not sure if you’ve checked them out already or not. Pricing/availability varies by area, so you’d have to plug their city/ZIP into the website and see what prices come up. ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/3 "2009-09-28T14:03:11Z")
Why not contact Meals On WHeels? [http://www.mealcall.org/meals-on-wheels/fl/index.htm](http://www.mealcall.org/meals-on-wheels/fl/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/4 "2009-09-28T14:25:34Z")
Second the idea to contact Meals on Wheels. While your in-laws may not be poor, their age and health situation may qualify them for the meals. And if not them, can they get meals through a local church? Or perhaps you can even find a reliable person local to them who can make meals and bring them over. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/5 "2009-09-28T19:20:05Z")
[angelfoodministries.org](http://angelfoodministries.org) has a box available every month that includes 10 heat and eat meals for $28.00. You can order more than one box. You go to the website, find the distribution center nearest your in-laws. Your FIL places his order (at the distribution site or online) and then picks it up on delivery day. While I don’t use the “senior box” myself, I do use Angel Food, frequently. There are no income requirements, etc. (you don’t have to be low-income; it is essentially a grocery-buying co-op, usually administered by local churches, though sometimes administered by shelters, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/6 "2009-09-29T14:03:01Z")
You could prepare some meals and freeze them, then just ship them on dry ice. We do this with fish and lobsters from FL and it works out fine, I don’t see why it would be different for some meals that are sealed in vac bags or gladware containers. As long as they are home when the box arrives, they can stick them right into the freezer then heat and eat when they want to. ---
**Author:** ![Polly\_Glot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Polly\_Glot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polly_Glot)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/7 "2009-09-29T20:55:05Z")
I don’t know if they’re in your area but I know they’re in mine (they are in my neighborhood all the time) - [www.schwans.com](http://www.schwans.com). They seem to sell plenty of ready-to-eat meals for less than $5 per serving. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/8 "2009-09-29T21:31:43Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > [angelfoodministries.org](http://angelfoodministries.org) has a box available every month that includes 10 heat and eat meals for $28.00. You can order more than one box. You go to the website, find the distribution center nearest your in-laws. Your FIL places his order (at the distribution site or online) and then picks it up on delivery day. > > While I don’t use the “senior box” myself, I do use Angel Food, frequently. There are no income requirements, etc. (you don’t have to be low-income; it is essentially a grocery-buying co-op, usually administered by local churches, though sometimes administered by shelters, etc.) I use Angel Food for stocking the freezer with meat and veggies, but the “convenience box” meals are terrible. I mean really bad. Schwans is wonderful but quite expensive. I’m sorry I don’t have any positive recommendations! Good Luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/9 "2009-09-29T21:39:02Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I use Angel Food for stocking the freezer with meat and veggies, but the “convenience box” meals are terrible. I mean really bad. > > Schwans is wonderful but quite expensive. > > I’m sorry I don’t have any positive recommendations! Good Luck to you. Wow. I’m sorry to hear that (on behalf of my in-laws, who are getting ‘up there’ in age, and I was wondering about recommending it to them. Like you, I use Angel Food for stocking my freezer and pantry with meat and staples (just about every month I get a “Signature Box” plus a box of whatever meat assortment looks good; last year just before Christmas, they had a _wonderful_ fruit/sausage-like Summer Sausage, etc.-and cheese box; I ordered that and we had cheese, sausage, crackers and fresh fruit for Christmas Eve dinner!) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/10 "2009-09-29T22:04:39Z")
There’s an Angel Food Ministries location (several actually) pretty close to the in-laws - I’ll have to check it out. Maybe not so much for prepared food given that non-recommendation, I fear! Thanks for mentioning Schwann’s - I’ve never purchased from them but I looked and they do indeed deliver to my in-laws’ area. I did find a place called Dream Dinners, which is one of those “go there, assemble it yourself using their instructions” places (I’ve used Let’s Dish near me, which is the same idea) and they’re also pricey, but the food from Let’s Dish was pretty darned good. And for an extra fee, they’ll do the assembly. They’re a bit of a hike from the in-laws, but if a family member is in town visiting, s/he can do the pickup. I thought about shipping stuff to them but I’d be terrified that I did it wrong and the stuff would spoil en route. If I’m the next one to go to visit (likely, as I can work remotely more easily than my husband), I may do some stocking up while there. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-meal-shipping-service/511844/11 "2009-09-30T18:13:04Z")
Another option would be a home-delivery service for groceries. [Garden grocer](http://www.gardengrocer.com/) delivers to Florida, and there may be others, then they could order in frozen meals.