When a tragic death occurs, it often leaves the household in turmoil. Basic tasks like cleaning and cooking are quickly forgotten by the newly bereaved family. They are just no longer important. For this reason, it has become traditional to provide ready-to-eat or prepared foods as a gesture of sympathy… to not only help take care of the family but to feed the horde of guests that invariably fill the house in times of sorrow. Here we’ll share some pre-made sympathy food gift baskets, as well as ideas for creating your own.
If you can manage it, by all means, send over a casserole or a spaghetti dinner with all the trimmings. Take the time to bake up 3 dozen cookies, muffins, or brownies. Drop off a Honey Bak’d Ham or smoked turkey breast.
But, what about if you live 500 miles away? Then you might consider sending a food sympathy gift basket… a caring and useful show of support that is sure to be appreciated. We present below some carefully selected quality gourmet food baskets.
Sympathy Food Gift Baskets
Fruit Sympathy Basket with Cheese and Nuts
Golden State Fruit Sympathy Basket with Cheese and Nuts
A fruit, nuts, and cheese basket is a thoughtful way to share your condolences.
Filled with assorted fresh fruits that may include pears, apples, oranges, or other available fruits, and combined with gourmet items that may include cheese, crackers, or cookies, this basket will allow the bereaved to just stop by and munch on something from the basket as needed: nothing to prepare or require any deep thought. Just nourishment.
With Sympathy Gift Basket with Snacks
This basket is filled with a variety of gourmet sweets. It may not be the healthiest gift, but it’s definitely comforting food. It will also last longer than the fruit basket above.
The Comfort Basket
If there are kids in the family, make sure to include them in your gift. For them, food might not be as much of a comforter, but a cute, cuddly, soft teddy bear will!
This large sympathy and bereavement gift basket includes:
- a grief journal
- book
- soft teddy bears
- coffee mugs
- coffee
- cocoa
- cookies
- crackers and cheese
- gourmet snack mix
- nuts
More food gift basket ideas for people who lost loved ones
Here are other pre-made gift baskets you can choose from, depending on your recipient.
Sympathy Gift Basket DeluxeGift Basket with Assorted Brownies, Crumb Cakes Rugelach, and Muffins.Wine Country Gift Basket
Homemade Food Sympathy Gift Baskets
If you’d rather make a basket yourself, make sure you use food that lasts more than a few days. The bereaved might not be in the mood to look at or eat from the basket in the first few days after the loss.
Add a collection of all-natural crunchy munchy goodness, sure to bring comfort to those in grief. Add a few items you know they’ll love, including additional snacks, lotions, candles, natural soaps, books, gardening, and home items, and more. See below for more ideas.
Here are some of the best foods to use in a sympathy basket:
- shortbread cookies
- chocolate chip cookies
- pretzels
- smoked salmon
- cheese
- crackers
- veggies chips
- dried apple chips
- fizzy drinks
- soothing herbal teas, like chamomile, berry, or peach
- caramel covered popcorn
- cheddar popcorn
- almond crunch
- gourmet granola bars
- chocolate covered fruit and nuts
If you’re a good baker, you might want to make a basket filled with home-baked goodies. Here are some ideas:
- brownies
- cookies (chocolate chip, oatmeal, macadamia, shortbread, etc.)
- fruit pies
- pastries
- bread (make some simple bread, but you can also add seeds and herbs for added flavor)
- homemade crackers
Other things you could add:
- stuffed animals
- grief journal
- book
- potted herb, like basil or dill (will give them something to care for and enjoy)
- soothing music
- album
- picture frame
- a lavender lotion to soothe them
- grief essential oil – this one is amazing!
- lavender-scented candle
- flower seeds
Did any of these sympathy food gift baskets resonate with you? I hope you found the perfect idea to send your mourning frineds.
Didn’t find the perfect gift on this page?
Try one of these:
Condolence Sympathy Gift Baskets (non-food)
Unique and Unusual Sympathy Gifts
Hopefully, these ideas for sympathy food gift baskets will help you support your bereaved friends.
