Meal Delivery Services for Kidney Diet Meals

Hungry but tired? Feeling overwhelmed by all the diet restrictions? No time to cook? You may want to consider a meal delivery service. There are several services to choose from that offer kidney-friendly meals. They are low in potassium, phosphorus and sodium. Meals for dialysis patients are high in protein, plus there are variations for lower protein diets for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Each has different options so you can pick the one that works best for you. Let’s review three of these meal delivery services.

Magic Kitchen Meal Delivery

The first option is Magic Kitchen which offers both pre-dialysis and dialysis-friendly meals. Each meal comes with an entrée and one or two sides. You may purchase the meals in an assorted pack or individually, depending on your needs.

The cost of the meals range from $10 to $25 depending on what you order. Shipping is not included, however they offer free delivery to regular customers. The cost of shipping is based on weight and distance the package is shipped. It typically starts at $18 to $20. They will ship anywhere. There are promotions on their website that change weekly so make sure to check that out to help save money. For more information please visit their website at http://www.magickitchen.com/ or call 1-877-516-2442.

Mom’s Meals Meal Delivery

The second option is Mom’s Meals which offers dialysis-friendly meals only. Their renal menu is a bit limited but there are several options for all three meals, and the meals are complete with an entrée and one or two sides along with a snack. Mom’s meals offer meal plans based on the number of meals with options of 7, 10, 14 or 21 meals.

The meals are very affordable, costing $6.99 per meal unless needing puree then it costs $7.99 per meal. The cost of shipping is a flat fee of $14.99 no matter which meal plan you choose and no matter where you live. If you live in more populated areas your meals may be hand delivered by their delivery service. If you live more remotely it will come via FedEx or local carriers. Mom’s meals offers some Medicaid patients benefits. Call for further information at 1-877-508-6667 or visit their website at http://www.momsmeals.com/.

Martha’s Senior Gourmet Meal Delivery

The third option is Martha’s Senior Gourmet which offers renal-friendly meals. If needed other dietary restrictions could be included, such as diabetic or vitamin K modifications. Each meal comes with a protein, starch, vegetable and either a fruit or vegetable salad. Different meal plans are available from 3 to 7 days a week and are based on a 4-week meal plan rotating schedule. Lunch rotates every 2 weeks. Breakfast and dessert menus are also available.

Pricing is based on a 28 day cycle. A pricing chart is available on the website. They also have an option to add another person on to the meal plan. Martha’s Senior Gourmet is only available in certain parts of the country though because the meals are hand delivered. It is available in northern California, Phoenix, Arizona, South Florida and in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. The delivery schedule depends on where you live. Here in South Florida the meals are delivered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 8:30 am to 4 pm.

A nice option that is available is a monitoring report that the delivery personnel complete when they deliver the meals if you request. They note the length of time it took to answer the door, general appearance, any changes in speech pattern, recognition and cognition along with any changes in mobility. The information is then input into a secure online reporting site at the end of the delivery day so family can log into and access the reports. This way family can be alerted if there is a potential problem. Visit their website at http://www.marthasseniorgourmet.com/ which is where you will find the phone number for your area.

The Best Option

As you can see all three services offer different options for prepared meal delivery. Every person and family has different needs so make sure you weigh the pros and cons of each meal service so you can choose the best option.

In addition, other meal programs like Meals on Wheels or locally sponsored programs may offer home delivery meals for renal diets. Ask your dietitian or social worker for resources in your area.

Using a meal delivery service can be helpful to patients who have limited ability to prepare their own meals. In addition, for dialysis patients who work, delivered meals can help provide a quick meal that meets the renal diet requirements. Working patients can find additional resources on DaVita.com. Download this helpful getting back to work patient guide if you are considering going back to work after starting dialysis.