College life is a transformative experience, filled with excitement and independence. However, it can also be overwhelming, with demanding workloads and late nights becoming the norm. A care package filled with treats, self-care supplies, and love can provide much-needed support during these times. These packages serve as a reminder of home, offering comfort and a sense of connection.
What is a College Care Package?
A college care package is a box of treats, supplies, and fun items designed to help students navigate the challenges of college life. These packages can be customized to suit the student's needs and preferences, ranging from practical to whimsical. They can be sent by family members, friends, or anyone who wants to show their support. The primary goal of a care package is to alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed or homesick, providing a tangible reminder of care and support.
Considerations Before Sending
Before preparing a care package, it's essential to consider a few factors to ensure the contents are well-received and useful.
Temperature
It's crucial to consider the temperature inside the dorm or apartment. Many older dorms lack air conditioning, making them hot and sticky, even when it's cool outside. Avoid sending chocolates or homemade fudge that might melt. Instead, opt for sturdy cookies and snacks that can withstand the heat.
Student's Preferences
Consider your student's requests and preferences. One daughter's requests for her first college care package included Easy Mac, Goldfish, and cans of Spicy V-8 Juice. Even with dining hall options, having snacks and microwavable foods in their room made it easy to hunker down for intense blocks of studying and work. Packaged foods like these also help students on days when there's no time to buy food between classes.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Ideas for Healthy Care Packages
Putting a fresh twist on healthy gifts can show you care while promoting well-being.
Fresh Fruit
Fruit Bouquets offers alternatives for your health-conscious friends and family. Their Bouquet of Fruits® collection is filled with the seasons freshest fruits, from crisp apples to vibrant oranges and juicy pears. Healthy gift baskets also make great gifts for coworkers, to help replace the office junk food with a healthy alternative. The best part of giving fruit is that it's a healthy gift that everyone can enjoy! From being rich in vitamins to containing powerful antioxidants, there are so many benefits of incorporating fresh fruit into your diet.
Dried Fruit and Nuts
For those who prefer fruits and cheeses over chocolates, collections of fresh fruit gift baskets or dried fruit and nuts gift boxes are perfect for the health-conscious. Send a special treat that they’ll enjoy guilt-free! Our healthy snack gift baskets make the perfect gift for anyone who wants to eat healthier, prefers fruits and cheese over chocolates and sweets, or even those with certain food allergies. We even offer a selection of premium dried fruit and nut gift baskets, if fresh fruits, meats, and cheeses aren’t their thing. And for those with gluten allergies, we also have a selection of gluten-free gift baskets.
Other Healthy Snack Ideas
- Crispy Dark Chocolate Orange Slices: Fresh California oranges dipped in dark chocolate for a snack that’s citrusy sweet, packed with vitamins (thanks to the rinds which are left on), and ready for snacking.
- Rosemary & Sea Salt Pistachios: A reusable tin filled with tasty plant based pistachios snacks that are lightly roasted in rosemary and sea salt.
- Organic Dried Mangos: Sweet and chewy mango slices aren’t just a healthy options gift basket idea, they’re an eco friendly gift thanks to the 100% compostable packaging.
- Poppi A Healthy Sparkling Prebiotic Soda: The natural prebiotics come from unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar and they only use real fresh fruit.
- RXBAR Maple Sea Salt Protein Bar: Features egg whites for protein, dates to bind, and nuts for texture.
More Than Just Food: Non-Food Items
Healthy gift basket ideas don’t have to be limited to food.
Self-Care Items
Include items that promote relaxation and well-being:
Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run
- Daily Hemp Seed Oil Facial Cleanser: Great for all skins (including sensitive!) Effectively removes all traces of dirt, excess oil, and residue.
- Camellia + Pink Lotus Candle and Camellia + Pink Lotus Reed Diffuser: A scented candle or diffuser is just the thing to make the say “Ahhhh.”
Fun and Games
Help students unwind with games to play with friends.
- Send a deck of cards and game ideas-some of our favorite card games are Pitch, Hearts, Thirty-One, and Spoons.
Personal Touches
Throw in magazines, a new book release from a favorite author, a random toy from their bedroom, a cute little stuffy, or handwritten notes from everyone at home.
Practical Items
Pantry Basics
If your student lives in an apartment-style dorm with a kitchen, sending pantry basics is a huge help. If your student has a favorite dish that you always made for them at home, send the recipe along with the shelf-stable ingredients they'll need to put it together.
Health and Wellness
The first time you get sick away from home really stinks! With so many students living together, dining together, and sitting side by side in classes all week long, and… doing other things together, it's inevitable that sickness will spread. It can't hurt to send some Vitamin C supplements like Emergen-C their way as well.
Homemade Treats
Care packages with homemade treats RULE! There's no better way to show how much you care than baking up some tasty treats, especially if they're your student's favorite cookies and snack mixes.
Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution
Gourmet Food Gifts
Send your health-conscious friend, colleague, or employee healthy food gifts from Olive & Cocoa, packed with nutritious, yet delectable snacks delivered with care. Each healthy food basket assortment provides world class snacks that allow them to indulge guilt-free. Artisan healthy food gifts are hand selected with the intention of curating a batch of the most nourishing snacks on the market. There's no shortage of gifts for healthy eaters to choose from here.
Presentation Matters
With a little help from Gemnote you can add packaging, custom labels and cards and more to make the perfect presentation.
Healthy Christmas Gift Basket
During the holiday season, temptations abound with rich foods and indulgent treats, but a healthy Christmas gift basket is a thoughtful way to celebrate while supporting wellness. Think fresh fruit selections like Harry & David’s Royal Riviera® Pears, dried fruit assortments, and premium nut mixes packed with nutrients.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I pick the exact delivery date? Yes. You can select an arrival date at checkout.
- What makes a healthy gift basket a good choice? It’s an easy gift that won’t sit on a shelf.
- What types of healthy gifts are usually included? Expect a mix of fruit, nuts, and other healthy snacks.
- Why would I feel confident sending a healthy gift? Because you don’t have to guess. Every item is lot-tracked and guaranteed to have at least one month of freshness on arrival. Nearly all baskets are assembled and shipped in-house, so quality stays consistent.