Meal Train Tips
- rstinson10
- Mar 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 13
A meal train is a organized way to deliver meals to friends and family who may be recovering from surgery, grieving over the loss of a loved one, or welcoming a new baby. These life events usually involve extra travel, chores or a mental load for anyone who is experiencing them. One very tangible and practical way to help your friends and family is to deliver a home cooked meal to them.
I have been on the giving and receiving end of meal trains over the years. Here are some tips I would like to share if you are considering being a part of one soon.
Setting it up
If you know someone who can benefit from a home cooked meal, you can start by setting it up. If you need an online way of organizing meals between multiple providers, Mealtrain.org is a website that helps you organize meal deliveries, but an email can work just as well. It is easy for people to sign up for time slots and list what they are brining. If you feel like you could benefit from a meal train you can also create it yourself.
Ask if the person has food allergies or aversions
Include any other help they might need; folding laundry, walk the dog, taking out the trash.
Avoid including the address of the recipient on public meal train pages. Include a contact phone number and city only so that the meal train can be shared while still protecting the recipient's privacy.
Include a phone number or other preferred way for communication. People offering to bring them food should contact the person directly to arrange a drop off time.
Include how many people they are feeding.
Share the meal train so people can sign up! The recipient can share it with their friends or you, the meal train "coordinator" can share it with their friends. It is up to the family. Also, Ask if you can share it to any moms groups, social media groups etc.
Tips as a giver delivering food
There are many budget friendly meals to bring to people. My favorite has been chicken pot pie. Find a recipe that would work for your family to bring.
Bringing a meal to them is a gift. Don't go halfway.
Do not order Doordash. Part of a meal train is the blessing of a home cooked meal.
Do not bring them frozen meals from your freezer that is still frozen.
Unless they ask for it, do not bring an obviously cheap container of pasta.
Use disposable cookware. You do not want the recipient to have to remember to return your dish in addition to dealing with their circumstance. Dollar tree sells inexpensive metal casserole dishes and inexpensive Tupperware is available everywhere. You could also use dishes from the thrift store.
Communicate with the recipient: on the day of your meal delivery, contact the recipient and arrange a time to bring the dinner over. Ask if they would prefer you to drop off the food or stay and visit. If other things are listed for help, this is a good time to arrange those as well.
Consider signing up for more than one day.
Other ways to love on your friends
Offer to babysit.
Help with chores: pet care, folding laundry, putting away the dishes etc.
Contact them a month or so to see how they are doing.
Buy their baby a gift from their baby registry.
Send them flowers
Visit them.
Send a card in the mail.
Sending a card congratulating them on their new baby, a sympathy card or a get well soon card is are great ways to love on your friends. Get your kids involved in decorating it.
Tips if you are receiving the meal
Be reachable. I know it might be hard when so much is going on, however, your friends will be contacting you arrange drop off times or offering to help you in other ways.
Give directions to your home. Your house might be easy to find; however, maybe it's not. Maybe the directions people normally use on GPS is outdated and will get your friends lost if they try to use it. Maybe your home is in a large apartment complex or you have special parking restrictions.
Be the village too. After this time has passed, reach out to your friends and invite them to coffee, a playdate or a double date in the future.
You are not required to entertain guests during the drop off. If you don't feel up to visiting and chatting, tell your guests that you would just like the food dropped off.
Mail them a thank you card. Your friends (or strangers) are taking time out of their week to cook a meal for you and delivering it to you. It is a blessing. Send them a card thanking them for their gift.
If you are going through grief: Griefshare.org is a support group for those mourning the loss of a loved one.
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