When many friends give a meal, this is a Meal Train. Also BBQ chicken and tinfoil potatoes and carrots with a Ceasar salad kit. Meal Train® Plus: Organized support including multiple meals per day, groceries, tasks and more. ) Another great meal was honey baked ham and rolls and sides. This is the service that was best for the meal-only needs of my friend and it’s the easiest calendar to read. I share weekly inspiration for celebrating the seasons and family-friendly meal ideas you'll love. 4. ), and serve to bear the weight of deciding what’s for dinner, and cooking it for a family during an already chaotic, busy, and unpredictable time. These extras are totally optional but for a friend who needs just a little extra special something, consider adding: Knowing I'd be making a steady stream of these Mommy Meals for my playgroup meal train, I got into the habit of keeping these disposable kitchen supplies on hand at all times: The most important tip is to deliver your meal train dinner in 100% disposable containers. Get creative – If everyone makes chili for the Meal Train it will get boring pretty quickly. What’s a Meal Train? Jul 13, 2020 - Dinner delivery to someone who needs a bit of cheer, its not just food - its love and care. When you set up the calendar, you can mention any food allergies or notes from the family (like, maybe grandma will be there visiting one week, so an extra meal will need to be planned, and so on). We call our group Loves and Fishes. I will definitely be doing this for others! Some great ideas but a lot of them not great for nursing mothers. Your thoughtfulness means the world to people who are having a hard time. If the meals before and after your meal are cheesy pasta dishes, steer clear of pasta. Thank you!! our dear friends daughter was in a horrific accident that left her bed ridden unable to walk with more broken bones than whole. I absolutely love this post from Peanut Blossom about 30 Days of Mommy Meals. There are other websites that do something similar (Take Them A Meal, Lotsa Helping Hands, Food Tidings, Meal Baby, etc. Learn More. I made an actual "menu" of meals that i felt i could do well and would transport/reheat easily (always in disposible pans). There are times in our lives when friends and family ask, “What can I do to help out?” The answer is usually to help them with a meal. Create a meal sign up calendar that makes it easy for friends and family to take meals to those in need. Start a Meal Train ® Organize a Free Meal Calendar Now. For scheduling rides, child care, and other services, the organizer pays a $10 fee. Maybe try a rice-based dish. Same idea~ but different occasion~ The perfect way to organize meal giving, for free! Take me back to schedule some meals! It’s never just a meal. Favorite Restaurants & Orders – for those that don't have have time to cook, picking up a meal from a restaurant is a great idea! This was my first experience with a meal train and I’d highly recommend setting one up on mealtrain.com if you want to help a friend, family member, or neighbor out. Plus, she always brought stuff in her dishes so I had to worry about washing/returning. There is a mixture of beef, chicken, and vegetarian meals. I told her that when their daughter could walk again i would stop. I'm a mom to two sweet peanuts and author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids. This helps to avoid repeition of the dinner deliveries. One way to make sure it doesn’t add any pressure is to figure out the details before the baby is born. Leading up to delivery, I ask for an email list of the people they are willing to have on the Meal Train. Thanks so much for this! When Little Pea was born I was blessed with the World's Greatest Playgroup who stepped forward to bring meals for new moms in our group for SIX WHOLE WEEKS. ice cream sandwiches, popsicles, or fudgesicles, hard boiled eggs: great go-to snacks for the whole family the next day, Aluminum casserole pans, bought in bulk at Costco: I use them for baking the casseroles and as a delivery system for meals with lots of pieces, Disposable storage containers in various sizes, A roll of masking tape: for marking food with baking instructions, storage tips, and the date so the recipient can figure out the expiration date. While anything is appreciated, a few simple extras like a salad (can be a bagged salad kit), corresponding side(s), dessert, and drinks to accompany your meal really makes for a stress-free dinner experience. This one also holds up well in the fridge. […] la encontré AQUÍ y para [email protected] que quieran más recetas y consejos para mamás con recién nacidos, AQUÍ encontrarán una publicación muy interesante para organizarse con la comida esos primeros […], […] The Peanut Blossom:  30 Days of Mommy Meals […], […] such great ideas to take to people even if not going through hard times…new babies, elderly, busy, lots of reasons to bless families with a planned meal. IMPORTANT: We are recommending all Meal Trains utilize Restaurant or "Contact-Free" delivery when providing support during COVID-19. I love to celebrate the seasons and make time for monthly book club fun. A meal train is a way to organize who can bring the family dinners and when. So, keep up the food trains, people! It makes the baby pretty gassy and more prone to spit up. Make ahead breakfast burritos are magic on busy mornings, The only homemade chicken soup you need this flu season, All the meal train ideas you need to bring the best dinner ever. Extra thoughtful touch: If you know the family is going through an especially trying time, you might even consider delivering a pretty package of disposable plates and utensils to give them a night off from dishes. What is A Meal Train. It was great for lunches or snacks or a light dinner. Setting up a meal train ensures that your loved one is fed and helped out during their difficult time. I'm a preschool teacher with LOTS of babies being born in these sweet families. in the kitchen cranking out meals to be stored in our freezer and reheated in the oven whenever the need arose. I'd like to receive the free email course. If the meal train covers only certain days of the week (i.e., Monday, Wednesday, Friday), consider making enough food for leftovers to be enjoyed the following day. You see, these meal trains are never the please place your meal in the cooler on the front porch variety. If a recipe yields 4 servings, I know that it’ll feed each of us for dinner, and then me for lunch the following day. Instead, the it-takes-a-village mentality was in full swing and people would drop food off with their neighbors. There are so many easy things they can make with the left over chicken the next day that doesn't feel like you're having the same meal again ... sandwiches, tacos etc. You’ll need to ask a few questions so that you can customize the meal train to her family’s needs – we recommend asking about the following: After the initial 5-10 minute meal train set up, you’ll need to spread the word either via email or sharing on social media (with mama’s permission, of course). Lots of moms responded to my question and said they got a lot of pasta. The best book club picks for 2021 for busy women who want FUN books. After a couple of months my friend said i could stop. I use a chicken recipe. P.S. Thanks so much for your advice and help on this post. Pack your meal in containers that are recyclable, or that you don’t mind giving away. There’s definitely something to be said for freezer meals and the mental load they take off of a new mom. Is there a chart on some website or a link with different meals and how long to freeze? For families with new babies, schedule the meal train to start about 2 weeks after baby comes. Beyond growing families, we’ve contributed during deployments and illnesses, too. Apr 16, 2019 - It is customary in my church community to organize a calendar of meals for various occasions. Oh and I'll be trying some of those recipes for myself! Don’t expect to stay long. At any given meal, my husband eats twice the amount that I eat. Be sure the recipient is honest and open about what doesn't go over well with her family. Your perspective is so well-thought out, and helpful! Include the extras! If you’re not familar, meal trains are calendars that coordinate meals for our loved ones, usually when they’re going through a life change. Favorite Meals – are there any particular meals the new parent would love? It was wonderful! Don’t be afraid to bring the flavor! Don’t feel like you have to bring a homemade meal. Another popular dish that apparently gets prepared a lot is lasagna. I love this list! Meal Train®: Organized meal giving around a significant life event. The absolute easiest and most organized way to set up a meal train is through a meal train website: Meal Train, Give in Kind, and Take Them a Meal are all great user-friendly options. Clearly label. Meal Scheduling Recipes Send Them A Meal Our Blog Help Contact Us. I just had my second baby, and a friend of mine made freezer meals for me: 2 soups, meatballs, a casserole, and frozen cookie dough. She also brought a jar of homemade strawberry freezer jam which was the trigger for my passion for making it myself every year since. Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole, Dark Chocolate Bark with Strawberries and Pretzels, Ep. Pasta Bake with Spinach and Sausage – YUM! If you are a friend or family member of parents with a new baby, and you haven’t seen a meal train going around for their family, offer to set one up for them. Thanks, mom! Don’t let a busy schedule or a lack of confidence in your cooking ability deter you from participating in a loved one’s meal train. Create a customized online sign up sheet that makes it easy for friends and family to take meals to those in need. I don't know how the meal will last in the freezer or how long they need to thaw it out and reheat it. It's our go to anytime a friend has a baby, a loved one gets sick, or just needs extra meals just because!! Generations before us have participated in similar things, they just didn’t have the snappy name, email sign-ups, or virtual calendars keeping track of everything. Absolutely no assembly or serving required and the disposable dishes and forks went right into the trash after dinner. It was a huge blessing! They want to ask you 432904532466 questions. If it’s not, either bring something different for the kids (quesadillas, traditional or peanut butter and jelly are always a hit), or adjust your plan altogether. When I was in bed after having my last it was really a blessing to get two meals sent in especially as we had just received an eviction notice and I was under a lot of stress trying to recover and worrying at the same time. . A couple of my favorites to bring are french dips, bag a chips, watermelon wedges. You can find our full affiliate disclaimer here. This is by far the BEST post I've read on meals for families. You want to deliver a meal that mostly just needs final assembly on a plate. Three meal days a week. Best days/times for meal drop off – make sure you are working around the family's schedule for drop-offs. 1 can cream of mushroom, 1 can of cream of chicken, one can cream of celery, uncooked chicken tenders (not breaded just raw or frozen). The absolute easiest and most organized way to set up a meal train is through a meal train website: Meal Train, Give in Kind, and Take Them a Meal are all great user-friendly options. RECIPIENT LAST NAME. You can provide meals or gift cards to your loved one’s favorite restaurants and drop them at the door or send them by mail. One date with multiple people signing up. They had enough on their plates that they did not feel that they needed to make "small talk". mealtrain.com is a free meal calendar tool that makes planning meals among a … Just a suggestion. Unless you are famous for your cookies or brownies, I really recommend surprising the family with something more unique for your meal train dessert. Getting a healthy, homemade dinner on the table shouldn’t be so hard and I LOVE helping to solve this problem with easy recipes, meal prep tips, nutrition science, and healthy lifestyle tips. Schedule for a couple of weeks after postpartum. With all of the additional visitors, this was an absolute blessing. Announce the meal you'll contribute to the meal train: Be sure everyone that signs up on the meal train website labels their day with the name of the meal they will be bringing. When my father died 20 years ago, one of our family friends that did not cook brought a large set of disposable plates, napkins, cutlery and cups. Veggie tray with simple sour cream dip mixed with seasoning: this is great because it can be used for snacks the nextday as well, frozen steamer bags of veggies: this lets the family store it for later if they already have too much salad they are trying to eat up, any fresh fruit: already washed and prepped for eating (I remember nearly crying with joy over a bag of clean, cut strawberries). What are other people bringing the week that you’re signed up? I’ll […], […] Need some more ideas? I love to bundle it up as a special breakfast treat or a unique side dish with the dinner we bring. THANK YOU for sharing! Side dishes are a perfect opportunity to make your meal train delivery shine. I’m Cassy Joy Garcia, a certified holistic nutritionist, author, and professional home cook. Soups with a loaf of home made bread are awesome, especially in winter, you can portion out some of it into a quart freezer bag for her to freeze and use for lunch later when the chaos (and help) are fizzling out. It has great ideas for meals (recipes included) and great tips to make sure that meal delivery […], […] between people. Many good tips here! Love these ideas. That's the part that always stresses me out. I think Meal Train is a fabulous tool because it really takes the pressure off of the couple receiving meals. If you take some muffins, a box of cereal, gallon of milk, juice,loaf of bread, snacks, some basics....you'll be helping with the other little ones who have to get off to school and need something to eat. This allowed for the recipient to be completely covered and always knowing what to expect from her meal delivery. We recently received 2 weeks of meals while my dad was in hospice care, and after 4 nights in a row of pasta and salad, we almost kissed the person who brought meatloaf and baked regular and sweet potatoes and green beans! Meal Train | Meal Calendar for New Parents, Surgery ... mealtrain.com Meal Train. And it was fun to have friends come by and see the baby! They always call and ask for the recipe. Enter your email address below to download the printable shopping lists for each week of the Cook Once, Eat All Week book! One of my favorite meals to take is a rotisserie chicken, a loaf of french bread and a green salad. Some of these I learned the hard way, and my perspective on taking meals to new moms naturally changed quite a bit after I had my daughter. Look at the meal train calendar. Notice a week worth of pasta before your date? I also got tired of caserolly things last time I had a baby, and cut up fresh fruit and veggies was a welcome change! With just a tiny bit of extra effort, this dish gives you the chance to show you really cared enough about the details of the meal to make it tasty. Here are 29 meal train ideas to get you started. LOVE them! Today I'm sharing those lessons in this "The Ultimate Meal Train Ideas List" in hopes that it makes that task easier for you and tastier for the recipient. It was the act of taking care of my family when I absolutely couldn't. Go in with the expectation of a quick drop-off, and if mama invites you into chat and meet the baby, count that as a bonus! I don’t know about you, but when our girl was just a few weeks old, she was in my arms from about 5pm until bedtime (hello, witching hour! I will definitely be coming back to this next time a friend of mine has a baby. And a nice change from yet another pan of lasagna. When a loved one is going through a challenging time—maybe they’ve had a baby or experienced a loss in the family—it’s common to bring them a meal. I think this blog is excellent. My mother in law came and stayed with us for about a week or so but after that we were on our own with 4 children. Required fields are marked *. If you decide to go the homemade route for all, or part, of your meal, these are some delicious, easy (for both the cook and new mama) meal ideas: 3 Greens Refrigerator Salad – this salad is made with sturdy greens that will last in the fridge for days – a huge bonus! Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette – a hearty, fall-inspired salad that the whole family will love! I felt bad having anything go to waist since our friends had lovingly made it all. These are fabulous ideas! I love these suggestions! It was the best gift during those early weeks with Skyler. Suggestions. If you're looking for even more ideas and recipes, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter! One meal from one person per day. Does your playgroup or church have a mommy meals or meal train program? The link on pinterest was not accurate so I went and found the right one–go read more here. If you are not familiar with mealtrain.com it is a web site that allows you to create an online meal sign up for a family or person in need. Leave a note in the comments and add to the resource! THANK YOU. A meal train is a list of scheduled days different people bring a meal (typically dinner) to a family facing a hard time. The meals-only service is free. https://www.allrecipes.com/article/meals-to-bring-to-neighbors-in-need The list below does feature some pasta and some casseroles, because that's just tasty stuff! Your email address will not be published. Food Tidings rocks!! . When it comes right down to it, remember this: the gesture of taking the time out of your day to bring a tired new mama and her family dinner (takeout or homemade) is one of the most practical ways that you can show your love, and is more appreciated than you know. . The same can be said for dinner brought through a meal train; not having to think about cooking, or break the bank ordering out for those first weeks and months is something that every new mama deserves! Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole – if you’re looking for a meal that puts a different spin on casserole, this is it. But, everyone wants to help. Success! I have to tell you, I have a friend who would bring meals over at the drop of a hat. 26 weeks of gluten-free, affordable meal prep to preserve your time + sanity. We used Care Calendar but there are lots of free meal train web site options out there: Sign Up Genius; Take Them a Meal; Meal Train; 2. It seemed that she was doing it to be recognized for doing it - the occasions that she brought the meals were not dire enough to warrant the mel delivery... kind of made me wonder "how sick IS my mom really?" Meal Train Plus. Dark Chocolate Bark with Strawberries and Pretzels – this bark is super easy, and the perfect combination of rich, salty, tangy, and sweet. There was lots of yummy homemade dishes and sides. Meal Train Side dishes: Alternatives to a bag of salad mix. If you don’t know, then you should definitely ask. The main benefit of this site is it requires no registration. It was another 6 weeks from then and for our last meal our family and their family ate our "last supper" together (the only time). Make sure that you are mindful of who will be enjoying your meal, and plan accordingly. And to the ladies of my Book Club who extended those 6 weeks with another week and half with the meals you brought.And lastly to my friend Kristina, who knows way more about mommy meals than I ever wish she did. Right now with COVID-19 restrictions in many states, it is worth checking in with the parents to see if they are accepting visitors. Yes, 6 entire weeks of post-baby bliss where I could focus solely on Little Pea and some health stresses that came with her delivery and not have to give a passing thought about what would be hitting the dinner table at night. Just be sure to wash and prep/chop everything you possibly can. Most people have family in and out of town for those first couple of weeks, so meals are typically covered. Meal Train Desserts: beyond chocolate chip cookies & brownies. One thing we do is to ask the family what local takeout places they prefer. If you know baby typically nurses between 5:00 and 5:30, don’t schedule that as your delivery time. This post from Peanut Blossom is chock full of wonderful meal ideas, organization and tips for making and bringing meal. I wanted to see how to get involved to help somehow. Then my friends arrived bearing truly creative meal train ideas. Ask about meal train food preferences and aversions: Before you and your friends cook the first meal, have the meal train organizer interview the family about dietary restrictions and food preferences once and then label the meal calendar clearly so that everyone knows how to respect their wishes. I hope I can help others who may be in this situation and don't really want to bother others to ask for the help they need. It’s a good idea to ask about special diets or favorite foods and practice proper hygiene and distancing when delivering. Meal trains–when somebody organizes a month or two worth of meals to be delivered to a family–isn’t anything new. It also allows them to be home for an extended period of time. This is lovely! Your email address will not be published. Even gave me a few more good ideas to add tho my list! I also sometimes include stuff for breakfast the next morning, or you can do a breakfast for dinner by making mini pancake muffins (pioneer woman), fruit, and all the fixins especially if they have little ones. I realized how wonderful a wide variety of dinners can be after a few too many nights of pasta-themed dishes. Nothing on this meal train list requires more than a simple reheating, popping in the oven to bake, or a simple boiling of water for noodles. But her favorite dinner was from a friend who didn't cook and brought chicken tenders, potato wedges, salad, rolls and chocolate pie from a local deli/grocery store that she loved!!! Healing Chicken Soup – Perfect for recovery from birth or surgery, this soup is loaded with nutrient-dense foods like ginger, turmeric, and kale and is so satisfying! Whether you’re the giver or the receiver, we hope this meal train guide serves as a resource that you’ll come back to time and time again! Enter your email address below... SEARCH . I can't tell you how often it was that I couldn't remember whose dish I had. You then email that sign up out to all the people that would like to help the family. I just found this through Pintrest. Maybe they’re grieving over the loss of a parent so they can’t cook for themselves. Have a great day! How to Create a Meal Train (From mealtrain.com) Identify a friend who could use a little support and enter their name, email address, and where to drop off meals.