You have to let them in. The link on pinterest was not accurate so I went and found the right one–go read more here. Don’t feel like you have to bring a homemade meal. These meals look amazing!!! I have also done little quiches in muffin tins. AND to try new recipes! Bonus points for a dessert that can be frozen and enjoyed in the future if they have too much on hand now. ), don’t forget to prep and deliver those also. These are fabulous ideas! You know who you all are. THANK YOU. Bring a complete meal! Go on. 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. 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. Just be sure to wash and prep/chop everything you possibly can. 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. Maybe try a rice-based dish. Make enough for leftovers. I didn't make any dietary changes while nursing, but many women do. Your thoughtfulness means the world to people who are having a hard time. 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?" Do you have a favorite meal you like to bring to new moms? . But look closely at the list of meal train dinner ideas and you'll find some great unique recipes for mixing in if you find your recipient's calendar has too many noodles. ), 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. I agree about being in tears when a group brought meals for the first weeks after my first was born. Notice a week worth of pasta before your date? Hi! Meal Train Side dishes: Alternatives to a bag of salad mix. With Take Them a Meal and Meal Train, you can typically see what other types of meals have already been taken to the family. Seems everyone has their own special name! Meal Train | Meal Calendar for New Parents, Surgery ... mealtrain.com Meal Train. Many good tips here! While nursing mamas may be sensitive to very spicy foods, moderate spice is usually fine, so don’t be afraid to bring something flavorful. Instead, the it-takes-a-village mentality was in full swing and people would drop food off with their neighbors. This is the area I had the most to learn about the whole concept of mommy meals. 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! Unless you are famous for your cookies or brownies, I really recommend surprising the family with something more unique for your meal train dessert. 1. I always give another suggestion to the moms taking meals...breakfast foods! Same idea~ but different occasion~ But, everyone wants to help. The main benefit of this site is it requires no registration. 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. IMPORTANT: We are recommending all Meal Trains utilize Restaurant or "Contact-Free" delivery when providing support during COVID-19. These are excellent tips! And to the people who said that some are not appropriate for nursing mothers, well, anyone might have a food allergy / food they need to avoid, and I think she covered that in the post (families need to be honest about what they do or don't eat). After a couple of months my friend said i could stop. I am sharing all the details on meal trains, how to coordinate them, and the proper meal train etiquette. What a great gift! I made an actual "menu" of meals that i felt i could do well and would transport/reheat easily (always in disposible pans). 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. The perfect way to organize meal giving, for free! This helped reduce waste and extended the duration of help. Add the uncooked chicken. Just thought I would throw that out there. Three meal days a week. Find a friend's meal schedule by searching below. 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. Favorite Restaurants & Orders – for those that don't have have time to cook, picking up a meal from a restaurant is a great idea! I share weekly inspiration for celebrating the seasons and family-friendly meal ideas you'll love. Don’t be afraid to bring the flavor! Does your playgroup or church have a mommy meals or meal train program? Make sure that you are mindful of who will be enjoying your meal, and plan accordingly. Keeping that in mind, I try to avoid cheesy or cream-based dishes, and I like to take a pint of sorbet for dessert. 195: Baby Making and Beyond with Liz Wolfe, Everything You Need to Know About Collagen. To those of you generous individuals who always take on the task of organizing meal deliveries, Meal Train is a helpful website that makes the entire process much easier. Thank yous can be sent via text, phone call, or snail mail, and are such an easy way to show just how much you appreciate the time, love, and effort that went into each meal! I don't have a care group I join but I work full time and would love to see how to send meals to someone who may need a meal. At any given meal, my husband eats twice the amount that I eat. A meal train is a list of scheduled days different people bring a meal (typically dinner) to a family facing a hard time. I was blessed with the birth of both of my kids to have a church group bring us dinner meals for two weeks. I think this blog is excellent. When my daughter was 8 and just home from a hospital stay, all the neighbors took turns bringing meals. I'd like to receive the free email course. Take Them a Meal is the site I typically go to for setting up a very basic meal calendar for a friend because it’s bare-bones and easy to use. I'm a preschool teacher with LOTS of babies being born in these sweet families. One extra note: Loved when someone would write who prepared the meal on the tape. I also got tired of caserolly things last time I had a baby, and cut up fresh fruit and veggies was a welcome change! Learn More. If you're looking for even more ideas and recipes, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter! While every single crumb of food was appreciated beyond words, I also learned a thing or two on how to make sure the meals I delivered to others were the best they could be. 4. 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. (You want proof? She also included paper towels and toilet paper. Lots of moms responded to my question and said they got a lot of pasta. 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! Restaurant meals or gift cards are also appreciated! Its purpose is to simplify meal coordination so that meals can be taken to friends without the hassle. It also allows them to be home for an extended period of time. What’s a Meal Train? It was wonderful! One date with multiple people signing up. For scheduling rides, child care, and other services, the organizer pays a $10 fee. Found your post via Pinterest. It was not pretty. Include the extras! Food Tidings rocks!! I felt bad having anything go to waist since our friends had lovingly made it all. You then email that sign up out to all the people that would like to help the family. Is their freezer already stocked with casseroles? . Enter your email address below... SEARCH . I usually just send a quick text or call before I finalize dinner plans (hey, what time do you guys usually eat, and do you have any food restrictions? Love these ideas. Thanks for your post, I love these ideas and pinned it for future reference! 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. The family may need a break so keep that in mind when creating. I’ll […], […] Need some more ideas? Whether homemade or bought, the best meals to bring are those that don’t require much, if any, assembly (think: Beef Taco Casserole instead of traditional tacos). Whatever they’re going through, by setting up or contributing to a meal train, you can … This is such a great idea! If you don’t know, then you should definitely ask. Second, and the real problem; I was in no shape to have visitors. It was the act of taking care of my family when I absolutely couldn't. I love to bundle it up as a special breakfast treat or a unique side dish with the dinner we bring. 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. Don’t count on getting your containers back. It makes the thought of taking someone else a dinner at a hectic time of day much more doable. We call our group Loves and Fishes. We have little ones and dads who need to be cared for all day long, not just dinner time. My mom was generous enough to spend a couple of days (prior to baby’s arrival, of course!) I love to celebrate the seasons and make time for monthly book club fun. Made it easy for me to make thank you cards! Learn More. 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. What is A Meal Train. They always call and ask for the recipe. Fast, Easy, and FREE; Get Started in 5 Minutes or Less; We Send the Invitations; Automated Reminder Emails; View A Sample Schedule!