Meal trains are one of the best ways you can show support for a family with a newborn. Oftentimes, new moms and dads are so busy that it takes all their extra time just to eat a quick meal much less cook something or run to the nearest McDonald’s. A meal train provides lunch/dinner for a family for a week or longer, depending on how many individuals can participate. Typically one person is in charge of organizing the event to make sure no two people are delivering food on the same day.
Landon and I were blessed with a phenomenal food train provided by our Sunday School class. It truly was the biggest blessing. If you are able to put together meals for a family in your life, do it! Even if it’s not an entire meal train, something for dinner those first few nights makes a world of difference.
During our meal train, there were definitely a few things that stuck out to me, and I wanted to share them with you!
Try to make something that reheats very well. We never ate an entire dish in one sitting. We rarely ate it in two! Not only were we eating tons of leftovers, some days food would be dropped off, and we couldn’t stop everything to eat. We had to reheat it an hour or two later.
Bring a drink with the meal. While this isn’t a necessity, boy is it nice! Whether it’s a gallon of tea, a pack of canned cokes, or a case of bottled water, this extra gesture is well received.
Leave recipe cards with the dish. We had someone do this for us, and I’m so glad they did! I had never made approximately half of the dishes we received, and they were delicious. I’m so glad I can recreate them. This also lets the family know what all ingredients are included in case there is a food allergy.
Ask about food allergies/preferences. This should go without saying, but I thought I would add it just to cover my bases.
Don’t have everyone bring dessert. If you’re organizing a meal train, ask for some people to bring homemade desserts while others bring fresh fruit or prepackaged snack cakes. If five or so people bring desserts within a week, it’s nearly impossible to eat them all.
Avoid bringing food two days in a row. Unless the family is rather large, they will likely be unable to eat all the food provided in a single day. Try and skip every other day to ensure nothing goes to waste.
Bring a freezer meal. Just because the food train is over doesn’t mean mom and dad have everything together. If you’re making a casserole that freezes well, consider doubling the batch and making one for the freezer!
Gift cards and Door Dash are great options. If you live far away or are unable to physically bring a meal, don’t feel like you can’t make an impact. Look into different food delivery systems or send a gift card. Mom and Dad might not be able to leave the house for a little while, but gift cards are always appreciated and will come in handy on after an exhausting day.
Use a website for organization. I recently found this website dedicated to meal trains! It helps you organize meals for a family in need. It even provides a place for food preferences/allergies and monetary donations.
Everyone wants to be helpful and make a positive impact on the life of a family with a new little one. Meals are so important and mean so much to those who receive them. Hopefully these tips will make your next meal train even more special and intentional.
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