Meal Train Tips and Tricks: 7 Ways To Make Helping A Friend Actually Helpful

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Have you ever taken a meal to sick friend or a family member who just gave birth? Or maybe you’ve been on the receiving end of such meals? I’ve been in both positions and I know both the desire to help as well as how that desire can actually make more work for the recipient at times. Definitely not what was intended by the giver. So, what makes for a truly helpful meal? And what might be detrimental? Read on for tips, tricks, and suggestions for making sure your meal is actually helping.

What is a meal train and when might it be used?

Meal trains are when friends, family, congregations or other groups band together to provide meals to those in the group who might need the stress of daily meal planning taken off their shoulders for a time. This need for help is often due to sickness or duress of some kind such as:

• birth of child
• surgery
• cancer treatment
• death of a loved one
• job loss
• mental health crisis

How could taking a meal to someone possibly make more work for them? Scenarios to Avoid if Possible

I know it sounds crazy but sometimes a well-meaning gesture, such as bringing a friend a meal, might actually make more work for your friend than was intended. Some reasons for this might include bringing more food than they can reasonably eat in a day or two; or bringing food in your personal dishes.

1. Bringing more food than the person/family can reasonably eat in 1-2 sittings

You might think you’re helping by bringing a huge casserole dish of food. But, assuming the reason for the meal is that your friend is in a stressful situation, this might not actually be helpful. This is especially true if several people are bringing food multiple days in a row. If everyone brings buckets of food then the receiver can feel swamped with food instead of receiving just what they need to alleviate hunger and the worry of putting food on that table for that night. All of the sudden this person now needs to either eat the same thing for days on end or have the added work of trying to freeze the food. Or, the guilt of throwing away food that was gifted to them that has since gone bad.

Instead, consider bringing just enough for your friend and/or their family to eat in just one sitting and another serving already prepped to go in their freezer to be pulled out at their convenience and need.

2. Bringing food in your personal dishes or serving-ware

Another way that we can inadvertently make more work for our friends is by bringing food to them in containers that we expect to be returned to us. Again, assuming you’re taking a meal in a time of stress or change, having an expectation that dishes will be returned just adds to that stress instead of lessening it. Who wants to do dishes when they’re sick or just had a baby? Let alone someone else‘s dishes that they then also have to get back to them?! And to be extra careful not to damage?! Compound this by every meal they’re provided AND the extra stress of trying to remember which dishes came from which family….well, take it from one who’s experienced this, it was stressful! I didn’t have the braincells, let alone the energy, to spare for that!

What to do instead:

• Take a meal in disposable containers. This means the person receiving the meal doesn’t need to remember who brought which dish and then try to return it. (If they are in need of a meal, chances are that they aren’t in a good spot for taking care of and returning your dishes).
  • You can purchase disposable plastic or aluminum dishes from most grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Amazon, etc
  • You can save and reuse to-go containers from restaurants
  • You can save and reuse plastic grocery containers such as yogurt or sour cream cartons
• Buy used casserole dishes from a second-hand store. Stock up on a few old, thrifted, or second-hand dishes (purchased for roughly 50 cents) and have them on hand to give away with your meal, no expectation of returned dishes, no worries if they break.
• Another option, if you don’t have any of the above containers, is to label your dishes with your name and offer a day that you can return to pick them up. Emphasize that you expect to pick up dirty dishes and that there’s no shame in that.

Tip, Tricks and Suggestions to Make your Meal Train Meal a Dream!

3. Simple is fine!

Sharing a meal with others can feel vulnerable. You might feel internal pressure to make a fancy meal, one that requires lots of time, money or skill. But, please know, that isn’t necessary! Simple is fine! Simple is wonderful. Simple is appreciated. Sometimes, it’s even appreciated more than a fancy meal.

Think of the times you’ve been sick. Have you been able to appreciate the nuances of a fancy meal? Probably not. Simple, familiar flavors and meals are easier to digest when you’re sick. And might even increase your appetite. It’s the same for your friends.

So, save your lobster legs for a dinner party when your friend or family member is feeling better. Ignore the pressure to take a multi-course meal and dessert. Instead, get comfortable sharing simple foods and simple meals. The person receiving the food just needs to eat without the added stress of cooking, grocery shopping or going out.

4. Home-cooked is simply bonus

Home-cooked meals are nice, but not necessary!

Just as we were discussing above, simple is great! All your friend needs is sustenance that didn’t come from their own efforts. A restaurant to-go meal is totally acceptable. A grocery store buy-and-heat meal is wonderful. That frozen lasagna you’re thinking about is a good choice. Don’t second guess it!

Here are some ideas for “like home-made” that you can just grab-and-go:

• Costco has many pre-made foods that are ready to go or just need to be heated. These are easy, filling and delicious. Potpies, soups, rotisserie chicken, pasta dishes, salad mixes, sandwiches, etc
• Grocery stores like Harmons, Maceys, and Whole Foods have salad/soup/entree/sushi bars that allow you to choose between a wide variety of ready-made food. You pay either by weight or volume. These stores often also have counters for ordering like-home-made pizzas, chicken tenders, hot sandwiches, etc.
• Most grocery stores also have a deli counter with pre-made salads and sometimes hot foods like fried chicken

And here are some ideas for less “like-home-made” foods but still crowd favorites and appreciated:

• freezer aisle entrees such as that frozen lasagna we mentioned above
• to-go meals from restaurant chains such as Olive Garden, Red Robin, Zupas, Sizzlers, etc
• to-go meals from your local mom-and-pop shops offering foods such as Pad Thai, orange chicken, burritos, deli sandwiches, Fettuccine Alfredo, and so on
• and don’t forget that a classic pizza or two is almost always a win

Remember, when you’re taking your friend a meal train meal, don’t feel pressured to make it from scratch. You are doing a fabulous service just by offering to help!

5. Meal Transportation

Not all meals are created equally as far as their stability or compactness go. So, do yourself a favor and use one of these ideas for transporting the meal from your house (or chosen to-go location) to theirs.

Bring the meal:

• on a cookie sheet
• in a wicker basket
• in a reinforced paper bag with handles
• in a solid cardboard box

Doing one of the above suggestions will help reduce trips back and forth to the car, spills, too hot to hold concerns, and make hand-off easier in general.

6. Casseroles: your new meal train best friend

Casseroles might have a reputation as being old-fashioned or simple but remember, simple is what we’re going for now! And there’s many good reasons why casseroles stick around decade after decade. They’re often comfort food (which is exactly what your sick/tired/recovering friend needs). They offer a complete meal (proteins, carbs, veggies). They’re in one compact dish (easy to transport, easy to clean up). So, don’t skip over the humble casserole in a mis-guided attempt to be sophisticated. (See points 3 and 4). 😉

Need some casserole inspiration? Check out some of these.

An equally wonderful variation on this theme is one-pot skillet meals like these.

7. Additional Crowd-Pleasing Meal Suggestions

If you’re needing a bit more inspiration for what to take for your meal train meal, here are a few last ideas to get you going:

• Spaghetti and meatballs
• Meatloaf
• Fried chicken
• BBQ chicken
• Sandwich fixings
• Chicken and dumplings
• Chicken tenders
• Pork chops, potatoes, and gravy
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Tacos/Enchiladas
• Sloppy Joes
• Pulled pork
• Stroganoff
• Soup and rolls
• Stir Fry/Fried rice
• Chili and cornbread
• Curry

So, are you ready? Do you feel prepared to take that meal to your friend or family member? Hopefully your meal preparation, dishing up, and delivery go smooth as hot butter and as a delicious as the smell of fresh bread. Cheers! XOXO, Briana

Need help feeding your kids? Here’s some articles to get you started!

Exploring the “Why” Behind the “No Honey Under One” Rule

Toddlers And Their Love Hate Relationship With Apples

8 Weird Things Babies Do While Eating That Are Totally Normal

Hello! I’m Briana!