Ultimate Guide to Meal Trains

A meal train is one of the best ways to support families in need—or to set up a support system for yourself during a challenging phase of life. Here’s exactly what they are, how they work, which recipes work best, and our top tips for success.

Meal Train

Simply put, a meal train is when a group of people get together to coordinate bringing food to a family who needs a little extra help. It can be used after a new baby, when a family has a loved one in the hospital, when someone is sick, or really any period that’s challenging.

They are such a wonderful way to help a family—while sharing the load with a small group of others to make sure that the effort is doable. They’re often run through church groups or moms groups, but really, anyone can pull one together with just a few simple steps.

Ready to hop on board? Here’s what you need to know to organize or participate in one.

(You may also like my Easy Breakfast Recipes, Freezer Meals for New Parents, or Snacks for Breastfeeding.)

What is a meal train and how does it work?

A meal train is a coordinated effort to prepare meals for a family in need. It is often used after the birth of a baby as a way to support the family with prepared food.

We all know there are times in life when the last thing we want (or have time) to do is cook a homemade dinner. And having a friend or family member bring over a healthy and comforting meal just makes all the difference.

Starting a meal train for new parents, people who are grieving, or even someone who is sick or recovering for surgery or an injury, is a really kind gesture and also a tangible way to help out (everyone needs to eat, after all).

TIP: Our best Make-Ahead Dinners are great options to consider!

How to Start Planning

If you want to organize this for someone, the first thing you should do is talk to your friend or family member. You’ll want to find out information including:

• What meals do they need help with?
• What are their dietary restrictions?
• When’s a good time to drop food off?
• Do they want meals daily or just a few times a week?
• What’s the duration that they’d like to receive meals?
• Do they have a cooler they could leave in front of their door for easy drop offs?

Some people might feel awkward asking for exactly what they want or need, but encourage them to be as specific as possible. (After all, these are only helpful if they end up with food they’ll actually eat.)

How long should a meal train last?

You’ll want to figure out how long the meal train should run so you can plan it well from the start. Anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks is common, and you can decide based either on how long someone might need help for or based on how many people you think will want to participate.

And how much time the family you’re supporting actually wants.

You can also start with a week or two and then extend it if more people want to join in.

How to Invite Participants

In order to get the meal train going, you’ll need to recruit people to join in (an email, text, or even social media post works) and give them a spot to sign up. You can easily create a shared Google Doc with dates in it and have people sign up there, making sure to include any special instructions like dietary restrictions and delivery notes at the top.

Invite faraway friends and family to join in, too. They can order food from a local restaurant or send the family a gift card to delivery sites like Seamless or UberEats!

Best Meal Train Websites

You can use a website that caters to meal trains. Mealtrain.com and takethemameal.com make it easy to set up a calendar where people can sign up and share it with your network.

The sites also include extra bonuses, like automatic reminders when people’s dates are coming up and spots to fill in what you’re bringing to avoid overlap.

How to Participate in a Meal Train Step-by-Step

If you’re invited to join a meal train for someone else, there are definitely a few things to keep in mind.

1. Look for and pay attention to any specific instructions the organizer notes. This might include allergies, drop off times, number of people a meal should feed, etc.
2. Pick your recipe. It’s a good idea to go with something you’ve made before, so you know it’ll be good. Choosing a dish that travels and reheats well—like these make-ahead meals or even some of our favorite freezer friendly meals—is also important.
3. Once you’ve made your food, try to pack it in something that’s recyclable or you at least don’t need back. (It can be hard for people to keep track of what dishes belong to everyone.)

TIP: Keep in mind that if someone is in need of a meal train, they’re probably *not* in need of houseguests. Plan to just leave the food on the front porch and go—or give a quick wave from the door.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best Recipes for Meal Trains

Here are some of our go-to recipes to gift through a meal train. These work for families welcoming a first child, or ones with older kids too.

Easy Sides and Snacks to Add

It can be helpful for the family if they also get some easy snacks and sides to round out a meal—or to eat in between meals. These are some of the easiest options to consider adding:

• Salad kits
• Precut fruit
• Sliced cheese and crackers
• Fruit cups
• Granola bars
• Trail mix
• Dried fruit
• Fruit leather
• Instant ramen or other noodles
• Applesauce
• Fresh bread

Best Tips for Meal Trains

• Consider planning one for a friend or loved one after a new baby, during an injury or illness, or just during a particularly challenging time.
• When planning, get as many specific details about meal preferences, allergies, drop off times, and more to make it as easy as possible for everyone to give and receive meals.
• Plan out how long the meal train will run and how often meals will be delivered.
• Use a Google doc or a site like Mealtrain.com or Yakethemameal.com to make things straight forward and easy to track.
• Pack food in containers you don’t need back to keep things simple.
• Choose a recipe that works well to be reheated, like an easy Freezer Meals.
• Consider providing a main dish and some easy sides like a salad kit, crackers and cheese, a veggie plate with dip, and/or cut up fruit.
• Consider adding a snack for mom if the meal train occurs after the birth of a baby, like Lactation Cookies or Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Balls.
• You may also like Master List of Healthy Family Meals, Shortcut Toddler Dinners, and How to Meal Prep Toddler Meals.

I’d love to hear your experience or any questions you have, so please comment below to share!

This post was first published March 2021.