Set up a meal train
When a friend has a baby, comes home from surgery or loses someone, people want to help and do not know how. A meal train turns that into a list of nights. Done well, the family eats well for a few weeks and never has to answer "what can I do?" again.
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- No accounts for anyone
- DinnerFullMaya R.
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- DinnerFullDev K.
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Ask the family first
Before you send anything, ask the family, or the person closest to them, four things:
- How many people are eating, and how many are children
- Allergies, dislikes, and anything they are avoiding right now
- What time they want food dropped off, and whether they want visitors
- Where to leave it if nobody answers the door
Put the answers at the top of the sheet in plain words: "Family of four, two kids under six. No pork. Drop off between 5 and 6pm. Please don't stay, they're resting." That last line is the kindest thing on most meal trains.
How often
Three nights a week is the usual pace. A home-cooked meal tends to cover two dinners, and daily deliveries leave a family with a fridge full of leftovers and a stack of other people's dishes. Run it for two to three weeks. You can add a fourth later if they need it.
A gift card line is worth adding for friends who live far away or do not cook. It is also handy when the family wants a night off from being grateful.
What to bring
Most families appreciate:
- Food in containers they don't have to return
- A note with what it is and how to reheat it
- Something for breakfast or lunch, like muffins or soup
- Paper plates, if there is a new baby in the house
Ask people to write their dish when they sign up. It is the only way to avoid three lasagnes in a row.
Privacy
A meal train often means sharing an address and personal news, so keep both off the public sheet. Say what is needed, not why: "Meals for the Okafor family" is enough. When people sign up, send them the address and drop-off details in a message. Show first names only if the family would prefer it.
Reminders
Remind each cook the day before. Life is busy, and a forgotten dinner lands hardest on a family that was counting on it. Dibs sends that reminder by email for you, and the cook can swap to another night from their own link if something comes up.
A ready list
The starter list above is three weeks of Monday, Wednesday and Friday dinners plus a gift card line. Paste it into Dibs, rename the weeks to real dates, and share the link in the group chat. Each night holds one cook. Nobody needs an account, the page has no ads, and the people helping can see what is already covered before they choose.
Set up a meal train: questions
How long should a meal train run?
Two to three weeks covers most new babies and short recoveries. For a long illness, start with three weeks and add more later. It is easier to extend than to cancel meals people already planned.
Should meals come every day?
Usually not. Every other day, or three nights a week, is plenty. Most meals feed a family for two nights, and a fridge fills up fast.
How do I keep the family's address private?
Leave it off the sheet. Dibs sheets are hidden from search engines, but anyone with the link can open them. Send the address and drop-off details by message to the people who sign up instead.
What should people write when they sign up?
What they plan to bring. Three lasagnes in a row is the classic meal train problem, and seeing 'chicken curry, mild' on Monday helps Wednesday's cook pick something else.
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- Carpool sign-up sheetA free carpool sign-up sheet: each school run or practice drive gets one driver, parents swap their own turns, and reminders go out the night before.
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Make yours in a minute.
Start from this list, change what you need, and share one link. Nobody needs an account.
