Ask the family once, then stop asking
Get the allergies, the dislikes, the household size, and the best delivery time in one conversation. Put all of it in the sheet details.
After that, the family should not have to answer anything. Every question you send is one more thing for someone who is already stretched.
Spread the days out
Seven days in a row is usually too much food. Three or four deliveries a week for two or three weeks is easier to eat and lasts longer.
Use time slots with a real delivery window. Between five and six on Tuesday is something both sides can plan around.
Make the handover simple
Say in the details whether to knock, text, or leave the food at the door. Many families would rather not answer the door, and that is fine.
Ask people to use disposable containers, and to label anything that needs refrigerating. Returning dishes is a chore the family does not need.
Common questions
- How long should a meal train run?
- Two to four weeks suits most situations. For a new baby, spreading fewer meals over a longer stretch tends to help more than a heavy first week.
- What food travels best?
- Anything that reheats without falling apart. Pasta bakes, soups, chilis, and casseroles all work. Include something for breakfast if you can, since it is the meal people skip.
- How do I coordinate with everyone else who wants to help?
- Share one link rather than running several lists. A meal train falls apart when three people are each organizing part of it. One sheet shows what is covered, and anyone can look at it without asking you or the family what is still needed.