A surprise meal is always welcome when new babies arrive or an illness or death stresses those we love. Here are suggestions of thoughtful things to bring:
1. Along with an entree, bring a salad and a loaf of bread too.
2. If you’re organizing a series of meals, ask the family how they would like them delivered: every day or frozen for a week. It might be easier to leave meals in a cooler on the porch to avoid interruptions. Inquire about allergies and special preferences, so you don’t deliver meatloaf to vegetarians.
3. If a family has small children, remember their tastes. Cut up fruit is fun and nutritious. And most kids love pasta.
4. Use disposable containers that you don’t need back.
5. Sometimes it’s best to wait a few weeks after a birth or death in the family. Often there is an immediate rush of food deliveries and then nothing when the need may be just as great two weeks later.
6. Services like mealtrain.com or takethemameal.com take a lot of work out of planning meals.
Read how Suzanne became a “good covered-dish” neighbor. And try her easy-to-make Crustless Spinach Quiche.
