When someone is navigating a tough season, be it a new baby, illness, surgery, or grief, a warm meal can feel like a hug in a dish. But here’s the golden rule of a great care meal: make it delicious, make it thoughtful, and make it easy.
Mrs Gusto has been busy again pulling together tips and tricks for reducing stress for the recipient of your care meal. That means no dishes to return, no clean-up, and no confusion. Just comfort, care, and convenience.
Let’s dive into the top tips and tricks that make your meal delivery a true act of kindness.
Make It Easy to Enjoy (and Clean Up!)
– Use disposable containers: Foil trays and platters, bamboo or compostable bowls, or cardboard boxes lined with baking paper are ideal. You can even pick up free cardboard trays from the supermarket or fruit market, discard the inner, and line them with paper.
– Skip the fancy dishes: As lovely as they are, they create stress. The recipient does not want to track down who owns what.
– Foil trays fit perfectly in cooler bags: This keeps food hot and tidy during transport.
– Deliver raw or ready-to-bake meals: Let them choose when to eat. It’s less pressure for everyone.
– Cook both meals at once: Prep theirs and yours in foil trays, heat theirs before delivery (depending on time of day), and pop yours in the oven while you are out.
– Include a bag for returns (if needed, otherwise go disposable!): Label it with your name to make it easy.
Smart Delivery Tips
– Message your recipient before you arrive, a heads-up is always appreciated.
– Drop off early in the day – Avoid traffic and dinner-time chaos.
– Use an insulated bag – Keeps food hot or cold and saves you from leaving it behind.
Menu Suggestions
Main image – meal featured –
Chicken, Mushroom & Leek Pot Pies OR Chicken & Leek Pie
Mash from this recipe – Beef Stack with Sweet Potato Mash & Roasted Veg ( we used white kumara)
Chewy Gooey Gingerbread Slice OR Sugar Spice Gingerbread
Caramel sauce from this recipe – Crunchy Topped Date Cake with Toffee Caramel Sauce
And whipped cream.
Add a bottle of white wine.
As always, El Gusto has hundreds of recipes that suit all types of meals. See our Meal Train Collections below.
Meal Train Collection 1: Collection Meal Train
Meal Train Collection 2: Collection Meal Train #2
Personalised Meal Train Menu Card Templates
Adding a menu card is not just helpful for your recipient to know what they are eating, it can include allergy information and reheating/cooking instructions too. Download a couple of El Gusto templates below. You can either edit in Canva, or print the PDF and hand write your menu.
Template 1: Canva Template: Elgusto Menu Card #1
Template 2: Canva Template: Elgusto Menu Card #2
PDF Menu Card #1
PDF Menu Card #2
Extra Tips
– Make it look appealing: Adding cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, or a folded napkin goes a long way.
– Use foil platters with compartments: Keeps food neat and separated.
– Add a cheerful note or card: A kind word can brighten their day.
– Include a drink: Juice, sparkling water, or even a bottle of wine.
– Send a breakfast for the next day – Muffins, bagels, or fruit salad.
– Add a snack pack: Granola bars, energy bites, or something sweet.
– Include condiments and dressings – don’t assume they have them.
– Label everything you can so they know what it is, e.g. all sauces
– Leave onion/garlic/cabbage out of your menu for mothers with new babies.
– Consider kid-friendly extras – bread rolls, plain corn, nuggets, or ice cream sticks.
– Offer to pick up groceries – If you are already heading that way.
– Coordinate with others – Avoid meal duplication and overload. No one wants to eat shepherd’s pie three days in a row!
We hope these tips are useful next time someone in your locality needs a little extra love.
