Nothing encourages someone going through hard times like a home-cooked meal.
If you’re planning to deliver a meal, it can be difficult to find something healthy and delicious that will taste good by the time the person receives it.
Today I’m sharing a list of 6 complete meal ideas that tick all the boxes. Healthy, delicious, not too complicated, and versatile for different delivery times.
Be sure to check out the links to the recipes + the extra tips below each meal. (If you’re in charge of coordinating a meal delivery schedule, check out this post for tips to make it simple.)
MEAL #1
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Sweet Chopped Kale Salad
Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Diced Pineapple
Tips:
1. The kale salad is often sold as a kit at most grocery stores. You can click the link above for an example.
2. The dinner rolls can be served already warmed and wrapped in foil. Or you can write instructions for warming them in the oven after delivery. (If you follow the link to the recipe above, step-by-step instructions are given for packaging the rolls for later.)
MEAL #2
Pulled Pork (Place 1-2 lb. pork tenderloin in a crockpot. Cover with chicken broth, and cook all day on low. Shred and serve with BBQ sauce of choice.)
Make-Ahead Marinated Vegetable Salad
Corn Bread
Diced Cantaloupe
Tip: It’s recommended that you make the vegetable salad at least 4 hours in advance so the flavors can marinate together.
MEAL #3
Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad
Cheese and Cracker Plate
No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Squares
Tip: I recommend prepping all of the salad ingredients in advance. When it’s time to deliver, here’s how I package the ingredients: Lettuce and carrots go in a large plastic bowl or zip-top bag. Chicken, oranges, almonds, green onions, and dressing all go in their own separate containers. This allows everything to stay fresh and allows picky palates to choose what to include on their individual salad serving.
MEAL #4
Minestrone Soup
Caesar Salad
Garlic Bread
Fresh Berries
Tips:
1. You can either buy the salad in a pre-made kit or make your own. If you make your own, be sure to keep the dressing and crunchy ingredients in separate containers.
2. Garlic bread is best straight from the oven. I recommend pre-wrapping it and writing the baking instructions so the recipient can enjoy it fresh. (The recipe above gives instructions for prepping and freezing it ahead of time.)
MEAL #5 (Breakfast for Supper)
Ham and Potato Frittata
Whole-Wheat Blueberry Scones
Mixed Fruit Bowl
Tip: The frittata can be prepped and transferred to a disposable aluminum pan for baking. You can either serve it warm, or deliver it earlier in the day with baking instructions included.
MEAL #6
Tex-Mex Slow Cooker Chicken
Tortillas, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, and sour cream
Tortilla Chips
Baked Bananas
Tip: If you use the banana recipe above, you can substitute vanilla for the rum. The bananas are delicious with whipped cream or ice cream! I recommend finding a natural-ingredient ice cream like Turkey Hill to keep it as healthy as possible.
A FEW BONUS TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND:
- You can mix and match elements of these meals to fit what you have available or what works best for the recipient.
- Always keep dietary needs in mind. Especially if your friend is going through a medical challenge, they may have unique nutrition requirements, so you’ll want to adjust accordingly.
- If possible, use disposable containers so the recipient doesn’t have to worry about returning pans or dishes to you later.
- Consider adding a card or bouquet of flowers to your delivery.
- Always deliver with a smile! 🙂
*photos by Jana at Twigy Posts
