MNN - Mother Nature Network

Taking prepared meals to friends and family whose lives have been upended for good reasons (new baby, new home) or not-so-good reasons (illness or death in the family, accident) is one of the most helpful things you can do when they're in need.

 

When you’re planning a meal delivery, there are online sources that can be very helpful. Websites like Take Them a Meal help coordinating meal delivery by groups much more simple. There are endless recipe ideas online that are great for taking to families like the Spiced Baked Chicken that one of my best friends brought me when my oldest son was born.

 

Recently, I’ve noticed some printable labels for these meals that look good and identify what’s in the dish and how to prepare it. Take a look at these free printable choices.

 

The labels from the Embellish blog include both “Made with Love” cards (for homemade meals) and “Provided with Love” labels (for store-bought meals) as well as other labels like a list of common allergens that can be checked off if they’re in the dish.

 

 

 

Rest Ministries also has labels that identify what the meal is with preparation instructions. A few of their labels also have encouraging sayings like “One Day at a Time…” or “Comfort Food for You.”

 

 

 

 

The four labels on Armommy are kind of hip. Created specifically for frozen meals with a place for the date, they can be used for fresh meals, too.

 

 

 

 

The labels that Martha Stewart recommends are a little different. They’re specifically for frozen dishes and they have a space to write the contents as well as all the months and a calendar on them so the month and day they went in the freezer can be circled. These are perfect if you’re providing more than one meal and you know some of them may end up in the freezer for later use.

 

The friends and family whom you bring meals to will appreciate them whether you have cute labels on them or not, but if you want to put a little extra style into your food gift, these labels will help you do it.