Setting Up a Frozen Meal Swap

Does the idea of a stocked freezer full of ready-to-eat food for your family make your heart dance?

Do you have friends who would like freezers full of food for their families, too?

Have you ever thought about starting a freezer meal swap?

I’ve been part of a meal swap group, and I love it! It is a fun and easy way to stock my freezer with meals for my family. Now that school is getting ready to start again, our family is settling back to a school routine. This means earlier bedtimes and less eating out. Freezer meals are a convenient way to have dinner ready for busy weeknights.

Setting Up a Frozen Meal Swap (1)

 

Benefits of a Meal Swap 

If you are still not convinced, let me share some of the benefits of swapping:

  • Save time. I don’t know about you, but with three kids and part-time work, I could definitely save some time. By making large amounts of the same meal, it is essentially like making several of your family’s meals AT THE SAME TIME!
  • Save money. Buying in bulk saves you money. It’s that simple.
  • Eat healthier. Our family eats out more than we should. This makes our meals both expensive and not as healthy as they should be. Having food in the freezer helps us avoid eating out.
  • Enjoy more variety. I seem to make the same meals over and over for my family. With the swap, we’ve tried some other meals my friends love, too. I’ve been surprised to find that my kids really liked some of them and asked me to make them again.

Setting Up Your Meal Swap Group

1. Find friends who would be interested in joining you.

2. Set up a secret Facebook group and invite members.

This worked very well for our group. We were able to see who was part of the group and ask questions as we had them. Facebook has a feature that allows you to ask a question in a post. So someone would ask, “Would you rather have lasagna or beef soup?” members of our group would vote, and we could see everyone’s responses. Another benefit of the Facebook group was easy recipe-sharing. We often liked each other’s meals and asked for recipes. All we had to do was snap a quick pic of the recipe and post it. Once posted, we could all see it. Then it was always in our group page to refer back to.

3. Figure out the specifics. Decide all of the following when organizing your swap:

How many friends will be joining?

If you have six friends, everyone should make six meals. The number should be the same. That way, everyone gets all the meals and one of their own. Discuss how many are in each family so there is enough food for everyone.

How often will you exchange?

Our group met once a month, but every other month would work well, too. Decide what works for everyone. You could always have someone skip out one month if they are too busy. Everyone would just make one less meal.

What meals will be made?

Some of us have allergies. That’s not a problem with a meal swap. If you share your concerns with the group, there is a good chance your need can be accommodated. Some of us are picky eaters. That’s OK, too. You can decide in advance what everyone will be making so you can have input for your favorite meals.

How should meals be packaged and labeled?

Foil containers and large Ziplock bags work really well. Label the meal, the date it was made, and any cooking/baking instructions. If you are making a crock pot meal, make sure everyone in your group has a slow cooker.

When and where will you meet to swap meals?

Choose a day that works for everyone. The actual exchange can be as short as five minutes. Sometimes we meet in a parking lot with our ice chests full of food and swap meals. Other times we’ve made a playdate out of our meeting and spent time together. Either way works. Pick whatever works for your group.

If picking a date to meet is a challenge, you can also post a question to your Facebook group with a couple of choices to see which date works best for most people. When someone couldn’t make it, another one of us would bring the absent person’s meals, and it worked out just fine.

Cooking Day

Set aside enough time to cook. I was usually able to make my meals in about an hour. It will take longer than usual to make your meal, but remember, you will benefit greatly! You will receive the same number of meals that you are cooking…but they will all be different! Label your Ziplock bags or foil before putting your food in. Trust me—it is easier to label first. (Some of the girls got fancy and printed labels. Go ahead if this sounds good to you.)

Meals should be frozen when you exchange. Foil tins are easy to stack in your freezer. If you are using Ziplock bags, try stacking them on top of each other neatly. It might look strange, but when the meals are frozen they will look great flattened out. They take up less space, and your friends can stack them the same way in their own freezers.

Meal Ideas

Casseroles and soups freeze well. You can certainly find many wonderful ideas on Pinterest these days, but here are some of my favorites that worked well in our group:

Lasagna

Enchilada Casserole

Baked Ziti

Chicken and Rice

Chili

Taco Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Beef Stew

Potato Soup

Cheesy Potatoes and Ham

Sloppy Joes

Italian Sausage Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Poppyseed Chicken

Pulled Pork (I LOVED this one! One of my friends just threw the hunks of meat in a Ziplock bag with all the seasonings. All we had to do was put it in the crock pot. It was delicious!)

Don’t forget to include the fixings with your meals. For example, if you make chili, also send the corn chips and cheese. For sloppy joes, send buns. Include what is needed for the meal.

That’s it! Cook and exchange away! You will become a believer in swapping meals in no time!

Denisse
Denisse grew up in the South Texas border town of Mission, where she met her best friend and future husband, Ian. After going to college at Texas A&M University, she and Ian were married and moved to San Antonio, where she worked as a preschool special education teacher. She loved her job but decided her heart was at home after having her first baby. Two more children and 12 years later, she still loves being married to Ian and being a stay-at-home mom to their three kids. Denisse loves coffee and taking naps. She writes at denissewarshak.com.