Okay, so you’ve got a group in mind. You may even have them excited about cooking already! Maybe you have some that are on the fence or maybe you have others that are all in! Either way, let’s move on to the next steps as they are 4 of most common hurdles for groups.
- Location – Members need to have a convenient place where you all can meet to swap meals. Or if you are cooking together, pick a home or place with plenty of counter space.
- Food Type – Members need to share an interest in eating similar foods. Ask about allergies and food sensitivities. (See here for more details on meal plan types.)
- Calendar – Everyone need to have time available to cook and to meet.
- Budget – Ensure everyone is aware of the upfront cost of freezer cooking.
We have developed a series of worksheets to guide you through the planning process. These worksheets include an invite list, an invitation, and survey for potential members, instructions for how to break up into sub-groups if your group is large, how to choose between a Full Meal Plan and a Mini Meal Plan, and how to choose a specific meal plan type. You will also see estimates on how much money and time you will spend based on those choices.
If you have a community in mind that you know fairly well already → Start with the Planning Worksheet, then hand out the Invitation and Survey for more detailed information. Choose a specific meal plan by using the Assessment Worksheet.
If you are just getting started building your swap community → List the names of those who may be interested in the Planning Worksheet and distribute the Invitation and Survey. Proceed to the Assessment Worksheet when they have responded, then complete the Planning Worksheet and choose a specific meal plan.
Downloads:
Once you have chosen a specific meal plan, assign recipes to each member of the group and make sure that they have access to recipe cards and labels. All that is left to do is cook, swap, and enjoy your food and community!