# Home-Cooked Meal Networks Mealku Works to Let People Barter with Home-Cooked Meals By Alexander Lam | Published 2013-06-29 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-cooked-meals References: [laughingsquid](http://laughingsquid.com/mealku-a-service-for-sharing-home-cooked-meals/) & [mealku](https://www.mealku.com) Letting people share their home-cooked meals with each other, Mealku acts as a [home cook network](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shared-cooking). The web service works to pickup and deliver home cooked food while awarding generous chefs with 'Ku points.' Ku points can be used to order meals from other home-based cooks on the platform. As a result, Mealku works as a network that facilitates nutritious food sharing. If you don't have the time or skill to cook, you can still enjoy a home-cooked meal through Mealku. Ku points can be purchased directly from the site. Other ways of earning points includes [posting recipes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/prepvil), reviewing chefs and referring members. Mealku keeps you safe from improperly prepared food through a mentor system. Cooks must be approved and primed by a senior cook or a 'WelcomeCook.' ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 33% | Activity: 45% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Health](https://www.trendhunter.com/health) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Home-cooked Meal Sharing:** Opportunity for platforms that enable individuals to share their home-cooked meals with others, fostering a sense of community and promoting healthy eating. - **Points-based Reward Systems:** Opportunity for businesses to implement points-based reward systems, similar to Mealku's 'Ku points', to incentivize customer engagement and loyalty. - **Safety and Quality Assurance:** Opportunity for technologies or services that ensure the safety and quality of home-cooked meals exchanged through networks, such as Mealku's mentor system. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food Sharing Platforms:** Opportunity for companies to create online platforms that connect home cooks and consumers, allowing for the exchange of home-cooked meals. - **Loyalty and Rewards Programs:** Opportunity for businesses in various industries to implement points-based reward systems to drive customer engagement and increase loyalty. - **Food Safety Technology:** Opportunity for companies to develop technologies that improve the safety and quality assurance of homemade food shared through online networks. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Food Sharing Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/totallychefs.md) - [Homemade Meal Delivery Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cookin.md) - [Chef-Led Meal Subscriptions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cookunity.md) - [Online Culinary Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-culinary-marketplace.md) - [Global Recipe Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ive-been-cooking.md) - [Chef-Designed Read-To-Eat Meal Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wecook.md) - [Cooking Companion Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cook-well.md) - [Chef-Curated Meal Subscriptions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/upmeals.md) - [Chef-Approved Meal Deliveries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-chef-and-monique-volz.md)