Postpartum Meal Prep to Make-ahead Before Baby Arrives

Postpartum meal prep is a significant way to prepare for the journey ahead. Having a plan for meals can be extremely comforting and allow time for the whole family to recover, connect and relax as much as possible. Recovery from any type of delivery can take a toll on the body – why not prepare some meals or have groceries stocked – to help aid in recovery?

Importance of Postpartum Meal Planning

Life with a new baby can impact the whole family. From different energy levels and wanting to ensure everyone meets their nutrient needs, it is important to have a plan. By preparing meals in advance, or having additional food stores to do so, everyone will benefit.

Our family chose to focus on a few different areas when planning a postpartum meal prep. These included: easy dinners, grab and go snacks, items which were optimal for replenishing nutrient stores and supporting overall recovery, and having miscellaneous goods on hand so we did not need to run to the store as often.

New parents often focus on their new baby rather than themselves, but it especially important new moms are getting all the nutrients they need. A lot of the meals you will see within this list include nutrient-dense foods which are warming to the body to aid in recovery.

Having balanced meals can help milk supply and provide steady blood sugar levels, especially when everyone is getting different sleep than prior to the postpartum season. It additionally, moms will want to ensure they are supporting and restoring connective tissues by consuming foods which help aid in recovery.

After all, birth (no matter the method), leaves a dinner sized wound from the loss of a placenta! it is important to focus on obtaining nutrient needs and having quick meals ready to go so less hangry or overtired moments occur.

Planning a Successful Shopping Trip

One of the most important pieces to postpartum meal prep is planning for a successful shopping trip (or two!). By considering the meals you want to make and additional items you want to have on hand when little one comes, you will be well on your way to a successful prep. There are a few steps when considering shopping (and sticking to your meal planning budget).

1. Write out meals you want to prepare
2. List the items which make up each meal
3. Determine additional items you want on hand like toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning products
4. Select stores
   • We love to go to Aldi and even know how to make a week of meals under $100 for a family of 4. And yes this shopping list does include breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert!
5. Check deals at stores to save money and stick to your budget

Just know, some of your shopping trips can feel expensive when purchasing items for the future. if you are doing postpartum meal prep in advance, you will not likely have to shop every week.

And if you do, it is going to be for the items which have a short shelf life and can not be purchased in advance (IE milk or other dairy products). This will help you to save money and stick to your budget.

Postpartum Meal Prep | Breakfast Ideas

There are a variety of ideas for breakfast when postpartum. Having a quick breakfast on hand can set your day up for success by ensuring steady blood sugar levels whether you are at home or running out the door.

Some of our favorite quick breakfast ideas include:

• Baked oatmeal
• Sourdough:
  • French toast casserole
  • Cinnamon rolls
  • Apple cinnamon bagels
  • Sticky buns
• Oatmeal packets (pair it with your favorite nut butter and even an egg for more staying power)
• Sourdough toast (to make with hard boiled eggs or pan fried if you have the chance)
• Greek yogurt (with honey or maple syrup, fresh fruit or frozen fruit, and granola)

Postpartum Meal Prep | Lunch and Dinner Ideas

Though all meals during the day can help in postpartum recovery, it can be easy to create nutrient dense meals for lunch and dinner. They include a significant amount of healthy fats and plenty of protein.

Some of our favorite easy dinners include:

• Slow cooked meats (like a beef roast, pot roast, whole chicken or even organ meats)
• Chicken marinades (like greek chicken gyros, salsa chicken and stir fry)
• “Protein” Bowls (IE Korean Beef Bowls, salmon or tuna ramen bowls, KFC bowls)
• Chicken Nuggets (We are particular to making our own gluten free chicken nuggets)
• Soups (Wild Rice soup, Potato Leek Soup, chili, Taco Soup)
• Sandwiches (be inspired by over 40 different ways to enjoy sourdough bread!)

Postpartum Meal Prep | Snacks and Miscellaneous Items

When thinking of quick snacks and dessert ideas, we consider a balance of carbs, fats and protein. It is important for new mothers to continue eating enough food to support their blood sugar, stabilize changing hormones and continue milk production.

Our favorite nutrient dense snacks include:

• Cereal (There is just something about it that is SO good in pregnancy and postpartum!)
• RX bars
• Gelatin gummies
• Bone broth (Rich in amino acids and great for gut health / collagen stores)
• Cheese sticks
• Jerky
• Nuts, seeds or nut butter packets
• Oatmeal packets paired with collagen / protein powder and nut butter
• Cookies or fat bombs
  • Lactation cookies are always a winner – though I am a huge Oreo fan!
  • Make cookie dough and place in the freezer to have a fresh oven baked cookie prepared in advance (Peanut butter chocolate chip are always a hit in our home)
• Greek yogurt and berries (frozen berries or freeze dried berries can be helpful)
• Muffins or other baked goods

Miscellaneous Pantry Prep Items

There are variety of items we purchased to compliment meals which do not fit into a meal category. These items are help to create easy meals by taking simple recipes and elevating to something the whole family will love. Within these miscellaneous items, we also considered items like:

• Oils (Avocado oil, olive oil, sesame seed oil, coconut oil, ghee, homemade beef tallow)
• Our favorite toppings / meal add ons (Chips, granola, cereals)
• Frozen fruits and vegetables
• Baking items (Sugar, flour, butter, eggs, sweeteners, dried fruit)
• Spices
  • Having back up spices on hand can add flavor and complexity to a meal without much effort. Perhaps the basics like salt, pepper, onion, garlic and cinnamon are in your pantry. Or items like beef, vegetable and chicken bouillon can help to whip together soup in minutes.
• Grains
  • Grains can be added to any meal in a flash. We had additional items like oatmeal, rice, quinoa, lentils, pasta, bulgur, teff, millet and amaranth are options which come together in minutes and add variety to a diet.

How to freeze Postpartum Meal Prep Items

Freezing postpartum meals is a simple way to conserve the nutrient-dense meals you have spent so much time making! Our favorite method of freezing meals for postpartum is to prepare a meal we are already eating – but duplicate it. We often go to Aldi when we want to freezer meal prep in advance!

For example, if we are making lasagna or soup, we may double the portion so all we have to do is reheat it. Or we cut up two additional chicken breasts and put it in a ziplock baggie paired with another smaller baggie which has the marinade and spices.

Firstly, to prepare a meal for the freezer, simply place it flat on a cookie sheet until frozen. This ensures less freezer space is utilized and meals are easy to sort through.

If a meal is precooked (IE still hot when transferred to the storage container), allow it to cool in the refrigerator before placing it in the freezer. We often cook a dinner and then place the secondary meal prep item in the freezer the next morning. By nighttime, the items are ready to stack in the freezer for future retrieval.

Items which do not need to be frozen for storage (canned or dried goods), can be put in a separate baggie or storage container and set aside in a specific cupboard. When going to prepare the meal, grab both the item(s) from the freezer and the pantry to whip up a meal in no time.

How to unthaw Postpartum Meal Prep Items

The oven, stove, microwave, instant pot and slow cooker are all great methods for unthawing make-ahead meas. The best way to unthaw a meal depends on how quickly you need to make it and the cooking method.

As a rule of thumb, pull aside 1-2 meals in advance from your freezer prep at least 24-48 hours prior to cooking the meal. This will allow ample time for the food to thaw out within the refrigerator before cooking time.

Exceptions to this method are items which do not need to thaw out prior to cooking. For example, chicken tacos or soup can go straight into the slow cooker.

Simply remove from the freezer and place on the correct cooking temperature based on the length of time it needs to cook for. Overall, there are a variety of slow cooker meals, instant recipes or one-pot wonders which can be removed from the freezer and placed in the pot.

Items to make Meal Planning Successful

There are a variety of items to have on hand for successful meal planning from storage to preparation. Below are some of our favorites and where we purchase them!

• Blender
• Insta pot (i.e. the Ninja Foodie)
• Slow cooker
• Mason jars and Glass containers
• Ziploc bags (Sandwich, Quart and Gallon sizes)
  • We tend to find Costco has regular sales on ziplock baggies
  • Anything which does not touch raw meat, or have reside left over from oil, has the potential to be washed by hand and reused.
• Reusable ziplock bags
  • We use our fair share of reusable ziplock bags within our house and some are awful! These ones I can count on to seal multiple times. They do not get holes easy either.
• Lined Notecards (To share recipes with others)
• Plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, wax paper and aluminum foil
• Sheet pan silicone mat
• Aluminum foil pans
  • Our favorite place to purchase aluminum foil pans in a variety of sizes is from the Dollar Store. They often come equipped with a lid and are extremely cost effective!
  • Though not necessary, we like using foil pans to prepare items which can be made in the pan and then tossed away. It helps with easy post meal clean up, too!
• Fridge / Freezer Organizers
• Freezer Labels

Frequently Asked Questions

What foods do not freeze well?

There are a variety of foods which do not freeze well including items which may separate, those with high water content and fried foods. For example, dishes containing a high level of full fat milk, sour cream, cream or mayo may separate when reheating.

High water content fruits and vegetables like watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce may not have an appealing of a texture or flavor when reheated.

What should items be stored in within the freezer?

When making items for postpartum meal prep, consider which items are shelf stable and which are not. For anything which needs assistance to extend the shelf life span, consider placing it within the freezer.

Canned goods, dried goods and items which do not have to be refrigerated can typically be pulled aside for future use. I tend to have one bag in the freezer and one bag in the cupboard with coordinating note cards.

For example, if I was making sweet-and-sour meatballs, I would know to grab the meatballs and pre-made sauce from the freezer and the dried goods (rice, spices, canned pineapple) from dry storage.

How many meals should be prepared in advance?

To begin a postpartum meal prep plan, considering the number of meals one wants to prepare is important. Certain items which take a long period of time to prepare can be made in advance to have healthy freezer meals at your fingertips.

I planned on making 28 meals in advance. This way, I have at least 4 weeks of dinner prepared. Knowing people will bring over meals when they visit, some meals would be used for leftovers and that we will ultimately fall back on take out a few times means 5 weeks of meals will be ready.

Do I need a postpartum meal train?

Postpartum meal trains can be a great way to receive food from family and friends. It allows people to drop off groceries and also visit with the newest addition to your family. While not essential, it can be an easy way to have a meal hot and ready at your door.

Grocery Service Postpartum

Utilizing a grocery service like grocery store pick up, Instacart food delivery, or meal delivery services (IE Blue Apron or Hello Fresh) can be an easy way to ensure the family is enjoying healthy meals (without additional freezer prep).

If considering grocery store pick up or Instacart, remember there are certain service fees and delivery fees when an order is under a certain size. Meijer, for example, requires an order to be $35 or more to avoid any additional fees. Grocery services like these can also help the process of leaving the car with multiples be a little less daunting.

If you made meals in advance (or had someone drop a meal off to you), what was your favorite postpartum meal? Share a link, or recipe, in the comments below!