As a mom of three and certified doula, I know how important healthy freezer meals for new moms are. Women are doing a TON of work in their postpartum phase: healing, bonding, feeding, processing their birth, and adjusting to life with a slightly larger family. With all that going on, they have better things to do than cook!
Before modern times, someone else would clean, cook, and hold the baby so mom could sleep or shower. But now, families are spread out further and further, meaning the only help is usually the expensive kind. In addition, employers give only limited maternity and paternity leaves here in the US, which means lots of economic pressure. (Probably the reason so many families are worried about things like finding free baby clothes and buying the cheapest diapers, both of which I’ve written about before.)
So let’s talk about what makes a good postpartum freezer meal. Here are some nutrients to focus on, the types of food that work best, and a few tips from a seasoned pro.
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Why make freezer meals for new moms?
Because moms still need to eat, even while doing all that other work. So if mom doesn’t want to make/request freezer meals, she only has a few alternatives: make a request to her personal chef (hahaha), order takeout (expensive), or scrounge around for something fast and easy (which usually means junk food or empty calories). The best option by far is freezer meals.
Besides the practicality however, there’s another huge reason for moms to make freezer meals before baby is born. When the final weeks of pregnancy arrive, it’s so easy to start hyper fixating on every twinge in your stomach and second guessing every bit of discharge. To help keep you even-keeled and sane while you wait, I’ve found it’s helpful to have a “labor project” (or ten). It’s something to keep your mind off what may or may not be labor approaching, which gives your body the time and space to get to work. And if it’s not labor yet? At least you have food for later!
What makes a good postpartum freezer meal?
There are a few key traits that set a normal meal apart from a postpartum-specific freezer meal:
Easy to eat one-handed
Let’s face it: you’re going to be holding your baby a lot during the “fourth trimester.” Sometimes, you’ll be so in love you won’t want to put them down. But more often, they just won’t want to leave you! That means you either need a lot of helpers or a lot of one-handed meals.
Self-contained meals like burritos are my first pick, since they’re clean and don’t even require a utensil. However, dense fork-foods like pasta dishes or rice bakes can also work. Stay away from too many soups, as trying to balance a newborn and keep all the soup on your spoon is challenging.
Nutrient-dense
The postpartum phase often means you’re short on time. You wouldn’t expect it, but you’re doing so much work (and especially for first time moms, it’s a MASSIVE adjustment). This means every bite counts. You want to pay special attention to foods that are high in iron, omega 3 fatty acids, and/or b vitamins.
For additional information on using food as the foundation for a healthy and well-adjusted postpartum period, check out one of the best books in my doula library, The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother.
Freezes well, and reheats without weird tastes
Some things just can’t be frozen well, like salads. Some things can be frozen, but defrost poorly, like cooked whitefish. These options are all great for eating even after a month in the freezer.
How Many Freezer Meals Should I Make Before Baby?
As a general rule, prepping 20-30 nights’ worth of postpartum meals is a good starting goal. (That’s just 10-15 meals if you make enough for leftovers!) This will get you through the difficult first month when mom is physically doing the most healing.
If you will be on your own a lot after your baby is born, make a few meals more to help cover you as you adjust to life with a newborn. If your partner has a lot of parental leave, or you have helpful friends, siblings, or parents, you can make fewer freezer meals. Alternatively, you can request restaurant gift cards or freezer meals as a gift on some baby registries. (And I already wrote an article about baby registry freebies, if you want to learn more about that.)
One-Handed Freezer Meals for New Moms
Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas
These are spicy little handhand meals, perfect for dunking in salsa or sour cream. They’re also packed with peppers and plenty of ground beef to help replenish your iron levels.
Nigerian Meat Pies
The African cousin of the empanada, Nigerian meat pies are a perfect postpartum freezer meal. You can freeze them individually for single-servings (you know, for those 2am hunger pains after an all-night nursing marathon). They’ve got plenty of veggies along with a spice kick from ginger and curry powder.
Breakfast Burritos
Remember, freezer meals aren’t just for dinner! Mama needs to fuel up all hours of the day. Breakfast burritos like these are an excellent source of omega-3s. I’d leave out the avocados, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro, however, as none of those taste as well after being frozen (in my opinion).
Baked, Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Shredded chicken, salsa verde, and plenty of chopped veggies. What’s not to like?
Sausage Rolls
I always think of sausage rolls as being complicated challenges on the Great British Baking Show. However, you can make them easily at home! You can freeze them individually for easy pull-out snacks, or as a whole roll for a family dinner.
Variety Calzones
It’s pizza, but not. But you already knew what a calzone was, right?
Spinach & Bacon Breakfast Sandwiches
I know in the postpartum period, sometimes you need to trick yourself into eating healthy. What better way to hide your leafy greens than under a layer of bacon?
Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls
If you’re lucky enough to have an air fryer, you’ll need to test this recipe out. It’s your classic Tex Mex: chicken, rice, beans, and spices. But then it’s wrapped up in an egg roll wrapper and made perfect for handheld simplicity.
Ham and Cheese Stromboli
These are DELICIOUS, and totally hit the spot when you’re craving a baked sandwich from Jimmy Johns or Subway. For an extra boost of nutrition however, you can add some diced veggies or spinach.
Healthy Freezer Meals for New Moms
Freezer-Friendly Spinach Lasagna Rolls
There’s no such thing as too much leafy greens when you’re recovering from birth. But because things like salads are harder to eat while juggling a baby, we’ve got meals like these spinach lasagna rollups.
Cheddar and Brussel Sprout Quiche
Quiches are some of my favorite freezer meals for new moms because they can work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And sometimes, all of those meals seem to bleed together if you get lost staring at your adorable newborn.
Chicken Malai Tikka Boti
If you’ve been having cravings for Indian take out, here’s the at-home freezer meal to satisfy your postpartum cravings. (Which, btw, are TOTALLY a thing if no one has told you. Thought you were done with cravings when pregnancy was over, didn’t you?)
Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
I know I mentioned to take it easy on the soups when you’re doing postpartum freezer meal prep, but you don’t have to completely avoid them. After all, someone else can hold the baby once in a while! Soups are warm and comforting, both of which you need when you’re recovering and short on sleep. This soup is stuffed to the gills with veggies and iron-rich beef.
“Dump” Freezer Meals for New Parents
A dump meal, for those that don’t know, is a meal where all the ingredients can be stored, uncooked, in a ziplock in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to eat, you “dump” the contents into the crock pot or skillet for a dinner with 10 minutes or less of prep time.
Butternut Squash Chili
Chili is one of my favorite freezer meals, and butternut squash is a great addition. Pro-tip: If you’d like to ramp up the sweetness in the squash, try roasting it before adding it to the chili.
Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry
You can find stir fry in the frozen meal section of your local grocery store. Why not make it yourself at home, and put exactly what you want in it?
Chicken Fajitas
Dump chicken is one of my favorite meals, since you have to do ZERO cooking before putting it in the freezer- just cut up the veggies and trim the chicken fat. Then, when you’re ready to eat, pull it out of the freezer the night before to thaw in the fridge. Dump it in the crock pot the next morning, and enjoy!
Beef & Broccoli
This recipe is sweet, savory, and slow-cooked perfection. You can serve over rice or noodles, heat it up with some red pepper flakes, or use it to bribe family members to come over and help you for an hour. (Who am I kidding, the promise of holding your adorable baby is already the bribe. Use it!)
Casserole Freezer Meals
Bognese al forno
Is there anything more delicious and comforting than a cheesy pasta bake? Well yes, if you’re using a fancy name and fresh herbs like in this recipe!
Chicken & Broccoli Rice Casserole
This recipe suggests you make up a big batch of this and freeze the contents in individual ziplock bags. You can do this, but for an even easier setup, you can freeze the casserole directly in a disposable aluminum pan, cover it in tinfoil, and put directly from freezer into the oven.
Egg & Sausage Casserole
Eggs are a fantastic postpartum food due to their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. We ate TONS of egg & sausage casseroles during my most recent maternity leave.
Pro tip: eat it fast. It’s a fantastic meal the day you make it, but doesn’t keep long in the fridge after it’s cooked.
Postpartum Snacks (That Also Freeze Well!)
Lactation cookies with fenugreek
This is a recipe I developed, actually. It’s the recipe I sneak into every baby shower gift, and the batch I make whenever a friend has a new baby, and one that I’ve made while I myself am breastfeeding. I describe all the yummy ingredients, many of which double as galactagogues (lactation-inducing foods). Of course, no food is a substitute for a good latch, plenty of nursing, or a lactation consultant, but they are delicious! Feel free to freeze in either cookie dough or baked form.
Warning: hide from spouses. My husband will hunt these down and devour them all if he knows I’ve made some!
Frozen Yogurt Granola Bites
Sometimes, when you’re having a really rough day postpartum, you just want your boys Ben & Jerry to comfort you. While I’ll never shame a mom for ice cream indulgence, these frozen yogurt bites are good too!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Balls
When it comes to prepping freezer meals (and snacks), there are fewer things easier than making no-bake items. Just grab the ingredients, mix, and freeze! These are also super customizable with mix-ins so you can make a batch tailored to the tastes of every family member.
Chaffles
Chaffles are “cheese + waffles” and oh so good. They’re typically keto, and can be made using any number of variations. This recipe shows how to make the normal kind in addition to churro- and pumpkin pie-flavored chaffles. As a note: when cheese gets frozen, it can sometimes have a more crumbly texture when thawed. Since this is baked in a waffle iron however, you should be fine.
Australian Banana Pancakes (Pikelets)
These are super fluffy, super versatile, and super easy! My family makes big batches of pancakes all the time, and they freeze beautifully.
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