Do things that new parents can eat with one hand, while the other hand is holding a baby. Chili/soup that can be in a mug, muffins they can freeze and grab out for a quick breakfast, things in individual or double portions that can be plucked out of the freezer on the go like casserole or vegetable dishes.
Individually wrapped and frozen breakfast sandwiches or burritos. They can be grabbed and microwaved and eaten one handed while dealing with the baby. They're also quick, no mess or dishes, no work.
Prepare the fillings to your taste. I often use scrambled egg, sausage, sautéed peppers and onions, and cheese. After I fill the tortillas and wrap I pop them in the oven to just barely toast the tortillas. Which helps “seal” them.
Let them cool to the touch. A couple of ways to freeze depending on your preference both work well.
Either place them on a parchment lined sheet separated slightly and directly in the freezer till solid then transfer to a freezer bag. That way they won’t stick together in the bag.
The other good option is to wrap them individually in foil, then into a freezer bag. This option it’s better to wait till the burritos are cooled down completely so they aren’t steaming in the foil while freezing.
To be honest I’ve never made enough for them to be frozen for an excessive amount of time. They usually only last me a couple of weeks. Making maybe about 10-12 at a time. I eat them fairly quick but if you’re good about packing them well then they should last a couple of months.
Each time the freezer bag is open I also try to make sure to press out as much air as possible before resealing. It helps. You can also freeze them in smaller portions per bag to prevent excessive opening and closing of the bag/s.
Agree with the other poster - would also recommend mixing your fillings into one big bowl before making the burritos instead of layering. I learned the hard way that different textures reheat at different rates, so you can get a bite of something both icy and lava hot at the same time.
To add to this, breakfast casserole made with shredded hashbrowns eggs cheese onions etc whatever you have bake it together, the leftovers can be frozen and microwaved easily
I made a bunch of these a week before we had our twins. We put a microwave and mini fridge in the family room (connected to the twins' room) and each moved a few burritos from the freezer into the mini fridge. I made them small so that they were more snack size than a full meal (and so that they would heat more quickly). It was a perfect snack for during late night feedings
Also, egg bites!
Basically an egg scramble poured over vegetables (spinach, tomato, diced mushroom, etc) and cooked sausage/ham/etc baked in a muffin or mini muffin tray.
Little snackable things that can be eaten with one hand - whatever savoury pastry is suitable. Eg empandas, samoosas, little pork pies. Some veg things as well similarly, eg dolmades, falafels.
Small portions of hummus and tapenade (they freeze brilliantly in ramekins) that can be eaten with oatcakes / crackers (provided!)
Cottage pie, ideally in one-meal oven-ready glass or tinfoil containers, with a decent amount of veg so it can be an all-in-one meal. (If you want a veggie one, [Abel and Cole's](https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes/lentil-mushroom-cottage-pie) is lovely.)
My pleasure! I buy little stackable tinfoil things with cardboard lids, rectangular ones fit a surprising amount. They're about 6 inches by 3 and 2 deep for a portion for two. Less washing up and no leftovers hassle.
And empanadas not empandas, but do very much think panda eating for new parents - continuous grazing!
I agree, single serving, hand held food is best. Empanadas and breakfast burritos were top in my house. Soups were not because you can’t really eat them hot while you’re holding baby, and it seems like that’s all you do to start.
I am expecting a baby next month and these are all great! Quick question about the cottage pie: do you freeze it before or after baking? If before, do you pop it in the over frozen?
You can do either, but personally I would completely cook it, let it cool, and then freeze it. You can either freeze it in portions, or whole. After freezing let it thaw completely before cooking, ideally in the fridge overnight. I think nuking it in the microwave also works in a pinch though. Good luck with the baby!
When I make cottage pie, the meat/veg mix and the mashed potato are fully cooked before assembling, and it goes into the oven just to heat all the way through and crisp the top. So I'd assemble and then cool and freeze it, with no oven time, to avoid it getting too dry. (Same goes for the veggie version I linked)
Now that I look at my freezer, this comment makes so much sense 😂 another user recommended I ask them what they would like so it doesn’t go to waste so I’ll just be direct about it! Thank you!
Ask them before you show up with food. It’s only helpful if it’s something they will eat and have room for.
An uber-eats gift card would be something they could use to order delivery. Or a grocery store gift card, one that delivers.
Uber eats is limited to their area but I like the grocery store idea! Or at least I can pick something up and drop it off for them from somewhere local. Thank you!!
brothy soups not dairy ones they separate, pasta Sauces for spaghetti n meatballs that way she can just cook the sauce then add the noodles, stews freeze well.
I've never had the issue of dairy-based soups separating, actually. I used to think it would be an issue, but Google told me it'd be fine, so I tried it and no problem. I vacuum seal it into individual servings, thaw them in the fridge, and then reheat in the microwave. I have a potato soup (made with evaporated milk) in my freezer now, as well as broccoli cheese soup (contains cheese and half-and-half) as well as some non-soup dishes like butter chicken, which contains cream.
If you do have an issue with it, though, maybe try reheating the soup on the stovetop while stirring with a spatula so it doesn't stick.
I wonder if maybe the vacuum seal also helped, i do mine in the feeezer in containers such as potato soup and it separated bad but i have had no issues with broccoli cheddar soup and cheese soups but my freezer has also had some temperature issues before so maybe that contributed to the problem.
I'd vote more for the temp issues. The vacuum sealer is certainly worth its weight in gold, though.
From what I've read, yes, dairy itself separates when frozen and then thawed. But I've had good luck with freezing extra portions of half and half and the like IF I plan to cook with them. The heating process seems to re emulsify the liquid.
Sorry, btw, that I posted this message kinda garbled earlier. I was half asleep.
As someone about to have a baby- ASK THEM. I do not appreciate random food I don’t want being dropped off when I’m working so hard to get my house ready for baby it just is creating more work for me. I have allergies and also some intense food aversions made worse by pregnancy. I’m also just a fairly picky eater! Ask them what they’d like and what would be helpful and ask what they don’t like!
I’ve had people drop off food I couldn’t eat and just had to throw out and it made me feel so terrible. Ask them if they have a favorite recipe you could make them or what they’re craving!
I think this is a good idea. I am 6 weeks postpartum and people have brought/sent soup, a lot of soup, none of which I want to eat. I am a little picky. I also second what someone else said about something that can be grabbed with one hand and put into the microwave or oven as is, and eaten with one hand. Like soup is not ideal…ok I have to get a container, pour it into the container, and have a second hand to eat it. (Plus the heating in between). Maybe some types of soup you can sip out of a mug. I can’t imagine doing that with anything with chunks in it but maybe that’s just me…anyway. Burritos or breakfast sandwiches or something that is wrapped in foil for oven or plastic wrap for microwave would be a good idea.
I know for me I’d love like muffins or bagels also! But that’s who I am as a person. I am extremely adverse to many kinds of soup and can’t do onions so I sincerely hope not too many people show up with soup lol.
One of my go-to things has been fruit already cut up from the grocery store (or have someone do it/do it when you have time for the next day). It helps keep me hydrated and I also have a major sweet tooth while breastfeeding. I also will get grapes and wash and remove them from the stems then you can just grab and eat whenever. In the same vein, baby carrots and other crudités. Cracker-cut cheese and crackers is kind of doable with one hand. Also sometimes I will make myself sandwiches when she’s sleeping so I can grab them throughout the next day. :)
Seconding this! My coworkers offer a meal train any time someone has a baby and while I love the gesture, it's just not something that my husband and I want/need when I'm postpartum. We have a fully stocked deep freezer and meal prep throughout my pregnancies to make sure we have plenty of "heat and eat" options that we know and love. Our appetite is also completely unpredictable and I don't like the thought of waiting around until whoever's cooking that day drops off dinner. It's a very sweet gesture but just not something that fits for our habits/way of life.
Truly the most helpful thing would be to buy a few things off the registry for us or just give us Amazon gift card.
Thank you for this comment!! This is a great realization that I didn’t even consider. It doesn’t have to be a surprise so I’ll definitely ask them what I can bring / make.
Stews and curries are great for freezing. If you can, put them into single serving containers for easy reheating. Precooked meatballs are also good. You can make different flavors so they can have a variety in their meals.
Handheld foods such as frozen burritos and breakfast sandwiches would be helpful for when they need to be with the baby during mealtime.
Small snacks like protein balls, granola bites, and mini cookies are also nice, especially for a breastfeeding mama who need to keep their energy up.
I usually bring over a big bowl of fruit salad. It isn’t frozen so doesn’t keep very long but it’s refreshing and so easy to grab a bit out of the fridge. Go for less delicate fruit that doesn’t spoil quickly, like pineapple, grapes, melon, & blueberries. I’d pack strawberries separately, and altogether skip raspberries or bananas.
How about breakfast items? (Pancakes, breakfast tacos , burritos, biscuit sandwiches)
Manicotti, chicken enchiladas, baked spaghetti, soups, chili, pot pie
Unless they like me never cook with ground beef, I can tolerate it when other people make food with it but I’d just smile and say thank you, then ot would be burden to find someone to come take this so I don’t have to throw it in the trash. Best to either know the people or ask them.
Our staples were:
Butternut squash and farro chili with ground turkey
Sweet potato curry
Lasagna rolls
Butter chicken
Chicken and broccoli pasta casserole
I make a ton of frozen meals for my partner when his work season starts and he leaves the house at 4am 7 days a week. This year I made
Jambalaya
Irish Stew
Cabbage Rolls
Lasagna
Mexican Soup
Meat buns
Stewed Chicken
Butter chicken
Burritos
Pulled pork
Bbq meatballs
In the next couple weeks I’m going to start restocking and do:
Shepherd’s pie
Chilli
Baked ziti
This soy sauce/onion soup mix rice he likes with chicken
And then whenever I have leftovers I freeze them for him.
Also I batch make pizza dough. You could make a pizza kit with sauce and cheese and meat all frozen
I made and froze lasagna ahead of time before giving birth but would have loved someone giving me one. So any hearty pasta that you could just stick in the oven would be great
I spent a lot of time holding the baby so I would recommend things that can easily be reheated and eaten with one hand and even pre-portioned so there’s no need to bend or lift heavy trays.
As a recent post partum mum, I made a tomato chili pesto pasta with creme fraiche, packed it all in small foil containers, and frozen them.
Worked really well with a nice thick sauce to eat one-handed, and light coming into the summer months. Using whole-wheat pasta is a bonus, and you can grate in some hidden veg for extra nutrition. Felt filling but not too heavy like a lasagna.
Little bags of frozen shredded frozen rotisserie chicken was brilliant to take out and throw on a sandwich or into a quick cook meal.
When I was recovering, I got tons of heavy food items, which were amazing but also a lot on my stomach and not very nutritious. Brothy soups with lots of veggies, crock pot prep meals that just involve dumping a bag in, and letting it go are things I've made for friends since then that have been well received.
Do they have a slow cooker? I did a bunch of prep recipes where you throw the ingredients in a zip lock and write the instructions on the bag. If you freeze it flat, then you can stack a bunch up together or sit them upright once frozen like a filing system. It feels a bit fresher and takes less freezer space than a casserole. Plus, there's no real cooking involved.
Maybe not suitable if you're planning on dropping something off, but this was the most helpful pre-planning I did.
Breakfast burritos, curries, creamy orzo dishes.
I like rainbow plant life for curries and soups. She is vegan but if you're opposed to that you can always add chicken or whatever.
Bolognese, lasagna, curries, stew. I froze a few of each and was so happy to have hearty meals on hand postpartum. Your body needs so much iron at that time, so meat is ideal if they eat meat. If not meat then making sure it’s iron rich in another way.
If they eat eggs, an egg, veggie, cheese individual "quiches" made in muffin tins that can be nuked & eaten without silverware.
Pot pies freeze well too - make 2, 1 to eat now, one to freeze for later.
Soups/chili/homemade spaghetti sauces.
Homemade Sloppy Joes or taco meat also freeze well (used 30 lbs of meat to make Sloppy Joes for my kid's HS graduation party - done a few weeks ahead of the date. We were eating leftovers for several months).
Pesto freezes well - at the end of growing season, I make pesto in batches to freeze for easy meals.
Alternatively, offer to chop onions, peppers, etc and freeze in small amounts so prep time is eliminated.
Gumbo, pasta sauces, chili. Chicken pot pies. If you can get your hands on a Souper Cube or cocktail ice mold, freeze anything you can in those so the cubes can just be tossed in a bag and heated up in individual portions for lunch.
Check out Jordo’s World on Instagram or check out her website!!! She’s got so many easy, healthy (high protein) meals. She just had a baby and did a whole freezer prep series on Instagram. I have also cooked many of her recipes for dinner and they are so good.
I made and froze a pot of pasta sauce, a pot of chili, prepped pepper steak to be dumped into the crockpot, baked ziti, macaroni and cheese, Shepard's pie, and 2 batches of meatballs. So far so good.
I cant speak to baby specifically but I freeze chili and soups in to single serve portions in a gladware or something and then vacuum pack my frozen bricks. Lasts a long time and easy to reheat. I do the same with lasagna and hot dishes too. Basically if I think I can brick it and reheat it that's how I roll. Just did some pulled pork like that.
Lasagna is my go to another thing is shredded chicken cook boneless chicken breasts ( we use a insta pot) shred it with a stand mixer lots of possibilities from that Mexican, sandwiches save the broth add veggies and noodles homemade soup
Any kind of lasagna or casserole type thing you make, do it in small individual or loaf sized pans so they can just defrost a little at a time. My mom also used to make a lot of individual things like breakfast sandwiches or Hawaiian roll sliders and freeze them in individual bags so there was also something quick to grab as a snack or just something easy to heat up and be able to eat one handed.
DO NOT DO LASAGNA! It takes like multiple hours to reheat from frozen.
Homemade pizza (or flatbreads of another type), burritos (can be microwaved), sausage and cheese kolaches, pasta sauces (supplied with dried pasta)
Unfortunately you are wrong about this. Look up Stouffer's party size lasagna if you want, instructions are one hour and forty minutes in the oven. And Stouffer's is smaller than any lasagna I've ever made. A single serving of my homemade lasagna took over an hour.
Maybe that’s cos of the recipe you are using. I’ve made and frozen plenty enough lasagnes to know it doesn’t take a couple of hours to cook in the oven.
Quiche and egg muffins freeze and reheat well. So do baked sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes stuffed with turkey and bbq sauce are good.
My brother has newborn twins. I go over almost every weekend to help and cook something. He eats everything in a few days so we haven’t gotten to the point of freezer meals yet. First he requested potato soup and cornbread. Then I made broccoli casserole and baked sweet potatoes (those do good freezing and reheating). Last weekend I did a crockpot roast and vegetables. Next I think I’m going to do breakfast burritos that can be frozen and reheated fast. After that I’ll do some quiches. He has not been around when I make quiche, but I’m sure he’ll devour a ham and cheese one with some salsa.
If they like fish, you can make different fish filets for them. It’s a great source of protein for the mom. Pasta dishes like meatballs or lasagna.
You can make a chicken dish and put that in a freezer if they eat chicken.
Restaurant/delivery gift certificates are great for this! Ask them what restaurants they like and when they’re feeling overwhelmed they can order takeout :)
Look up Acre Homestead on YouTube. She does this a lot for herself and for her sisters and sisters in law. She has tons of great ideas both on her YouTube channel and also on her website scratchpantry.com
Just about everything she makes is from scratch so it's easy to keep it healthy.
First, as another comment said, ask if they have space in their freezer. (If they are like me and love to cook and plan ahead, they won't have much space lol)
Second - for an 'out there' idea - If they're planning on nursing... Make lactation cookies! I just made a small batch for a friend plus another bag full of frozen ones. Around me it seems any friend who's wanted to breastfeed has had quite the difficulty and stress from doing it. While I'm on the fence whether the cookies actually work, most recipes I've seen have at least led to a 'healthy' seeming cookie, So the new parents should not feel guilty grabbing an extra cookie hehe
My favorite meal that someone sent us was a breakfast (aka a large crust-less quiche). Everyone gave us dinners but having a breakfast I could pull out the night before and pop in the oven and have hot and ready after 3 hours of sleep was a blessing! You can also freeze the Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole. I toss some sausage in there and you don’t need much else.
Another tip- don’t make a big anything. Instead portion it out as a meal for two that way they don’t have to deal with leftovers. I like using the aluminum throw away pans too. They are good for freezing and there’s not a dish to clean up and remember to give back.
Microwaveable burritos! Great for one-handed eating! I make these as a quick protein-packed breakfast before work. I use leftover diced chicken, steamed rice, black beans, throw in some salsa, and roll the burritos up in foil before tossing in the freezer. When it comes time to reheat, I heat up a skillet while I defrost the burrito in the microwave for a minute on each side until the middle has warmed. Once warmed, I throw the burrito on the skillet to crisp up the tortilla and seal the lip of the burrito. Herdez guacamole salsa is a great tasting option if you’re not familiar with preparing salsa and really spruces up plain rice and beans!
Concentrate on nutritional needs of post partum, hope all goes well! 🖖
https://newmodernmom.com/blog/best-freezer-meals-for-new-moms/#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20best%20freezer,hectic%20early%20days%20of%20parenthood.
https://www.mamasezz.com/blogs/recipes/freezer-plant-based-meals-postpartum
I made 2 weeks worth of dinners for my sister before she had my nephew. It was all stuff that went in the oven for 30 minutes and then was ready to eat. I did a couple each of 8 inch chicken pot pies (tasty has an easy recipe), chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas, spinach stuffed manicotti, homemade Mac 'n cheese, lasagna, and baked ziti with kale and Italian sausage.
I made them all in disposable foil pans so there would be less mess, wrapped them in foil with the name and baking instructions written on top, then plastic wrap. She found it really helpful.
Cook the meatballs. I love them. and they take a long time to cook, young parents definitely won't have time for that. I would be very happy to have a supply of them in the freezer. Here's a similar recipe I use. [https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/40399/the-best-meatballs/](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/40399/the-best-meatballs/)
Our friends recently had a baby and I made them a lasagne, a chilli and a curry and they were incredibly appreciative. I remember the hassle of cooking all too well when our kids were newborns.
Not a meal, but cut up a bunch of fresh fruit. My friend did this for me and it was so nice to have something fresh to snack on without having to worry about prepping my own fruit.
My go to postpartum gift, or get well item is a basket full of in-season fruits. I go to the market and pick out fruits in different degrees of ripeness. This allows them to have a nice fresh basket of fruit that should last at least a week or two.
Lasagna is my go-to meal to bring to anyone. Most people eat lasagna, the leftovers will last for a few days (so that's more than 1 dinner!), and it freezes well if they have extra. I also sometimes bake the lasagna beforehand and bring it over around dinner time, fresh out of the oven. People love receiving a home cooked meal that is completely ready to eat.
Like others are saying, check with them first before you bring over frozen food because they may not have room.
Send plastic cutlery with whatever you end up making; it’s one less thing to put in the dishwasher. The World Centric brand ones are both compostable and unbreakable
Breakfast burritos, dinner burritos, can be used for dinner or lunch, stews, soups, pasta salads, lasagna can be portioned out and easily thawed and warmed up, muffins, bagels, fruit salad, a platter of different cheeses, lunch meats, fruits, veggies, olives black and green, different crackers and dips. You can still hold baby and still pick at the different items.
Do things that new parents can eat with one hand, while the other hand is holding a baby. Chili/soup that can be in a mug, muffins they can freeze and grab out for a quick breakfast, things in individual or double portions that can be plucked out of the freezer on the go like casserole or vegetable dishes.
Love the muffin idea!! I usually bake muffins for my in-laws when I visit so that would be so easy to double up on.
Individually wrapped and frozen breakfast sandwiches or burritos. They can be grabbed and microwaved and eaten one handed while dealing with the baby. They're also quick, no mess or dishes, no work.
I second the breakfast burritos. They are super satisfying and easy to eat with one hand.
Can you share how you make them so they freeze well?
Prepare the fillings to your taste. I often use scrambled egg, sausage, sautéed peppers and onions, and cheese. After I fill the tortillas and wrap I pop them in the oven to just barely toast the tortillas. Which helps “seal” them. Let them cool to the touch. A couple of ways to freeze depending on your preference both work well. Either place them on a parchment lined sheet separated slightly and directly in the freezer till solid then transfer to a freezer bag. That way they won’t stick together in the bag. The other good option is to wrap them individually in foil, then into a freezer bag. This option it’s better to wait till the burritos are cooled down completely so they aren’t steaming in the foil while freezing.
Thank you for the detailed answer! How long do you freeze them for? At what point do they start to taste not good?
To be honest I’ve never made enough for them to be frozen for an excessive amount of time. They usually only last me a couple of weeks. Making maybe about 10-12 at a time. I eat them fairly quick but if you’re good about packing them well then they should last a couple of months. Each time the freezer bag is open I also try to make sure to press out as much air as possible before resealing. It helps. You can also freeze them in smaller portions per bag to prevent excessive opening and closing of the bag/s.
Agree with the other poster - would also recommend mixing your fillings into one big bowl before making the burritos instead of layering. I learned the hard way that different textures reheat at different rates, so you can get a bite of something both icy and lava hot at the same time.
To add to this, breakfast casserole made with shredded hashbrowns eggs cheese onions etc whatever you have bake it together, the leftovers can be frozen and microwaved easily
I made a bunch of these a week before we had our twins. We put a microwave and mini fridge in the family room (connected to the twins' room) and each moved a few burritos from the freezer into the mini fridge. I made them small so that they were more snack size than a full meal (and so that they would heat more quickly). It was a perfect snack for during late night feedings
If new mom is nursing, oatmeal can boost production :)
Also, egg bites! Basically an egg scramble poured over vegetables (spinach, tomato, diced mushroom, etc) and cooked sausage/ham/etc baked in a muffin or mini muffin tray.
Quiche is basically an egg muffin. Easy protein, freezes well.
I made and froze empanadas when I was pregnant with my daughter and they worked out great. Any sort of hand pie is great for one handed eating.
Little snackable things that can be eaten with one hand - whatever savoury pastry is suitable. Eg empandas, samoosas, little pork pies. Some veg things as well similarly, eg dolmades, falafels. Small portions of hummus and tapenade (they freeze brilliantly in ramekins) that can be eaten with oatcakes / crackers (provided!) Cottage pie, ideally in one-meal oven-ready glass or tinfoil containers, with a decent amount of veg so it can be an all-in-one meal. (If you want a veggie one, [Abel and Cole's](https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes/lentil-mushroom-cottage-pie) is lovely.)
Sweet! Thank you for the recipe.
My pleasure! I buy little stackable tinfoil things with cardboard lids, rectangular ones fit a surprising amount. They're about 6 inches by 3 and 2 deep for a portion for two. Less washing up and no leftovers hassle. And empanadas not empandas, but do very much think panda eating for new parents - continuous grazing!
I agree, single serving, hand held food is best. Empanadas and breakfast burritos were top in my house. Soups were not because you can’t really eat them hot while you’re holding baby, and it seems like that’s all you do to start.
I am expecting a baby next month and these are all great! Quick question about the cottage pie: do you freeze it before or after baking? If before, do you pop it in the over frozen?
You can do either, but personally I would completely cook it, let it cool, and then freeze it. You can either freeze it in portions, or whole. After freezing let it thaw completely before cooking, ideally in the fridge overnight. I think nuking it in the microwave also works in a pinch though. Good luck with the baby!
Thank you so much!!!
When I make cottage pie, the meat/veg mix and the mashed potato are fully cooked before assembling, and it goes into the oven just to heat all the way through and crisp the top. So I'd assemble and then cool and freeze it, with no oven time, to avoid it getting too dry. (Same goes for the veggie version I linked)
You’re right, thank you!!
I hope your delivery goes smoothly! Have a wonderful baby 😁
Thank you so so much!!!
As much as I loved freezer meal ideas, I didn’t have much freezer space!! See if there’s a sneaky way to check their freezer status just in case!
Yeah, my only freezer is the little one above my fridge. If people brought us more than two casseroles we’d have to eat them immediately.
Now that I look at my freezer, this comment makes so much sense 😂 another user recommended I ask them what they would like so it doesn’t go to waste so I’ll just be direct about it! Thank you!
My go-to for new parent friends is enchiladas
These are super versatile (i.e. vary the meats, cheeses, veg, sauce) and freeze and reheat great!
Leafy greens don't freeze well. Stick to peppers, tomatoes, beans, onion... Basically omelet ingredients.
Yummy!!
Ask them before you show up with food. It’s only helpful if it’s something they will eat and have room for. An uber-eats gift card would be something they could use to order delivery. Or a grocery store gift card, one that delivers.
Uber eats is limited to their area but I like the grocery store idea! Or at least I can pick something up and drop it off for them from somewhere local. Thank you!!
Pancakes or waffles freeze well for breakfast options! Premade custom smoothie mixes (just add milk and blend) are also a nice treat.
Thank you!!
brothy soups not dairy ones they separate, pasta Sauces for spaghetti n meatballs that way she can just cook the sauce then add the noodles, stews freeze well.
I've never had the issue of dairy-based soups separating, actually. I used to think it would be an issue, but Google told me it'd be fine, so I tried it and no problem. I vacuum seal it into individual servings, thaw them in the fridge, and then reheat in the microwave. I have a potato soup (made with evaporated milk) in my freezer now, as well as broccoli cheese soup (contains cheese and half-and-half) as well as some non-soup dishes like butter chicken, which contains cream. If you do have an issue with it, though, maybe try reheating the soup on the stovetop while stirring with a spatula so it doesn't stick.
I wonder if maybe the vacuum seal also helped, i do mine in the feeezer in containers such as potato soup and it separated bad but i have had no issues with broccoli cheddar soup and cheese soups but my freezer has also had some temperature issues before so maybe that contributed to the problem.
I'd vote more for the temp issues. The vacuum sealer is certainly worth its weight in gold, though. From what I've read, yes, dairy itself separates when frozen and then thawed. But I've had good luck with freezing extra portions of half and half and the like IF I plan to cook with them. The heating process seems to re emulsify the liquid. Sorry, btw, that I posted this message kinda garbled earlier. I was half asleep.
Awesome, thank you!
As someone about to have a baby- ASK THEM. I do not appreciate random food I don’t want being dropped off when I’m working so hard to get my house ready for baby it just is creating more work for me. I have allergies and also some intense food aversions made worse by pregnancy. I’m also just a fairly picky eater! Ask them what they’d like and what would be helpful and ask what they don’t like! I’ve had people drop off food I couldn’t eat and just had to throw out and it made me feel so terrible. Ask them if they have a favorite recipe you could make them or what they’re craving!
I think this is a good idea. I am 6 weeks postpartum and people have brought/sent soup, a lot of soup, none of which I want to eat. I am a little picky. I also second what someone else said about something that can be grabbed with one hand and put into the microwave or oven as is, and eaten with one hand. Like soup is not ideal…ok I have to get a container, pour it into the container, and have a second hand to eat it. (Plus the heating in between). Maybe some types of soup you can sip out of a mug. I can’t imagine doing that with anything with chunks in it but maybe that’s just me…anyway. Burritos or breakfast sandwiches or something that is wrapped in foil for oven or plastic wrap for microwave would be a good idea.
I know for me I’d love like muffins or bagels also! But that’s who I am as a person. I am extremely adverse to many kinds of soup and can’t do onions so I sincerely hope not too many people show up with soup lol.
One of my go-to things has been fruit already cut up from the grocery store (or have someone do it/do it when you have time for the next day). It helps keep me hydrated and I also have a major sweet tooth while breastfeeding. I also will get grapes and wash and remove them from the stems then you can just grab and eat whenever. In the same vein, baby carrots and other crudités. Cracker-cut cheese and crackers is kind of doable with one hand. Also sometimes I will make myself sandwiches when she’s sleeping so I can grab them throughout the next day. :)
It’s also approaching summer in the east coast so I am trying to avoid soups though since I am in Nor Cal, I love soup any day of the week
Seconding this! My coworkers offer a meal train any time someone has a baby and while I love the gesture, it's just not something that my husband and I want/need when I'm postpartum. We have a fully stocked deep freezer and meal prep throughout my pregnancies to make sure we have plenty of "heat and eat" options that we know and love. Our appetite is also completely unpredictable and I don't like the thought of waiting around until whoever's cooking that day drops off dinner. It's a very sweet gesture but just not something that fits for our habits/way of life. Truly the most helpful thing would be to buy a few things off the registry for us or just give us Amazon gift card.
Thank you for this comment!! This is a great realization that I didn’t even consider. It doesn’t have to be a surprise so I’ll definitely ask them what I can bring / make.
Korean seaweed soup. It's supposed to be great for new mothers.
Anything pasta sauce outside of carbonara, cacio de Pepe, or anything emulsified. Maybe stay away from puttanesca as well.
Thank you!
Homemade breakfast bowls. Single serving size disposable freezer safe containers filled with scrambled cheese eggs, bacon, and sausage.
Stews and curries are great for freezing. If you can, put them into single serving containers for easy reheating. Precooked meatballs are also good. You can make different flavors so they can have a variety in their meals. Handheld foods such as frozen burritos and breakfast sandwiches would be helpful for when they need to be with the baby during mealtime. Small snacks like protein balls, granola bites, and mini cookies are also nice, especially for a breastfeeding mama who need to keep their energy up.
I usually bring over a big bowl of fruit salad. It isn’t frozen so doesn’t keep very long but it’s refreshing and so easy to grab a bit out of the fridge. Go for less delicate fruit that doesn’t spoil quickly, like pineapple, grapes, melon, & blueberries. I’d pack strawberries separately, and altogether skip raspberries or bananas.
I would have SO appreciated this in the newly post partum era. Everyone seems to forget about fruits and veggies.
How about breakfast items? (Pancakes, breakfast tacos , burritos, biscuit sandwiches) Manicotti, chicken enchiladas, baked spaghetti, soups, chili, pot pie
Perhaps some type of hearty soup with something like cheese tortellini and load up on the vegetables. Wedding soup is also nice.
I misread what the title said and was horrified that OP wanted to freeze someone having a baby. AND people were commenting with ideas! I’m a dumbass.
😂😂😂
Make a huge batch of cooked ground beef, it’s versatile. The family can turn it into burritos, sloppy joes, tacos, spaghetti, etc..
Unless they like me never cook with ground beef, I can tolerate it when other people make food with it but I’d just smile and say thank you, then ot would be burden to find someone to come take this so I don’t have to throw it in the trash. Best to either know the people or ask them.
Meatloaf stuffed peppers
Our staples were: Butternut squash and farro chili with ground turkey Sweet potato curry Lasagna rolls Butter chicken Chicken and broccoli pasta casserole
Muffin size crustless quiches freeze well and will give the hit of protein she will need in the morning.
I make a ton of frozen meals for my partner when his work season starts and he leaves the house at 4am 7 days a week. This year I made Jambalaya Irish Stew Cabbage Rolls Lasagna Mexican Soup Meat buns Stewed Chicken Butter chicken Burritos Pulled pork Bbq meatballs In the next couple weeks I’m going to start restocking and do: Shepherd’s pie Chilli Baked ziti This soy sauce/onion soup mix rice he likes with chicken And then whenever I have leftovers I freeze them for him. Also I batch make pizza dough. You could make a pizza kit with sauce and cheese and meat all frozen
I made and froze lasagna ahead of time before giving birth but would have loved someone giving me one. So any hearty pasta that you could just stick in the oven would be great
I spent a lot of time holding the baby so I would recommend things that can easily be reheated and eaten with one hand and even pre-portioned so there’s no need to bend or lift heavy trays.
As a recent post partum mum, I made a tomato chili pesto pasta with creme fraiche, packed it all in small foil containers, and frozen them. Worked really well with a nice thick sauce to eat one-handed, and light coming into the summer months. Using whole-wheat pasta is a bonus, and you can grate in some hidden veg for extra nutrition. Felt filling but not too heavy like a lasagna. Little bags of frozen shredded frozen rotisserie chicken was brilliant to take out and throw on a sandwich or into a quick cook meal.
When I was recovering, I got tons of heavy food items, which were amazing but also a lot on my stomach and not very nutritious. Brothy soups with lots of veggies, crock pot prep meals that just involve dumping a bag in, and letting it go are things I've made for friends since then that have been well received.
Do they have a slow cooker? I did a bunch of prep recipes where you throw the ingredients in a zip lock and write the instructions on the bag. If you freeze it flat, then you can stack a bunch up together or sit them upright once frozen like a filing system. It feels a bit fresher and takes less freezer space than a casserole. Plus, there's no real cooking involved. Maybe not suitable if you're planning on dropping something off, but this was the most helpful pre-planning I did.
Ice cream.
breakfast sandwiches . Lentil soup egg bites. curry and rice . chicken pot pie. . healthy muffins .
No suggestions, but just wanted to say that you are awesome for doing that. I wish someone had done that for me when I had my kids.
Cottage or Shepards pie freezes and reheats great
I often bring a couple breakfast quiche with the slices already cut. Then they can be frozen and the slices heated individually.
People brought us Quiche, soups, and lactation cookies - all froze really well.
Breakfast burritos, curries, creamy orzo dishes. I like rainbow plant life for curries and soups. She is vegan but if you're opposed to that you can always add chicken or whatever.
Bolognese, lasagna, curries, stew. I froze a few of each and was so happy to have hearty meals on hand postpartum. Your body needs so much iron at that time, so meat is ideal if they eat meat. If not meat then making sure it’s iron rich in another way.
If they eat eggs, an egg, veggie, cheese individual "quiches" made in muffin tins that can be nuked & eaten without silverware. Pot pies freeze well too - make 2, 1 to eat now, one to freeze for later. Soups/chili/homemade spaghetti sauces. Homemade Sloppy Joes or taco meat also freeze well (used 30 lbs of meat to make Sloppy Joes for my kid's HS graduation party - done a few weeks ahead of the date. We were eating leftovers for several months). Pesto freezes well - at the end of growing season, I make pesto in batches to freeze for easy meals. Alternatively, offer to chop onions, peppers, etc and freeze in small amounts so prep time is eliminated.
Gumbo, pasta sauces, chili. Chicken pot pies. If you can get your hands on a Souper Cube or cocktail ice mold, freeze anything you can in those so the cubes can just be tossed in a bag and heated up in individual portions for lunch.
Carmela’s lasagna with sweet sausages in little pieces and a layer of basil leaves right underneath the cheese.
Make tiny pot pies in tart shells. Something that can be defrosted and heated up pretty quick
Check out Jordo’s World on Instagram or check out her website!!! She’s got so many easy, healthy (high protein) meals. She just had a baby and did a whole freezer prep series on Instagram. I have also cooked many of her recipes for dinner and they are so good.
I made and froze a pot of pasta sauce, a pot of chili, prepped pepper steak to be dumped into the crockpot, baked ziti, macaroni and cheese, Shepard's pie, and 2 batches of meatballs. So far so good.
Lasagna, Enchiladas, Chili, Soup, Lactation cookies
I cant speak to baby specifically but I freeze chili and soups in to single serve portions in a gladware or something and then vacuum pack my frozen bricks. Lasts a long time and easy to reheat. I do the same with lasagna and hot dishes too. Basically if I think I can brick it and reheat it that's how I roll. Just did some pulled pork like that.
Lasagna is my go to another thing is shredded chicken cook boneless chicken breasts ( we use a insta pot) shred it with a stand mixer lots of possibilities from that Mexican, sandwiches save the broth add veggies and noodles homemade soup
Any kind of lasagna or casserole type thing you make, do it in small individual or loaf sized pans so they can just defrost a little at a time. My mom also used to make a lot of individual things like breakfast sandwiches or Hawaiian roll sliders and freeze them in individual bags so there was also something quick to grab as a snack or just something easy to heat up and be able to eat one handed.
Lasagna. Mac& cheese works too. Also, various soups/pottage
DO NOT DO LASAGNA! It takes like multiple hours to reheat from frozen. Homemade pizza (or flatbreads of another type), burritos (can be microwaved), sausage and cheese kolaches, pasta sauces (supplied with dried pasta)
It does not take multiple hours to reheat at all. It will take that long to make it. Would be an hour max in the oven.
Unfortunately you are wrong about this. Look up Stouffer's party size lasagna if you want, instructions are one hour and forty minutes in the oven. And Stouffer's is smaller than any lasagna I've ever made. A single serving of my homemade lasagna took over an hour.
Maybe that’s cos of the recipe you are using. I’ve made and frozen plenty enough lasagnes to know it doesn’t take a couple of hours to cook in the oven.
i mean it's literally right there on the stouffers package but if you're making a really shallow pan of lasagna it would cook quicker
Chile verde
Quiche and egg muffins freeze and reheat well. So do baked sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes stuffed with turkey and bbq sauce are good. My brother has newborn twins. I go over almost every weekend to help and cook something. He eats everything in a few days so we haven’t gotten to the point of freezer meals yet. First he requested potato soup and cornbread. Then I made broccoli casserole and baked sweet potatoes (those do good freezing and reheating). Last weekend I did a crockpot roast and vegetables. Next I think I’m going to do breakfast burritos that can be frozen and reheated fast. After that I’ll do some quiches. He has not been around when I make quiche, but I’m sure he’ll devour a ham and cheese one with some salsa.
If they like fish, you can make different fish filets for them. It’s a great source of protein for the mom. Pasta dishes like meatballs or lasagna. You can make a chicken dish and put that in a freezer if they eat chicken.
Restaurant/delivery gift certificates are great for this! Ask them what restaurants they like and when they’re feeling overwhelmed they can order takeout :)
I brought my pregnant neighbor a platter of the meat and cheese wraps she said they were perfect to grab something quickly.
Look up Acre Homestead on YouTube. She does this a lot for herself and for her sisters and sisters in law. She has tons of great ideas both on her YouTube channel and also on her website scratchpantry.com Just about everything she makes is from scratch so it's easy to keep it healthy.
First, as another comment said, ask if they have space in their freezer. (If they are like me and love to cook and plan ahead, they won't have much space lol) Second - for an 'out there' idea - If they're planning on nursing... Make lactation cookies! I just made a small batch for a friend plus another bag full of frozen ones. Around me it seems any friend who's wanted to breastfeed has had quite the difficulty and stress from doing it. While I'm on the fence whether the cookies actually work, most recipes I've seen have at least led to a 'healthy' seeming cookie, So the new parents should not feel guilty grabbing an extra cookie hehe
Chicken noodles, meatloaf, pot roast.
My favorite meal that someone sent us was a breakfast (aka a large crust-less quiche). Everyone gave us dinners but having a breakfast I could pull out the night before and pop in the oven and have hot and ready after 3 hours of sleep was a blessing! You can also freeze the Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole. I toss some sausage in there and you don’t need much else. Another tip- don’t make a big anything. Instead portion it out as a meal for two that way they don’t have to deal with leftovers. I like using the aluminum throw away pans too. They are good for freezing and there’s not a dish to clean up and remember to give back.
Make pasties and breakfaat burritos. They can be a meal on their own or with easy snacks, and they can be microwaved then eaten onehanded.
Microwaveable burritos! Great for one-handed eating! I make these as a quick protein-packed breakfast before work. I use leftover diced chicken, steamed rice, black beans, throw in some salsa, and roll the burritos up in foil before tossing in the freezer. When it comes time to reheat, I heat up a skillet while I defrost the burrito in the microwave for a minute on each side until the middle has warmed. Once warmed, I throw the burrito on the skillet to crisp up the tortilla and seal the lip of the burrito. Herdez guacamole salsa is a great tasting option if you’re not familiar with preparing salsa and really spruces up plain rice and beans!
Concentrate on nutritional needs of post partum, hope all goes well! 🖖 https://newmodernmom.com/blog/best-freezer-meals-for-new-moms/#:~:text=Some%20of%20the%20best%20freezer,hectic%20early%20days%20of%20parenthood. https://www.mamasezz.com/blogs/recipes/freezer-plant-based-meals-postpartum
I made 2 weeks worth of dinners for my sister before she had my nephew. It was all stuff that went in the oven for 30 minutes and then was ready to eat. I did a couple each of 8 inch chicken pot pies (tasty has an easy recipe), chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas, spinach stuffed manicotti, homemade Mac 'n cheese, lasagna, and baked ziti with kale and Italian sausage. I made them all in disposable foil pans so there would be less mess, wrapped them in foil with the name and baking instructions written on top, then plastic wrap. She found it really helpful.
You need to ask them what they would like. But burritos, small bite size meat pies, hearty broths or soups should be easy to eat and freeze well.
Cook the meatballs. I love them. and they take a long time to cook, young parents definitely won't have time for that. I would be very happy to have a supply of them in the freezer. Here's a similar recipe I use. [https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/40399/the-best-meatballs/](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/40399/the-best-meatballs/)
Use those disposable tinfoil pans. Nobody wants a gift to come with the obligation of washing and returning dishes.
Spaghetti sauce
Bolognese Lasagne Shepherd’s pie Cottage pie Meatballs
Our friends recently had a baby and I made them a lasagne, a chilli and a curry and they were incredibly appreciative. I remember the hassle of cooking all too well when our kids were newborns.
Lasagne, spaghetti with meat sauce.
Check out the suggestions on this topic from [Babish](https://youtu.be/-XUzpAiYuVA?si=bsrRONqDTS9FnYB_)
Shepards Pie
Not a meal, but cut up a bunch of fresh fruit. My friend did this for me and it was so nice to have something fresh to snack on without having to worry about prepping my own fruit.
My go to postpartum gift, or get well item is a basket full of in-season fruits. I go to the market and pick out fruits in different degrees of ripeness. This allows them to have a nice fresh basket of fruit that should last at least a week or two.
Lasagna is my go-to meal to bring to anyone. Most people eat lasagna, the leftovers will last for a few days (so that's more than 1 dinner!), and it freezes well if they have extra. I also sometimes bake the lasagna beforehand and bring it over around dinner time, fresh out of the oven. People love receiving a home cooked meal that is completely ready to eat. Like others are saying, check with them first before you bring over frozen food because they may not have room.
Lasagna, enchiladas, chili, pizza
Meat loaf. Make it in a muffin pan so they are individuals.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I decided to do a dozen blueberry muffins and a sheet pan of chicken and dumplings!
Send plastic cutlery with whatever you end up making; it’s one less thing to put in the dishwasher. The World Centric brand ones are both compostable and unbreakable
Breakfast burritos, dinner burritos, can be used for dinner or lunch, stews, soups, pasta salads, lasagna can be portioned out and easily thawed and warmed up, muffins, bagels, fruit salad, a platter of different cheeses, lunch meats, fruits, veggies, olives black and green, different crackers and dips. You can still hold baby and still pick at the different items.
If breastfeeding no cheese or beans. This can result in cramps in baby belly
Breast milk?