Preparing for a baby can be an overwhelming task but meal prepping and doing some planning ahead of time can help. I’m going to share some of the ways I’m preparing for baby below. Including freezer meals and healthy snacks that I plan on making before the baby arrives.
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It’s Time To Prep
I only have a few weeks left before baby #2 is going to be joining our family and we couldn’t be more excited! With that excitement though, I’m not going to lie, there is definitely some stress. I don’t have everything done on my to-do list yet and I feel like the baby could come any day now. So to help myself work through the process of preparing for baby, I thought I would invite you guys along on how I’m going to meal plan and prepare freezer meals for the first few weeks of postpartum.
If you’ve been through pregnancy and postpartum before, you probably remember the newborn fog that happens after the baby’s arrival. I remember not wanting to cook or clean for at least a few weeks after my daughter was born. Why get up from snuggling that sweet newborn if I don’t have to, right? Which is totally normal but I wanted to make it a little easier on myself this time by having our freezer stocked with meals for my family.
Along with freezer friendly meals, I want to also prepare breakfasts and snacks that I can prepare ahead of time and freeze. I tend to get hungry right away in the morning when breastfeeding so I knew I would want to have a few options on hand for breakfast too. Snacks are also a guaranteed must. The more snacks, the better, in my opinion!
Okay, let’s get into it. Of course if you need more ideas for freezer friendly meals, check Pinterest or more of your favorite food blogs. There are a lot of resources out there for quick meal ideas and I hope this article and others can help you prepare for your baby.
Freezer Friendly Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast can be a tricky one for my family because we all love breakfast but we’re all on different schedules. I don’t know how the new baby will sleep yet but I’m guessing it’ll be a balancing act getting everyone fed in the mornings.
- Egg Muffins or Quiche: Mushroom Sausage Egg Muffins are perfect for the freezer because they are already portioned out into separate cups. Just thaw them out in the fridge overnight or heat them in the microwave. I like to top them with salsa, avocado, or hot sauce.
- Banana Bread: You can either freeze the whole loaf or cut it into slices before freezing. I like to freeze the sliced loaf in an airtight container or bag so I can easily grab a slice and go. My toddler also LOVES this banana bread so it’s a great option for breakfast or snack for the whole family.
- Baked Oatmeal: My Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups are one of my favorite breakfasts to have in the freezer. The oatmeal cups are so easy to grab-and-go in their single serving portions. My toddler loves them too!
Other Quick Breakfast Ideas
Sometimes fresh breakfast ingredients are just as quick. Here are some additional simple breakfast ideas:
- Overnight Oats: We have a few overnight oat recipes on the blog to try; Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats, Cold Brew Coffee Overnight Oats, and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats. Overnight oats are great for meal prep because they are simple to mix together and place in the fridge for a few hours. They also last a few days in the fridge so you can have them throughout the week.
- Eggs: Scrambled eggs or fried eggs only take a few minutes to cook so they are also a great option when in a hurry.
- Smoothies: I love making smoothies in the morning and it’s a great way to get different ingredients into your diet. It’s also super simple to switch out regular dairy milk for non dairy milk! Some of my favorites are The Best Strawberry Banana Smoothie and Easy Orange Creamsicle Smoothie.
- Toast: It may seem simple but sometimes I forget how easy breakfast can be. Toast is another fast option. I like to store my gluten free bread in the freezer so I don’t feel pressured to use it up before it spoils on the counter. Some simple toast toppings; avocado, egg, or nut butter.
Snacks Prep
- Energy Balls or Bites: There are many different recipes for energy balls, energy bites, protein balls, ect. And for good reason, they are usually really simple to make, no bake, and freezer friendly. I am planning on preparing Lactation Bites (to help with breastfeeding supply), Apple Pie Energy Balls and No Bake Raspberry Energy Balls for my freezer stash.
- Lactation Cookies: These are awesome for new moms and they're made with ingredients that help promote milk production!
Other Easy Snack Ideas
- No Bake Chocolate Cacao Oat Bars: These are great because you don’t have to bake these bars and they’re protein packed!
- Crackers: I like to make sure I have my favorite gluten free crackers on hand before baby arrives because they are so easy to store in the pantry. I like to put nut butter on them or just eat plain for a quick energy boost.
- Fresh fruit and veggies: A lot of us don’t know when we will go into labor but having fresh fruit and veggies stocked in the fridge is definitely a good idea. Pair with dip, hummus, or just eat plain for a refreshing healthy snack. Pro tip: If there’s spinach or kale in our fridge that needs to be used up quickly, I’ll place it in the freezer and use in smoothies!
Freezer Meal Prep Ideas
For freezer meals I love to make things like soup, meatballs, or slow cooker meals that I can set and forget. I compiled a list below of some of my favorite freezer meals on the blog. Feel free to search Pinterest and Google for finding other great freezer friendly meals too.
I have freezer storage instructions listed in the specific blog posts themselves.
- Best Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie (Paleo, Whole30)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
- Slow Cooker Creamy Turkey Chowder
- Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
- The Best Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
- Healing Slow Cooker Carrot Soup
- Hamburger Vegetable Soup
- Easy Ginger Turkey Meatballs
More Quick Dinner Ideas
- Pasta or Zucchini Noodles: My family loves pasta night and I love how quick it is to boil some noodles. I also love to spiralize zucchini for a healthier meal option. I plan on having pasta sauce stocked in the pantry so we can make it in a pinch.
- Frozen Vegetables: Don’t underestimate the power of a bag of frozen veggies. I like to stock the freezer with a variety of frozen vegetables to add to pasta or other easy meals.
- Sheet Pan Meals: To save on space and time, sheet pan meals are a great option. They usually require less dishes and you can cook everything at once.
- Waffles, Eggs, Toast: In a pinch or to switch things up, my family loves breakfast for dinner. Eggs are so quick to make so we’ll usually do a big batch of loaded scrambled eggs with different veggies. Then pair the eggs with waffles, toast or pancakes.
Tips for Making Meal Time Easier
- Grocery Delivery: I had my daughter during the pandemic in 2020 so grocery delivery was definitely a game changer. I plan on using grocery delivery services again this time around because it was so convenient and less stressful. If you're located in an area that doesn’t have grocery delivery, maybe ask for help from family, friends or neighbors.
- Ask For Help: Like I stated above, asking for help is sometimes the best option. I am one of those people that doesn’t like to ask for much help but I’ve found it’s essential with a newborn and postpartum recovery. If someone offers to bring your family a meal, let them. It is an awesome way to try new recipes and leaves you with one less thing to worry about.
- Use Take-Out: Use this time to bond with your baby and stress less about what to make for dinner. Sometimes take-out or going out to a restaurant is just what is needed during this time of little sleep and newborn snuggles.
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