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Postpartum Meal Prep: Roundup!
- Jennifer Costello
- Mar 25, 2024
- 3 min read
When I was about 35 weeks pregnant, I took some time to prepare some freezer meals - and I'm SO glad I did. While it's not totally necessary to do this, I was so grateful to myself for taking the time, because after a cesarean birth, I truly couldn't cook for myself for weeks. I had stocked a good two weeks worth of meals, including mostly stews, soups, and muffins. I also made some lactation cookies which I'll link here.
Photo by Ello on unsplash.com
Nutrients during the Postpartum Phase
During postpartum, we want to be focusing on a few key things to help nurture our bodies and minds. These include:
protein, fat and fibre
vitamin and mineral rich food (AKA nutrient-dense foods)
foods that heal the tissues, especially bone broth
foods that promote lactation, if you desire to breastfeed
calorie-rich foods
So without further adieu, here is a short roundup of my favourite freezer-friendly meals that I recommend!
Breakfast/Baking
Oats are so awesome. They are galactagogues, meaning they help to mildly/moderately increase milk supply. They are generally really grounding, nourishing as well as oatmeal. Make this baked version ahead of time and precut it into portions, thaw, and serve with some maple syrup.
This is called breakfast soup, but you can eat it absolutely any time of day. I usually use half of a chicken and use the other half in another batch, but you can definitely use a whole chicken and make it extremely protein-rich. You can also mix up the vegetables and use things like sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, etc. depending on your preference.
Do "lactation cookies" really work? The jury is out on this, but why not make a batch of beautiful oatmeal cookies to enjoy anyways? lol. I’ve made these cookies multiple times, and I love them every time. They’re so good right out of the freezer.
I’m not a huge baker, so I love that this whole thing comes together in a blender. They freeze pretty well, and you can make them into a mini muffins if you want as well. They’re also kid-friendly, or so I’ve heard!
Here’s another muffin recipe, this time with pumpkin though, and it’s AIP. There might be some different ingredients that you don’t have on hand (like cassava flour), but if you are sensitive to grains, it’s a great recipe. I usually just use eggs instead of the gelatin and applesauce because I’m not sensitive. Message me for how I modify this one, but I absolutely love these muffins and I’ve made them over and over. They freeze well!
Lunch/Dinner
Bone broth is SO good for you postpartum. I repeat: bone broth is what you need. It's so incredibly healing for the tissues, not to mention so comforting. This recipe is very nutrient-dense and such a yummy comfort food. Takes really good with fresh bread, if you have it on hand!
This is a great vegan recipe. It works so perfectly for lunch. I personally like this with shredded cheese on top, but obviously that negates the "vegan-ness" of it, so that's up to you. It's full of fibre to help your digestion (constipation is a common postpartum complaint).
This is another one of my recipes, and I find it SO satiating. It's full of protein with turkey and beans, and loads of fibre from the veggies and beans. It's nourishing, warming, and nutrient-dense. Make it as spicy as you like.
I'm curious - did you find meal preparation saved you during this transition? What were some of your favourite meals? Comment below; I'd love to read!
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