5 Postpartum Freezer Meals To Make Before Baby Arrives
January 1, 2024
Are you looking for ways to prepare for the arrival of your newborn? Getting ready for the fourth trimester usually involves a lot of nesting, such as getting the nursery ready, organizing the changiang table, and packing away all the onesies. There is another item to add to your postpartum checklist: Freezer meals!
Your nutritional needs do not diminish after you have your baby – in fact, they can increase! Breastfeeding women need to consume 2,200 to 2,500 calories each day to support milk production. Also, labor and delivery takes its toll on your body, so it’s important to focus on healing foods when you come home with your newborn.
Doing some postpartum meal prep ahead of time is a fantastic way to ensure you get the nutrition you need in the fourth trimester.
When Should I Start Making Postpartum Freezer Meals?
Freezer meals can be kept in the freezer for around three months. So, you can start prepping your postpartum stockpile one to two months before your due date.Use airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, and remove as much air as possible before sealing to prevent freezer burn which affects the quality and taste of food. Label each package with the date of preparation so that you know when you need to eat it.
What Ingredients Should Healing Freezer Meals For Postpartum And Breastfeeding Include?
Chicken
Chicken is rich in protein to help with tissue repair, and it’s also a great source of choline, which, “…plays a role in babies’ brain and nervous system development. Lactating women need more of it, some 550 milligrams per day, to replenish their own stores and meet baby’s needs,” says What To Expect.Dark Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens like Swiss chard, spinach, and kale are sources of vitamin A, a nutrient that is vital for proper immune system function.Oats
Oats are one of the best foods for breast milk production as they’re high in plant estrogens. “Foods that contain plant estrogens are associated with the stimulation of the milk glands and greater production of breast milk,” explains Verywell Family.Garlic
Another food for breast milk production is garlic! This herb has been used throughout the ages to stimulate lactation.
The Best Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding
Lactation-Inducing Ingredients To Boost Your Milk Supply
Get the GuideIf you’re looking to make more milk by eating powerful superfoods, you’ve come to the perfect page. This guide includes a list of what to eat, drink, and savor for mamas wanting to encourage lactation!
A peek inside:
- The best fruits and veggies for increasing breastmilk supply
- Breastfeeding superfoods: nuts, herbs, seeds, and grains
- Lactogenic legumes
- Dairy (that’s right: milk intake = milk output)
Beans
Beans are a fantastic vegetarian source of protein as well as iron. Many mamas experience anemia after giving birth due to loss of blood, so incorporating various iron-rich foods in your postpartum diet is important.Whole Grains
Rice, oats, barley, and bulgar wheat can provide you with fiber to help with constipation (a common postpartum condition). Including whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables can help your digestion system get back on track.Constipation can be a real pain in the butt. But luckily for you, we’ve got a whole resource that can help provide constipation relief during pregnancy. Download this guide to find out which foods will help get things moving along! A peek inside:
How to Relieve Constipation During Pregnancy
Dietary Remedies for Pregnancy Constipation Relief
Get the Guide
Whole grains also provide you with energy! The postpartum period is extremely tiring, so it’s vital to eat nourishing, energy-producing foods.
Nourishing Postpartum Freezer Meals To Make
Good-For-Ya Chicken Barley Soup
Soup is one of the best freezer meals to make for the postpartum period as it’s hydrating. Getting enough liquids is essential as being dehydrated can contribute to a lower supply of breast milk.
Staying hydrated isn’t just about drinking water, it’s about eating the right foods, too! This guide gives you a full list of all the hydrating foods and liquids you can add to your diet to fight constipation, increase maternal blood volume, and keep you hydrated!
A peek inside:
- The most hydrating fruits: citrus, melons, berries
- The best veggies and leafy greens for pregnancy hydration
- Pregnancy-safe herbal teas
- Plus a list of liquids to sip on all day long
This soup is packed full of nutrients! The Swiss chard and carrots will provide you with immune-boosting vitamin A, while the chicken is rich in choline as well as niacin, essential for energy production. Niacin (vitamin B3) extracts fuel from the food you eat to give you energy, and it manages cell repair and maintenance.
The Best Energy-Boosting Foods to Eat During Pregnancy
A List of Nutrient-Rich Foods for Expecting Moms
Get the GuideIt’s not uncommon to feel exhausted or sleep-deprived during your pregnancy and postpartum period (also known as the fourth trimester). So, if you’re ready to add some energy-boosting ingredients to your daily meals, you’ll find this guide has exactly what you’ve been craving.
A peek inside:
- Energy-boosting fruits
- Vivacious vegetables
- Packed proteins: meat, seafood, dairy
- Supercharged seeds and nuts
- Life-giving leafy greens, legumes, and grains
- A few tips for other ways to naturally boost your energy that don’t include caffeine
Get the full recipe here.
Gender Reveal Rigatoni
This comforting pasta bake calls for tomatoes, an absolute must for your postpartum diet because of its content of vitamin C. This vitamin helps to boost your healing and fend off illnesses which can be easier to catch when you’re run-down.
You’ll need mozzarella and parmesan for this recipe. The cheese is a must not just for taste, but also because of its calcium content. “…you and your baby need calcium to keep your bones strong and healthy. It is recommended that a breastfeeding mother get about 1,000 mg of calcium a day – that is about 4 servings of dairy products,” explains the American Pregnancy Association.
Get the full recipe here.
Triplet Chili with Black Beans, Pinto Beans, and Kidney Beans
Thanks to the beans and vegetables, this chili is full of fiber to help keep things moving in your digestive tract.
The black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans are also high in iron, so this is the perfect nourishing meal to support your body’s recovery.
What makes the pinto and kidney beans even healthier for postpartum consumption is their content of iodine. This mineral forms part of the mother’s thyroid hormones. “The mother’s thyroid hormone levels affect proper fetal growth and neurological development during pregnancy and after birth,” says the CDC.
Tip: After heating this chili up for lunch or dinner, top with avocado slices for extra healthy fats to support energy production and your caloric needs.
Get the full recipe here.
Get That Milk Flowin’ Spiced Banana Oat Chia Muffins
These muffins are energy boosting thanks to the omega-3 ALA present in the chia seeds. This tiny superfood is also a fantastic source of iron and calcium.
The bananas in these muffins are high in magnesium. During pregnancy, magnesium stores get depleted in many women, so it’s important to ensure foods rich in this nutrient are incorporated into a postpartum diet. It is even theorized that magnesium can have mood boosting benefits.
You’ll also get choline, niacin, and protein from the eggs in this recipe.
Get the full recipe here.
Cacao, Orange Zest, and Cardamom Energy Truffles
Remember to meal prep some tasty desserts, Mama! We suggest these tasty truffles!
Good quality chocolate is healthy in moderation in a postpartum diet due to its levels of magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.
This recipe also calls for chia seeds and orange zest – the vitamin C in the orange will help your body absorb the iron in the chia seeds.
Get the full recipe here.
Make these postpartum freezer meal ideas to support your healing and breast milk production! Your future self will thank you.
