Like the rising of the sun, dinner comes back around again every night. It shouldn’t surprise us, yet how many times do we get asked, “What’s for dinner?” And don’t have the answer ready.
As moms, we need to be prepared to nourish ourselves and our family. But how do we decide what to make in the postpartum season? And how do we find the time to make it?
Hopefully you have support in these first few weeks and months. (And if you don’t, remember you can always ask for help.) But eventually those extra hands go home, and we’re left to our own devices. This is how I plan and prepare nourishing meals for my family in the busy postpartum season.
Easy Postpartum Meal Prepping is Essential
Meal prepping–preparing your food once a week (or less)–will change the way you think about feeding yourself and your family. It can turn a nightly chore that you dread into something quick, enjoyable, and life-giving.
Meal planning and prepping makes it possible to cook once–doing all of the chopping, browning, and mixing on a single day–and to clean once. That means when your hands are full with littles, or the baby won’t let you put her down, that you can still feed your family something more nourishing than a delivered pizza. And as a bonus, the kitchen sink doesn’t fill up with the prep dishes.
Despite what you may know about food prep, you DO NOT have to eat the same meal all week, and you don’t have to eat all reheated food. You can have a diet full of a variety of fresh, healthy meals.
My 3-Part Postpartum Meal Prep Formula
My own meal-prep formula is simple and consists of three parts:
- Grain
- Vegetable
- Protein
Grain
This is the base that the rest of the meal sits on. I try to stick to things that are quick. Rice, absolutely. Couscous, maybe not. With a rice cooker, you don’t have to touch the pot after you hit ‘start,’ and it’s ok if your hands are all tied up the moment it’s done.
Vegetable
Pick something that requires minimal prep. I really love frozen broccoli or green beans because they take one hand to get going on the stove and my family loves them. Sometimes I’ll chop peppers or cucumbers earlier in the week to go with a dinner. Plus, I can purchase a month’s supply without worrying about spoilage or another trip to the grocery store. Bagged salads are also great.
Protein
This is what I really prepare at the start of the week. Roll the meatballs, bread the chicken. I almost always have both of these on hand. I try to have something that can be easily tossed in the oven and left there for 20-35 minutes without getting too overcooked. This is what will stick with you to the next meal and give you the energy you need to keep caring for babies.
Once you have all three of these elements, your dinner is ready. If you’re wondering about fruits, dairy, or any other part of your food pyramid, consider adding these as snacks throughout the day. Or have ice cream for dessert.
How to Quickly Meal Prep Easy Dinners Postpartum
The number one thing you need to do to prepare meals for a week is simple: prepare ahead of time.
Prepare for your meal prep day by making a list of what you’ll eat next week, then make a grocery list of ingredients you need. Finally, ask someone to hold the baby so you can focus on the kitchen.
I like to prepare proteins that are ready for the oven or the crock pot. It is also helpful to get some quick freezer meals ready to go. Freezer meals don’t always mean soggy lasagna, and if you want some inspiration, check out Passionate Penny Pincher’s Freezer Recipes.
A normal prep day may look like this:
- Start by browning meat for a freezer meal
- Mix meatballs, roll, and put in freezer to flash freeze
- Chop veggies for multiple meals throughout the week
- Prepare marinated meat for crockpot
- Combine freezer meal ingredients
- Bag up meatballs into individual meals
- Make chicken tenders and flash freeze on meatball pans
- Clean kitchen
- Bag up chicken tenders and wash the sheet pan
Frozen meals and meats can be stored for several months, while foods stored in the fridge should be eaten after a few days. I usually make everything and freeze it on the prep day, as most foods can be cooked or baked from frozen.
I typically prepare 2 proteins for baking (like chicken and meatballs), 1 for the crockpot (such as pork salsa verde), and 2 freezer meals. I’m not above planning a dinner with frozen pizza and a bagged salad.
Remember, this is the postpartum season. We’re aiming for fed, not perfection. Give yourself grace if you feel you don’t have the time or energy to cook elaborate meals with fresh sourdough bread and sauce from tomatoes grown in your own yard. That isn’t the point of this kind of meal prep.
Simplify the Day You Cook
There are a few ways you can make your life easier on the day you cook your dinners. These include:
- Use disposable pans
- A rice cooker is your best friend
- Start after breakfast
First, I want to tell you that it’s ok to use disposable pans if that makes dealing with the mess more manageable. This time is a season that will pass, and you may find you don’t need these pans for long.
I cannot stress enough that rice is such an easy side to make, and you can start it while holding a baby. If you don’t have a rice cooker, do yourself a favor and try a cheap one. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and your life will be changed. Rice cookers can also be used for quinoa, oatmeal (so I’ve read) and, most importantly, rice.
If you need to prep or chop anything for dinner (like potatoes for mashing), start in the morning. Dinner time will come faster than you think. It’s ok if the potatoes sit in a pot of water on the stove all day.
My Favorite Sample Week of Meal Prep Meals
Here is a sample list of meals I like to prep and have on hand throughout the week in the postpartum season:
- Monday – Prepped Meatballs with Spaghetti and Bagged Salad
- Tuesday – Crockpot Pork Salsa Verde Tacos with Rice and Black Beans
- Wednesday – Homemade Chicken Tenders with Roast Potato Wedges and Veggies
- Thursday – Frozen Tortellini Bake with Bagged Salad
- Friday – Prepped Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Broccoli
- Saturday – Marinated Firecracker Salmon with Rice, Black Beans, Chopped Veggies and Gochujang Sauce
- Sunday – Frozen Pizza with a Bagged Salad (and prep for next week!)
What Are Your Go-To Postpartum Meals?
Nourishing our own bodies can be a big challenge postpartum. Sometimes, it can feel impossible when we have others depending on us to get food on the table in a timely manner.
How do you feed your family through this postpartum season? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
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