Postpartum Meal Prep Tips

It's been a minute since I have shared meal planning tips. I had quite the eventful pregnancy that required me to focus solely on getting my baby here healthy and my other three kids. I am happy to share baby girl is here and thriving, even though there were times we weren't sure that would be the case. By God's grace, my family is getting to love on a sweet and very happy 4-month-old.

So, today I'm sharing my go-to meal prep tips to make mealtime successful during the early baby days. Trust me, these are tips from my kitchen to yours. They're for when meal deliveries stop and your freezer meals run low. As a mom of four kids with a 4-month-old, these are the methods I've used to make feeding my family with a baby a bit easier.

The biggest struggle I hear from new moms and seasoned moms is preparing food during the first 6 months when your baby's schedule is so unpredictable. I ran into this with my first baby and have been able to fine-tune with each addition to our family. The cadence I found with baby #4 is the one I wish I'd had with my other three! This approach has made weeknight dinner much less stressful.

Whether you are a new mom or have multiple kids, this season of motherhood can be chaotic. I hope these tips and suggestions make this time a bit easier!

I've put together a FREE Postpartum Meal Plan to help get you started.

Meal Prep Tips

Leftovers are your best friend!

You will hear me talk about leftovers non-stop. It's true for a normal week, but I focus even more on it during the early baby days. My goal is to cook 3-4 days a week, then use leftovers for the rest of the week. Two of those days are on the weekend when my husband is home for an extra set of hands. So if the baby needs something, either my husband can help with cooking or soothe the baby so I can finish cooking.

Always double, triple, or even quadruple the recipes you cook. How much you increase the recipe depends on your family size, eating needs, and the recipe. Making this much of a recipe might seem overwhelming, but trust me, it will help make the weekdays easier during this season. One day can be smooth, and the next, you can't get anything done. If you have enough leftovers to last a week, you can manage the unpredictability better.

Keep it simple with your meals.

I prefer one-pot and sheet-pan meals during the week, but during postpartum, they're non-negotiable. I need something I can easily eat with one hand, prepare in stages, and clean up with fewer dishes. Most one-pot and sheet-pan meals accomplish all three. If a recipe is more than that, I typically make it over the weekend when my husband is home. I focus on quantity and recipes that make really good leftovers.

Buy precut vegetables or do your chopping over the weekend.

I typically prefer to chop my own vegetables. But in different life seasons, buying precut from the store can be a huge time saver. Buying frozen vegetables can also work well.

Since most recipes list ingredients by number of vegetables or cups (1 pepper, 1 head of broccoli, 3 cups cabbage, etc.), you may need to guess how many bags of pre-cut vegetables you will need. I tend to buy more than I think I will need, so I have enough. Plus, it helps sneak in a few more vegetables for my family. You can always roast up the extra, or store it in your freezer for future meals. If a recipe calls for 1 large head of cauliflower, I usually buy 3 bags of 10oz each at my usual grocery store (adds a little extra veggies for your meal).

Plan for preparation time.

Honestly, I don't do much meal prep ahead of time this season. It can be hard to add one more thing I have to plan or think about during this sleepless season. However, I focus on two things in preparation: breakfast and chopping vegetables.

Breakfast that's premade or very quick to make in the morning is something I can't recommend enough. No matter how the night went with a baby, I know I will have a breakfast option for myself and my family that doesn't require much effort.

We make a lot of pancakes and waffles, and I always double or triple them so I can freeze them and reheat them. Homemade granola with Greek yogurt is a great option, too. I love making a batch of quick oatmeal mix. Just add milk or water in the morning, cook it on the stove and you will have an easy, delicious breakfast. Breakfast casseroles are perfect for the weekend. You can make them the night before and bake when you wake up. Or use a recipe you can make in your crock pot overnight so it's ready right away.

Cutting vegetables with a baby strapped to my chest can work, but I prefer to do it kid-free. So, instead of waiting until late afternoon to start dinner when I know the baby will likely be more hands-on, I figure out which pockets of the day I can use to prep vegetables. It can change as the baby's schedule changes. Sometimes, it's over the weekend when I have some extra hands in the afternoons. Using the evening, once the kids are in bed, to prep vegetables for 10-15 minutes has helped a lot, too. I've even planned it around baby nap times. Usually, the nap is the most successful. Morning naps have worked well for my kids in previous baby seasons.

Make your cooking schedule predictable.

I think you've already caught on. Having a cooking schedule that is pretty much the same all the time is so helpful. Mentally, it lets you stay flexible when days go awry because you already know you have something in the refrigerator. Here is a sample schedule I have used:

Saturday:

Homemade Pizza or Tacos

Sunday:

Grilled meat (husband usually handles) with roasted vegetables and salad

Monday:

Sheet pan, slow cooker or one-pot recipe that's typically 30 minutes or less. Or a recipe that's quick to prepare, even if it is in the oven for an hour.

Tuesday:

Leftovers

Wednesday:

Leftovers

Thursday:

Leftovers

Friday:

Leftovers or back pocket recipe (breakfast for dinner, quesadillas, etc.) if I don't have enough leftovers

Even in the early postpartum days, you can still have home-cooked meals the whole family will look forward to.

As always, I love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments what has worked for you. Check out my FREE postpartum meal plan resource on wellfedco.com/shop!