Whether you’re a mother-to-be or looking for ways to lighten the load for a new mother in your life, one of the best things you can do is make eating easier for the new mama. When you’re living with a newborn, sleep schedules are erratic, the laundry and chores are piling up, and everything in life is a huge adjustment. The importance of new mothers getting healthy food in their bodies to have the energy to deal with all the postpartum period cannot be overstated. So, after you find the perfect baby blankets to include in your care package, make sure you pass along these easy to prepare meal ideas to her – or go the extra mile and prepare them for her!
Meal Delivery Kits
While there are plenty of meal delivery kits on the market that make fun “date night” activities while you follow step-by-step instructions to make an elaborate meal, these aren’t the kits we’re talking about. There are plenty of delivery services that will deliver heat and eat meals for mama full of nutritious and healthy ingredients. All of these services let you tailor the ingredients to any lifestyle or dietary restrictions she may have too. There are many easy ways for you to make sure she stays healthy and doesn’t spend hours in the kitchen eating nutritiously.
Powerhouse Smoothies
Maybe you are the mama in the scenario, and you’re looking for ways to make sure you’re hyper nourishing with limited free time. Enter smoothies to save the day! An easy smoothie recipe that makes sure you get your greens, and your omegas is a kale and fruit smoothie. You can create an incredibly nourishing smoothie with simple ingredients like 1/2 a pound of kale, two tablespoons of flax seeds and chia seeds, water, and any fruit you want to add. Throw the ingredients in a blender and maybe a dash of yogurt for probiotics, and you’re good to go. While you can’t sustain yourself all day, drinking an entire blender full of this type of smoothie can last you all day until dinner – you’ll feel energized and know you’re getting healthy nourishment.
Casseroles
Casseroles get a bad wrap because they can be associated with funerals or other negative life events, but the reality is, casseroles come in handy when you’re short on time. Consider baking a hearty and healthy casserole for a new mom you know and freezing it – she can eat it piecemeal, and it’s easy to heat up in a pinch. If you are the mom in the scenario, take some time while the baby is napping to make your favorite casserole recipes and have them ready for you whenever you need warm, filling comfort food.
Beef Stew
For many people, nothing smells like growing up at home more than a delicious beef stew cooking in a crockpot – nostalgic, right? Beef stew is more than comfort food, and it’s packed with necessary protein and healthy vegetables. But, most importantly, it’s delicious and easy to heat up. It’s also easy to make – simply use the ingredients of your favorite recipe, toss them into your crockpot and let it cook all day. Your home will smell amazing, but you will also have plenty of leftovers to heat up between naps and feedings.
Vegan Options
Many people these days are plant-based, so you want to have easy vegan options on hand for the plant-based parents out there. Keeping your fridge stocked with pre-cut veggies and vegan dips is excellent to go to snacks that are easy to eat while rocking or nursing a baby. Vegan pre-made foods are thankfully easy to find at major grocery stores these days so loading up on things she can pop in the oven or microwave is easier for vegans today than ten years ago.
While cooking on the level you did pre-baby may not be possible, especially for those first few newborn months, it’s more important than ever that new moms stay healthy and nourished – just like new babies. You will get back to a place where you can spend more time in the kitchen like you love to, but for now – let the above-mentioned meal ideas be a starting point for easy to eat and prepare foods.