The Atlanta Doula | Creating a Postpartum Meal PlanOne thing that I often spend time talking about with my clients in our final prenatal appointments is the benefits of having a postpartum plan. The days following birth should be filled with snuggles, bonding, and joy, not worry about feeding your family. For this reason I often encourage new clients to come up with a postpartum meal plan- while they are still pregnant! One tried and true tip to help facilitate this is to create freezer meals. Often times friends and family are happy to come over and spend a day cooking to help fill your freezer. Another idea is to double meals that you are already cooking- just freeze the extra! I've surveyed clients and scoured the internet and put together a list of some of the best, and healthiest, freezer meals I could find. Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato and Black BeansRecipe courtesy of Thriving Home Blog This recipe is a double whammy! Not only is it a freezer meal but it's also made in the slow cooker. When I was pregnant with my now 17(!) month old, I was the queen of crock pot meals. Seriously. What's easier than throwing ingredients into a crock pot and coming home to a delicious, and healthy, meal. My advice is to double the recipe, eat half for dinner tonight, and throw the rest in the freezer for later. Any honestly, what's better than chili? My favorite part is the toppings. I love throwing some shredded cheddar cheese and diced avocado on top, but sour cream (or greek yogurt) and some cilantro would be delicious as well! Ingredients
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Notes Freezer Meal Instructions: To freeze: Cook according to directions. Let fully cool. Freeze in air tight, freezable container or zip top bag. To Prepare: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm gently on the stove top, in slow cooker on LOW, or in the microwave until warmed through. Mediterranean Quinoa BurgersRecipe courtesy of Well Plated I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years now and one of the hardest things to give up was hamburgers. Or so I thought. Enter the quinoa burger. Easy, healthy, delicious and so much better than frozen veggie franken-burgers. This particular one hits all of those notes, and even better, is made almost entirely in a food processor (or blender.) No chickpea mashing required. I oftentimes eat this burger on its own, without a bun, with a big side salad and some roasted veggies. Best. Freezer Meal. Ever. Ingredients: FOR THE BURGERS
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Cooked leftover chickpea burgers will keep well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days. Uncooked patties can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for two days or frozen for two months. Let thaw in the refrigerator prior to cooking. Unstuffed Pepper SoupRecipe courtesy of Stockpiling Moms Another slow cooker freezer meal! You're welcome. But seriously, it doesn't get easier (or more delicious) than this. The bonus is that this meal is also Whole30 friendly. Getting my toddler to eat much of anything other than cheese sticks these days is kind of a struggle. Except for soup. She loves soup, especially this soup. I'm not sure if it's the spices, or all of the wonderful veggies, but she devours it! So go forth and make, eat, and freeze this soup. It's toddler approved, after all. INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
Sunday Night StewRecipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman aka my girl Ree. We're friends, she just doesn't know it yet. One of my favorite things about her (aside from everything) is her ability to continually provide wonderful home-cooked meals to her friends and family. I need to get on her level. But in all seriousness, who doesn't love a stew. You can serve this over mashed potatoes, brown rice, or just by itself. It's honestly delicious any way you serve it. INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add butter, and as soon as it melts, brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes. Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed! When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir in minced parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end. Notes Freezer Meal Instructions: To freeze: Cook according to directions. Let fully cool. Freeze in air tight, freezable container or zip top bag. To Prepare: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm gently on the stove top, in slow cooker on LOW, or in the microwave until warmed through. Hawaiian ChickenRecipe courtesy of New Leaf Wellness You guys. Hawaiian. Chicken. And it's gluten free. Need I say more? This one is honestly so simple and so very tasty. It's perfect for snuggling up on the couch with your family and watching a fun movie. Comfort food at its best. Ingredients
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So there you have it. 5 simple, healthy, and yummy meals to prepare you for a blissful postpartum. I would love to hear your thoughts if you've made any of these dishes. What was your favorite meal postpartum? I'd love to hear from you!
2 Comments
Irina B.
5/12/2017 08:35:01 pm
Thank you for posting these - they all look so yummy and easy!!! I'm not in a postpartum period anymore but can definitely use these for busy workweeks.
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11/13/2022 11:08:39 pm
Something like others. Hotel both region sound others message.
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StefanieAtlanta birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, cloth diaper expect, yoga enthusiast, and baby snuggler. Archives
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