Forget Flowers-Bring Food: How to Support New Parents (and Yourself) Postpartum
- Jenna Speir
- Aug 15
- 10 min read
When I heard my sister-in-law was pregnant, I knew exactly what I was going to do: fill her freezer with food. Not flowers, not another adorable onesie (though I did get my niece a chicken nugget dino onesie because.. OBVIOUSLY), but practical, ready-to-go meals. Because when I was postpartum, the single most helpful thing people did for me was show up with food—especially freezer meals I could just dump in the slow cooker and forget about until it magically turned into dinner.
Honestly, those meals felt like love in a casserole dish. They kept me from eating crackers over the sink, and they gave me one less thing to think about when my brain was running solely on coffee and newborn snuggles. So, when it was her turn, I grabbed my grocery list, prepped a storm, and made sure she had dinners, snacks, and one-handed bites for those “I’m too tired to chew” kind of days.
In this post, I’m sharing why food is hands-down one of the best gifts you can give a new parent, my top tips for postpartum food prep, and the recipes I used (with a few tweaks that made them extra easy and delicious).
Why Food Support Matters Postpartum
Having a baby is a big deal—physically, emotionally, and mentally. Your body has just done something incredible, and now it’s in recovery mode while you’re also learning to care for this tiny human who didn’t come with an instruction manual. On top of that, your hormones are all over the place, sleep is optional, and your brain is juggling about 57 things at once.
As a mom who’s been through postpartum twice, I can tell you: food matters. In those early weeks, meals aren’t just about filling your stomach—they’re about fuelling healing, supporting milk supply (if you’re breastfeeding),
keeping your energy up, and preventing the whole “oops, I forgot to eat lunch and now I’m crying over a granola bar” moment.
This isn’t just me speaking from experience as a mom—it’s also what I know as a doula and manual osteopath. Nourishment supports recovery: good food helps your tissues heal, keeps your blood sugar steady (hello, mood regulation), and gives you the fuel to actually enjoy those newborn snuggles instead of feeling like a zombie.
And the best part? Food support doesn’t have to be fancy. A freezer meal that goes straight into the crock pot, muffins you can eat with one hand, or even a smoothie bag you just dump and blend—all of it says, “I see you, I’ve got you, and you don’t have to do this alone.”
Tips for Prepping Food for New Parents (or Yourself!)
1. Think Nutrient-Dense
When you’re postpartum, healing is the main event (well, besides feeding and staring at your baby). Your body needs good fuel—think protein, healthy fats, fibre, and plenty of micronutrients to support recovery and energy levels. Choose meals and snacks that give actual nourishment, not just quick calories. Yes, chocolate-covered almonds count.
2. One-Handed Snacks Are a Lifesaver
Picture this: you’ve got a baby in one arm, maybe a toddler climbing your leg, and somehow you still need to eat. That’s why one-handed snacks are gold. Protein balls, muffins, wraps cut in half, even pre-cut fruit or cheese sticks—anything you can grab and shove in your mouth while still holding a baby deserves bonus points.
3. Dump-and-Go Meals Are Your Best Friend
For dinners, go for recipes you can literally dump into a slow cooker or Instant Pot and forget about until it’s time to eat. Bonus points if they can be prepped straight into freezer bags—just thaw, dump, and go. No one in postpartum life is searing, sautéing, or making a fancy roux while cluster feeding a baby.
4. Instructions on the Bag Are Key (Especially if You’re Gifting)
If you’re gifting meals, label them like you’re leaving instructions for a babysitter. Include:
What’s inside.
How to cook it (time, temperature, slow cooker vs. oven, etc.).
Any extras to add on the day (like broth, fresh veggies, or rice).
Serving suggestions (tacos? over pasta? with salad?).
Make it fool-proof so the new parents don’t need to go digging through their phone to figure out what the mystery bag is or how to cook it.
Let's Get Into SNACKS
Healthy Fudge
Honey Granola Bars
Lactation Energy Bites
No-Bake Cherry Energy Bites
Peaches and Cream Smoothie
Strawberry, Pineapple, Green Smoothie
This recipe is from Birth Eat Love and it is a one-bowl creation - which I live for. I doubled all the recipes here so I could stock my own freezer and this "fudge" is super decadent and when eaten straight from the freezer has that cold, refreshing boost that is so needed mid-summer.
If you are looking for something that is "actual" fudge then this concoction might not be for you, but I think it's a super simple, rich treat that is really nutrient dense. The ingredients are literally banana, PB, coconut oil, maple syrup, and cacao - how can you go wrong?!
This simple granola bar recipe is from Flippin Delicious. I find that with these basic few-
ingredient granola bars, there's a tendency to be sticky and more wet than I ever want a granola bar to be so I would make a few adjustments to the recipe (just my own opinion!).
I would still toast the oats, but I would pulse them a few times in the food processor or blender to smooth it out and absorb some of the nut butter and honey. I would also keep them in the freezer - they'll thaw quick enough if you take them out with plans of eating them immediately, if you want.
Recipe from Vigor It Out and both my sister-in-law and I are already huge fans of these bites. Again, super simple, one-handed snacks that are rich without feeling overly sweet and icky. The oats can give a little chew, but the change in texture is good - it also keeps it interesting and gives the balls structure.
I love a good dried cherry-anything so I was super excited to find these cherry date bites,
but I would make some changes to the recipe based on my own preferences. Fit as a Mama Bear explicitly lists the 2 measurements of vanilla extract (1 T & 1 t) and that you NEED both, but please cut it down. Mine tasted kind of boozy and it's just too much extract - but maybe you like that sort of thing so just ignore me of you do.
I do love date bites, so if I were making these again, I would just cut down the extract. But, do you, Mama!
Both smoothies are from Birth Eat Love's blog and these are the best simple freezer packs to do. Frozen fruit is the best value when buying fruit and you can personalize them so easily. I opted out of collagen powder (because it's the most expensive thing ever!!), so I just used some of my favourite vanilla protein powder and I think it'll be just as tastey.
For all the freezer meals, I had instruction notes taped to the front and for the smoothies I just added which milk is recommended. Honestly, they'll use whatever they want, but the peaches & cream would be extra yummy with full fat coconut milk. I would definitely keep the smoothie freezer packs on a "new mom care pack" and even for myself postpartum (or anytime!).
Let's Get Into BREAKFAST
Baked Oatmeal Cups
Egg Bites
Banana Quinoa Breakfast Bars
Eating Bird Food has the 4-way baked oatmeal cups - and I made all variations. My kids always like blueberry snacks so that one is a hit, also the chocolate chips are always good. I would recommend using the silicone muffin cups or disposable cups because they stick a little bit otherwise / fall apart. I ended up making an obscene amount - I did 3 of each variation so that's like.. 12 rounds?!
My first few rounds of the chocolate chip were my least cohesive batch (but my kids aren't picky when it comes to chocolate chips) - I would let the batter sit once mixed before putting them in the cups for at least 10 mins to absorb all that liquid. These were super easy to do and a great one-handed option for postpartum mama's and kids alike.
These omelettes bites were also by Eating Bird Food, and while these are a favourite with my kids when we're out, I would make some adjustments to this recipe so they would actually eat them at home. The silicone cups are a must - I actually threw out my muffin tin because of how caked in egg crap it was by the end. I also baked them too long so I would check them sooner and also have a water bath in the bottom of the oven so they stay moist (put a pyrex glass baking dish filled with water on the bottom rack and just leave it in there while you bake).
The pan fried veggies are a great flavour boost, but I would do a batch of just feta and cheddar for my kiddos since they are not a big fan of the veggies regardless of how tiny it is blended. Also, fill the cups up 1/2 or 3/4 full so they stay contained in the cups.
I really like the idea of these breakfast bars - and my kids do actually eat them from the freezer. This recipe is from The Healthy Maven. Now, I did find the quinoa stayed crunchy and it's not my favourite texture so I would leave them to sit even longer (15+ minutes) in the liquid to help offset that. Regardless of the crunch, I found these to be so easy to make and really yummy!
I would also try baking them longer than I did to help soften the quinoa. I took them out when the edges were browning, so I would do a few extra minutes and cover with foil to avoid the edges getting too crispy!
Let's Get Into DINNER
Summer Squash Soup
Bone Broth
White Chicken Chilli
Coconut Chickpea Curry
Lentil Bolognese
This soup from Flour On My Face is packed with summer veggies and bonus points to
anyone who uses some homemade bone broth (#2 / next on this list) for the liquid portion! Freezer dump-and-go meals were a priority for my sister-in-law so that my bro can just thaw something out the night before and put it in the crock pot in the morning and BOOM! dinner is served.
Don't skimp on the fresh dill and make sure to have instructions on the front of the bag for cook time, the addition of sour cream upon serving, and to serve with a slice of warm sourdough with butter -drool - or whatever you think the soup would be delicious alongside!
BONE BROTH
This is my own creation - it's such an easy way to use up scraps and make delicious, nutrient dense broth. This can be had on it's own like a tea, or used in soups as a base. We always freeze any chicken wing bones, thigh bones, ribs - any leftover bones, throw into a bag and keep in your freezer until you have enough for a batch of broth.
Here is what I put into my crock pot:
bag of bones
3-4 chopped carrots
2-3 chopped onions
any other veg that you need to use up (celery, onion scraps, cabbage, etc.)
2-4 bay leaves
fill up with water
I run this on low for at least 12 hours at which point I will sift out all the hard stuff and cook for another 6-12 hours with just the liquid. Strain and bottle it up. Salt as much as you want!
This white chicken chilli is from Haute & Healthy Living and we already ate ours up and while it was such a good "chicken soup" vibe, the freezing took a little away from the salsa verde and chillies that were added into the bag. I would add extra to the slow cooker and even some sour cream upon serving to get that burst of flavour. Definitely serve with cilantro, unless you hate cilantro, in which case I have no sympathy for you (just kidding - I'm so sad for you!!).
This is another beauty from Haute & Healthy Living. I haven't eaten ours yet, but the ease of making this recipe - literally dumping in a zip-lock and freezing it - has me in love. I'm always a sucker for good curry and the protein these chickpeas pack is crazy. It's always helpful to note on the instructions to serve with quinoa or rice or naan - so your recipients can be prepared, but other than that this is a straight forward, nutricious, delicious postpartum freezer option.
Haute & Healthy Living for the win again! Now, I didn't end up making this bolognese recipe, but I couldn't NOT include it in this list because it would be such a nutrient-dense, savoury dinner postpartum or a family with kids. I love me some pasta and this would be incredible served over some penne or linguine (don't mind me drooling over here). This recipe had more chopping and sauteing than I was willing to do so I think that's why it was skipped, but if you have the heart for some pre-sauteing and chopping, definitely give this recipe a try!
Forget Flowers - Bring That New Mom FOOD!
New families, and new mom's especially, don't need all the gifts. Now, I say that while having dropped off a straight-up gift basket to my sister-in-law, but there were a lot of snacks inside so I stand by it. Speaking from experience, whenever visitors brought snacks, stocked the fridge and pantry, and left things I didn't even notice until I was searching the freezer weeks later is what I'll always remember as being the most helpful.
Here are some other ways to help new mom's and new families, if food prepping isn't your thing:
Bring some staple groceries when you visit: apples, sourdough, juice, chocolate covered almonds, pasta salad. Do a quick run to your local Metro and grab just a bag of groceries.
Gift cards to Uber Eats or Skip The Dishes.
Ask specifics of what you will help with: "Can I load / run the dishwasher or would taking the garbage out be more helpful?" If you don't give specific options, most of the time, mom's won't offer up a chore or task especially if they aren't used to asking for help. Get specific and be useful!
Don't take the baby. If mom wants a shower, then obviously take the baby, but the last thing a new mom needs is time away from her baby. Do something else - it's not about you.
I hope this helps anyone looking to support a new family, or even ideas for your own postpartum / freezer prep.
Looking to support someone through pregnancy? Learn about birth doula support! Reach out if you want to learn more about what a birth doula does or read more here!
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