35 Healthy Postpartum Freezer Meals for New Moms
Currently expecting and looking to make some freezer meals to make life a little easier for when baby arrives?
Having meals frozen and ready to go for postpartum will help ensure that your family has healthy, delicious meals to eat, and it will allow you more time to recover, establish breastfeeding, and bond with your baby.
It will help ensure that you’re nourishing your body with healthy foods that aid in healing instead of having to order out because dinner time quickly came and the baby wants to eat and be held and there’s nothing to eat in the fridge. So what are some of my favorite freezer meals you ask?
In this post, I share over 30 healthy freezer meals that are perfect for new moms and their families. I’ll also talk about when you should start making your meals, proper storage, and some of the best freezer meal tips.
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When Should You Make Freezer Meals Before Baby?
This is a hard question to answer, as baby could really arrive at anytime. Most babies will make their entrance between 37-42 weeks gestation, although there’s always the possibility of having a pre-term baby as well.
Based on these factors, many moms aim to make their postpartum freezer meals around that 36 week mark.
It may not be a bad idea to make a few a little earlier and a few little later though as well. That way you’re covered by a few more weeks if your baby decides to make an early appearance or cook a little longer. You may even want to have some to eat for when that end of pregnancy exhaustion hits hard.
How Long Do Freezer Meals Last?
Generally speaking, most freezer meals will last 3-6 months when stored properly. Liquid-based meals, such as soups and stews, will generally freeze best and last the longest.
When viewing recipes online or in cookbooks, look for those storage tips or that “Can you freeze….” question. If a recipe doesn’t include freezer instructions, it’s best to stick with that 3 month expiration date.
Proper storage of your meals will help avoid freezer-burn and degradation of quality and texture.
Freezer Meal Tips and Things to Consider
- Label: Be sure to label all your freezer meals with an expiration date. You’ll also want to include any directions for thawing and cooking.
- Blanch your veggies: Veggies, especially potatoes, turn out best if you quickly blanch them before freezing. There’s lots of great YouTube videos out there on how to do this.
- Refrigerate before freezing: Placing steaming hot food into your freezer can actually lead to contamination. You also don’t want to let your food sit out very long either, so it’s best to cool your cooked meals in the fridge before freezing.
- Go dairy-free: If you plan on breastfeeding and you normally consume dairy, you may want to consider making at least a few dairy-free freezer meals just incase your baby is sensitive to dairy or suffers from infant acid reflux.
- Create smaller portions: Consider freezing larger meals, such as casseroles, in smaller portions, as it makes the thawing and heating process to go much smoother. Plus, you can pull out exactly what you need when storing in individual units.
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35 Healthy Meals to Make and Freeze Before Baby Arrives
Listed below are 35 healthy and nutritious postpartum freezer meals. This list includes breakfast items, soups and stews, vegan and gluten-free options, lean meats, and more.
Breakfast
1. Vegan Breakfast Casserole (Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free) | Strength & Sunshine
2. Strawberries and Cream Baked Oatmeal | Two Pink Peonies
3. Overnight Sausage Egg Breakfast Casserole | Call Me Pic
4. Banana Pikelets (Baby Pancakes) | The Aussie Home Cook
5. Croissant Breakfast Sandwich | The Forked Spoon
Soups and Chilis
6. Beef, Black Bean, and Butternut Squash Chili | I Heart Recipes
7. Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup | Your Home, Made Healthy
8. Keto Tomato Soup | Foodborne Wellness
9. Butternut Squash Soup | Couple of Seeds
10. Ultimate Vegan Chilli | Vegan Huggs
11. The Best Lentil Soup | Lemon Blossoms
12. Sopa De Tortilla (Tortilla Soup) | Sugar Spice n’ Everything Nice
13. Creamy Vegan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup | Happy Kitchen
14. Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup | Lemon Blossoms
15. 1-Pot Paleo Chicken Soup Recipe | Healy Eats Real
Chicken and Turkey
16. Healthy Coconut Curry Chicken | Worn Slap Out
17. Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Sauce | In the Kitch
18. Cinnamon Chicken | Budget Delicious
19. Easy Chicken Tinga Tacos (Using Rotisserie Chicken) | Borrowed Bites
20. Instant Pot Butter Chicken | Little Sunny Kitchen
21. Instant Pot Chicken and Rice | This Old Gal
22. Easy Blueberry Turkey Meatballs (Whole 30, AIP) | Wholesome Family Living
23. Instant Pot Tandoori Chicken Curry | Foodborne Wellness
24. Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (Without Soup!) | Dishes with Dad
Pastas, Pies, and More
25. Vegan Spinach Ravioli | Sugar Spice n’ Everything Nice
26. Vegan Shepherd’s Pie | By The Forkful
27. Old Fashioned Goulash | Call Me PMc
28. Simple Shepherd’s Pie | Christina’s Cucina
29. Cauliflower Pizza Casserole | Hungry Hobby
30. Ultimate Stuffed Pepper Casserole | Baking Beauty
31. Aloo Methi: Fenugreek Leaves and Potato Curry | So Yummy Recipes
32. Moussaka (Musaka) | Healthy Life Trainer
Snacks and Treats
33. Banana No-Bake Energy Bites | I Heart Recipes
34. Healthy Strawberry Popsicles | Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream
35. Chocolate Chip Energy Balls | The Girl Who Ate Everything
Healthy Postpartum Eating!
I hope this list gave you lots of healthy options to choose from. These nourishing foods will help heal your postpartum body and give you peace of mind that the rest of your family is eating healthy during this busy time as well.
Wishing you a safe and healthy birth and congrats on the new addition(s)!
What About You?
What are some of your favorite freezer meals? Share which healthy options you plan to make in the comments below and be sure to share this post with other expecting moms, dads, and even family and friends of those expecting.
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How would you go about freezing the coconut curry & the butter chicken for best results? Thanks
For this recipe, I would make according to instructions, but omit the spinach and possibly red bell pepper until reheating. Let cool, pour in a freezer bag, let out air, and lay flat to freeze.