Wow! I feel like it’s been ages since I really wrote from the heart. I’m three and a half years deep into motherhood and I have a LOT to share with you all.
I wanted to focus this blog post on meal planning basics postpartum. During my 6 years of personal cheffing to individuals with dietary restrictions or families with health specific needs, I’ve managed to provide support to families by providing them with nutrient dense meals. I thought with the right education and time budgeting, anyone at any stage of life could mange something like this for their own family. My ultimate goal in providing a meal prep service was to one day impart all of the knowledge I’ve gleaned working in this field.
Little did I know that I was going to get a slap in the face with how hard it would be to get a block of time to cook one meal from scratch, let alone a week’s worth of meals. Now that my son is in care for a few hours a day and I’m focusing on homemaking, I DO have the time but wow I was and I still am humbled.
The Early Days
I remember specifically journalling about 2 months postpartum how excited I was that I managed to make my granola recipe. It only took me 48 hours from start to finish! Not that the recipe needs that long.. it was just a matter of measuring the ingredients - is that the baby? - mixing the ingredients - is that the baby. And so on..
I really owe a lot of sanity in the early days to a couple of key things.
I bought a chest freezer specifically to batch cook and freeze meals I knew would be nourishing, comforting and would also serve as true comfort food. Now is not the time to ‘bounce back’. Now is the time to truly nourish the body and heal.
Siphoning off foods that people generously gifted in the form of meal prep gift cards (purchased ahead of time and frozen), food that was made for my baby shower (my Italian mother in law made an enormous amount of food). The key here is to do this before the baby comes. Trust me.
Gifted food is an excellent baby shower gift. Especially for those having their second of another child. If you don’t feel comfortable having any sort of baby registry, consider asking for a freezer friendly food item. Or a small chest freezer. I know chest freezers can kind of be a trap but I found space in my and was incredibly glad I did. Consider adding a freezer to your registry too!
I know on top of doctor’s appointments and lack of energy it can be hard to conceptualize doing all of this. Here are a few time saving tips.
Start cooking freezer friendly meals at home and put aside a portion or two. Having a stash of freezer bags and stackable square containers maximizes space in the freezer and prevents clutter and overwhelm when looking for the food. Label the food clearly with a sharpie before it freezes. Bonus points if you make an excel sheet you can save for your partner and update it as the stash gets filled up / starts dwindling.
Write a list of your favourite comfort foods. Start making them! It’s really wonderful having a thoughtful treat. It’s a gift to yourself from your past self when you’re in the throws of caring for an infant.
Write a list of recipes or meals that you love and send that to your little village. Drop hints to them! If they want to gift you something postpartum to leave at your doorstep, this’ll be a great resource for them. I can’t tell you how many times I was way too brain dead to think of how to answer when a well intentioned friend would ask ‘let me know if I can help with anything’ and didn’t know how to respond. People want to help! Did anyone make any of these recipes for me? Non, haha. But maybe your village will be less intimidated to cook for you if you’re not a trained culinary professional.
Have a go-to list of fast food you like. Send that to your friends and family too! I remember when my mom met the baby for the first time she already knew my favourite Five Guys order and brought it to me. I’ll never forget it.
Buy disposable plates and/or cutlery. This isn’t forever. You may be crying, “But Eva - WASTE”. I’m an environmental science graduate. I get it. But trust me. The last thing you want to be worrying about is dishes. Feed yourself, your partner, your other kids. Throw out the plate. Done.
My blog is full of nutrient dense, high protein recipes so take a look at the archive and the videos for ideas for snacks. Next blog post will focus on structuring meals, snacks and a day in the life of real postpartum eating.
Want to get started now? Book a coaching or personal chef session with me!
Here are some recipes to get you inspired!
Who doesn’t like a good Instant Pot pasta recipe? This one uses the classic combination of rich and flavourful Italian sausages with peppers and rapini. A delicious combination if you ask me! This comes together so quickly that it’ll surely become a weeknight staple. This sausage pasta can easily be made gluten free with gluten free fussili if you can get your hands on in many grocery stores. I hope you enjoy this recipe that uses the best summer veggies have to offer!