If you have a friend or family member who recently had a baby, bringing them an already prepared meal is often the greatest gift of all! This post features over 40 meal and snack ideas to make for a postpartum mom.
Whether you have a small group of friends or you’re putting together a meal train, these are great options to help that new mom eat healthy, home-cooked meals after giving birth. She won’t have to worry about making dinner with a newborn or resort to takeout every night.
When I had both my daughters, my friends all took turns bringing my family meals! Small gestures like this can be so helpful during that postpartum period.
Meal Train Ideas for Postpartum moms
Scroll through the various recipes – breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks! My sister made me a big bag of trail mix and it was a lifesaver having something quick and easy to grab while breastfeeding those first few weeks.
Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options, too!
Breakfast
Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (Christina Iaboni)
These muffins are a healthy snack with fiber that a new mom can easily freeze and thaw for snacks.
More muffins:
— Strawberry Oatmeal Rhubarb Muffins (Sabrina Currie): Easy to keep in the freezer and defrost as needed, these also contain fiber and vitamins important for restoring energy.
— Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins (Savor the Spoonful): These fluffy and delicious banana carrot muffins are packed full of nutrition for both kids and adults. They are easy to store and provide great nutrition for a newly postpartum mom!
— Maple Walnut Muffins (The Littlest Crumb): These Maple Walnut Muffins are a delicious snack. They take a bit more time to make (a new mom wouldn’t be able to make them herself), but she would definitely appreciate someone else making them for her! They are great for a quick bite to eat in between caring for a newborn baby.
Sweet Potato Oatmeal Bake with Blueberries (Bucket List Tummy)
This sweet potato baked oatmeal can be made in advance and reheated for a new or postpartum mom. Full of fiber, carbohydrates and antioxidants!
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal (Craving Something Healthy)
Carrot cake baked oatmeal is a nourishing breakfast casserole that tastes like dessert! It’s easy to make ahead and reheat with multiple servings.
More Baked Oatmeal Ideas:
— Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal (Haute & Healthy Living).
Easy, Healthy Meal Prep Breakfast Sandwiches (Lauren Fit Foodie)
Not only are these meal prep breakfast sandwiches so easy to make, but they will make her life SO much easier on busy mornings. They are customizable, balanced in macros, delicious, freezer-friendly and make breakfast a BREEZE!
Healthy 4-Ingredient Banana Bread (Savor the Spoonful)
This easy to make banana bread requires only four simple ingredients and serves many! The perfect dessert or breakfast option for the whole week.
Lunch and Dinner
New Mama Charcuterie Board (KISS in the Kitchen)
Although a casserole or family-friendly meal has its place, Shannon A. Garcia, MDS, RD, LD states this New Mama Charcuterie Board is her go-to for loving on a postpartum Mama! Filled with all the “off-limits during pregnancy foods”, it’s a fun and creative way to help nourish the new mom in your life.
Healthy Chicken Chili (Chew Out Loud)
This healthy Chicken Chili takes only 30 minutes to cook, uses only one pot, and tastes like a cozy comfort in a bowl. Not only is it easy for YOU to make – but there will be plenty of leftovers a new mom can reheat for a few days.
The Best Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup (Well Nourished Mamas)
This Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup is a dish to make or bring to a newly postpartum mom with nutrition in mind. Full of fresh produce, bone broth, and rotisserie chicken, this soup is rich in nutrients needed for postpartum healing including zinc, Vitamin D, protein, iron, and more!
It’s also dairy free, soy free, and gluten free, making it a great option for breastfeeding moms whose babies might have a milk allergy. Developed by Jamie Adams, MS, RDN, a women’s health dietitian and founder and owner of Mamaste Nutrition.
No Cream Leek and Potato Soup (What a Girl Eats)
This leek and potato soup is made with just a handful of ingredients and no garlic or dairy. This is a great recipe for the dairy-free breastfeeding moms.
Other Soup Ideas:
Creamy One Skillet Smothered Chicken Thighs (Dizzy Busy and Hungry)
The ultimate comfort dish that could easily be served over rice or quinoa. Creamy and delicious – and likely to feed her for days.
Also try:
— Classic Chicken a la King (an Edible Mosaic).
— Grilled Chicken Summer Salad (Kiran Campbell Nutrition): This easy to prepare chicken salad can be eaten cold, no heating necessary! You can also use rotisserie chicken to make it even quicker to prepare. This salad is fresh, light, and delicious!
Best Damn Vegan Lasagna with Homemade Seitan (Bites with Blair)
This lasagna is perfect for your vegan or vegetarian friends! It’s a plant-based meal that’s also high in protein, which is hard to find.
Easy and Simple No-Knead Artisan Sourdough Bread (Stretch and Folds)
Maybe you don’t make them a meal, but a loaf of bread! Bread always comes in handy – it’s great for a quick snack or an easy lunch!
More bread options:
— Quick Vegan Dinner Rolls (Healing Tomato): Make a big batch of these dinner rolls and reheat when you are ready to eat. The dinner rolls are effortless to make and seasoned with Everything Bagel seasoning.
Vegetarian Enchiladas Verde (Sigsbee Street)
This veggie enchilada recipe is ideal to prep and freeze for later. It is loaded with healthy veggies for a great healthy meal. A new mom can just pop it in the oven when she is ready to enjoy!
This recipe can be prepped and frozen for up to 2 months! So, a new mom could pull it out later if she already has too much food to eat.
Also try:
— Make-Ahead Freezer Pork Carnitas (Hungry Hobby): You can pre-make these and let the new mom know she can freeze them if she already has a plethora of food. With these make-ahead freezer tips, they will taste just as delicious as they did when they were made fresh!
Baked Vegetable Risotto with Asparagus and Spinach (Cooking with Mamma C)
This Oven-Baked Risotto with Vegetables freezes well, reheats well and is always a hit!
Cottage Pie (Christina’s Cucina)
This gravy laden ground beef dish topped with fluffy mashed potatoes is THE best make ahead meal that is also perfectly frozen. Reheat and enjoy, as it tastes freshly made and is perfect for potlucks, new moms and more!
Ultimate Chicken Casserole (Butter Your Biscuit)
This ultimate chicken casserole is a huge hit with the whole family, reheats well and taste even better the next day.
More casseroles:
— Ground Beef, Potato and Green Bean Casserole (Graceful Dame): This ground beef, potato, and green bean casserole is full of the savory, comforting flavors we all love but without any of those store-bought, canned cream soups. It is the perfectly nourishing, down home dinner that both momma and the whole family will love.
— Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole (Raia’s Recipes): Easy and kid-friendly combine to make this spaghetti squash pizza casserole a win! It’s naturally grain-free and low in carbs, too! Plus, you can put it together ahead of time and then bake it whenever you want it.
Healthy Italian Meatballs (My Chef’s Apron)
An incredibly flavorful tomato sauce with meatballs is so easy to store and can create a variety of meals during the week, from quick plates of pasta to salads, to flavorful egg dishes.
More meatballs:
— Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs (Dizzy Busy and Hungry): These meatballs are so easy to freeze and reheat. They serve a multipurpose because they can be eaten by themselves or mix it with spaghetti and jar of pasta sauce.
Mom’s Best Classic Gluten-Free Vegan Baked Ziti (Strength and Sunshine)
This is an allergy-friendly recipe that makes great leftovers to reheat all week long.
More pasta bakes:
— Pasta al Forno with Smoked Mozzarella (Cooking with Mamma C): Pasta al Forno with Smoked Mozzarella is delicious comfort food that will be good for several meals.
— Baked Ziti with Meatballs (Quiche My Grits).
— Easy Freezer Lasagna (Fluxing Well).
— Baked Ravioli Lasagna (Little Sunny Kitchen).
Easy Chicken Pot Pie (Budget Delicious)
A comforting and easy chicken pot pie can be the perfect meal to feed a new mom and her family. They always make the best leftovers! She can easily freeze a couple pieces individually, too, and reheat for a later time.
Snacks
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Balls (Fit as a Mama Bear)
Loaded with protein and healthy fats these cookie dough bites are balls of fuel! Perfect for new moms as they can pop them in their mouth as they feed to gain some energy and fuel.
Also try:
— Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls (Garlic Salt and Lime).
— No Bake Energy Bites (Gimme Some Oven): These are SO delicious and packed with oats and healthy seeds – so they’re especially ideal for those breastfeeding moms.
Oat Flour Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Get Inspired Everyday!)
These Oat Flour Oatmeal Raisin Cookies make the perfect healthy sweet treat for a mom with a new baby. They’re easy to eat one handed while holding a baby and keep well in the freezer for a quick and easy snack.
More Snack Ideas:
— Busy Mom Trail Mix Recipe (Living in Happy Place)
— Homemade Trail Mix (The Endless Meal)
More Recipe Ideas
For even more snack ideas, here’s a list of Healthy, High Protein Breastfeeding Snacks. Or, there are plenty more recipes ideal for a postpartum mom in my 7-Day Breastfeeding Meal Plan or 7-Day Postpartum Meal Plan.
I hope this post gave you plenty of ideas and really makes your friend or family member’s day!
