My first pregnancy I loved the idea of stocking my freezer full of healthy, nourishing foods for our family in preparation for having a new baby and being busy with other, more important things (like those sweet newborn snuggles)! But in reality, I was busier setting up the nursery (that she didn’t sleep in for a year 😅) and researching the very best baby registry items (again, most of which I didn’t use nearly as much as I thought I would).

It’s not that there was anything wrong in preparing in those ways, they just ultimately were not as beneficial to my family as some other things may have been- mainly, more meal prep!

My Intentions for Postpartum

Now this second time around, I am being a little bit more mindful of what we actually need and what will be the best use of my (limited) energy in the third trimester! Looking back on my first postpartum experience, I stayed really busy popping around to family and friend’s homes, visiting and enjoying the time my husband and I both had off together. In retrospect, I did not give my body enough time to fully heal and that is probably why my postpartum bleeding lasted for so long.

This time around, I am wanting to be a lot more intentional about my healing and recovery and truly giving my body the time, space, and nourishment it needs after growing a baby for ten months, birthing them into the world, and then beginning the journey of breastfeeding.

I also read the book The First Forty Days which deeply resonated with me. I would recommend it for anyone about to step into their own postpartum period (or those who love someone about to have a baby)! The author talks a lot about how to nourish our bodies holistically during that time and the short term and long term benefits of doing so- not only for yourself as a mother, but your entire family. It really is a wonderful (and beautiful) book and resource for families.

This is the main mindset I am carrying while preparing for this next postpartum period and why most of my focus is on meal prep.

My Favorite High-Quality Postpartum Meal Delivery Service

One of the principles in The First Forty Days is eating nourishing, warming foods with a principle on Ayurvedic recipes. While prepping for postpartum I came across the company Mama Meals which implements these exact principles.

But instead of giving you all the recipes to cook yourself— they send the frozen meals straight to your door. 👏 It’s actually the easiest way to stock your freezer with nourishing meals before giving birth.

I am currently 7 months postpartum with my second and just ordered another batch of their meals because we love them that much. They also make a great alternative to those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking, want something healthy, and don’t want to spend crazy prices for delivery.

They have so generously shared $20 off your order of $200 with code KAELYN 🎉

My Go To (Nourishing) Freezer Meals

I have been loving the saying of “cook once, eat twice”.. or two or three times is even better! So while I have had a couple of days of designated “meal prep” specifically for freezer meals, I am mostly just cooking larger portions for our current meals. For example, if I am cooking a roast for dinner, I double all the ingredients and throw the leftovers in the freezer. I have found this to be a lot more doable than finding time to prep meals on top of what I am already preparing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the week.

Another tip that has been really helpful is doubling down on the roasted chickens I make! As you will see, most of my recipes use shredded chicken and bone broth. Having large amounts of chicken cooked and prepped made this so convenient.

Here is some of what I have already added to the freezer:

1. Farmhouse on Boone Chicken Pot Pie

   Okayyyyy.. this recipe! One of my coaching clients actually shared this with me and it is now on a regular meal rotation in our home. We all LOVE it. I may have quadrupled the recipe 😅

   We ate one of the pans for dinner that night and I put the other three into the freezer!

2. Bone broth

   I currently have approximately 10 gallons of bone broth in my freezer… Not only is it warming and nourishing, but it is such an easy way to get nutrients (like tons of collagen and gelatin) in- especially if it takes your digestion some time to regulate after birth.

   I love that you can drink it on its own, or throw it into other recipes instead of water for added nutrition.

   While it isn’t my favorite option (hi single-use plastics 🙃), I have been storing it in gallon-size ziploc bags. It is just so much more space effective to freeze them flat than having that many mason jars. In order to minimize chemicals being released from the plastic, I make sure to minimize any temperature changes with food inside. This means no pouring hot bone broth into the bag until it is fully cooled, and no reheating in the plastic either! It isn’t perfect but it’s what we could make work. All about 80-20 friends…

3. White Chicken Chili

   There are so many good ones on pinterest. I just try to find one that prioritizes whole ingredients, doesn’t use any industrialized oils, and doesn’t require too many steps- we like simplicity over here!

4. Organ meat chili

   I didn’t follow a recipe for this and instead just kind of threw what we had into a pot and called it chili. Ground beef, liver, kidney, bone broth, tomato paste, assorted beans (well-soaked before cooking!), chili powder, onion and garlic and some random spices! We had it for dinner that night and confirmed it was good, and then stored away some for postpartum.

5. Chicken enchiladas with sourdough tortillas

   Again, this one I didn’t follow a recipe and kind of just threw together classic enchilada stuff. I made sourdough tortillas and wrapped up some organic refried beans, cheddar cheese, and shredded chicken. Then I poured some siete enchilada sauce over the top (we order it from thrive market!) and covered with more cheese. voila!

6. Muffins

   In those first couple of weeks postpartum and breastfeeding my daughter, I remember wanting more carbs than normal! So in preparation for that if it happens again, I have made a few different batches of muffins! Quick and easy to grab and reheat as a snack, or part of breakfast.

7. Pasta

   There are a couple of different versions that I have thrown in the freezer but they all are some variety of the following:

   • easily to digest noodles (we primarily use sourdough noodles or the brand banza)

   • ground beef (If I have force of nature ancestral brand on hand I will use this for some added organ meats)

   • sauteed veggies

   • whole ingredient pasta sauce (we love the brand Rao’s)

My Freezer Meal Supplies

As I mentioned before, I am all about 80-20 mentality with wellness. I would rather have nourishing options available than have everything be “non-toxic” because I know that overall the nourishing foods are more important to my body and mental health. Choose what your priorities are and what is going to support your family’s holistic health best!

These are the supplies we are using to stock up our freezer for postpartum:

• mason jars - we have a dozen or so wide-mouth mason jars that I have filled with soups or bone broth. While they are a great non-toxic and low waste option, they also are pretty bulky and hard to stock a lot of in the freezer

• gallon-size freezer bags- so far I have found that these are the most space-friendly option! I allow the soup or bone borth to cool down in the pot in the fridge, and then I transfer the meal into the freezer bag. Then, I lay the bag onto a flat surface (a cookie sheet works great for this!) so that it freezing nice and flat. You can then stack the flat frozen freezer bags and it saves sooo much space!

• non-toxic glass bakeware- I love using glass baking dishes for things like casseroles and enchiladas!

As for the pantry, one of my most-recommended items are these nifty storage bins for your dried goods! They help to keep everything visible and organized in your pantry.

Other Foods I am Stocking Up On for Postpartum

Speaking of the pantry… While my freezer is just about maxed out, I have a few other staples that I am wanting to make sure are stocked and ready before little guy arrives. This is mostly pantry and snack staples that we order from Thrive Market (this link will save you 40% off your first order). Here is what my latest order included:

• organic jasmine rice (I cook this in bone broth and add some ground meat and veggies for a quick and easy meal! The First Forty Days book I mentioned earlier also shares some great recipes fro rice congee which I am excited to try out)

• beef sticks - quick and easy on the go protein

• teas- thrive market has a great selection of organic teas!

• grass-fed collagen and gelatin powder

• smoked oysters

• sardines (again, quick and easy protein option)

• snack bars - it is so hard finding good options with snacks but as a general rule i look for ones with whole ingredients and that don’t use seed oils. I also try to opt for ones without a lot of added sugar and pack a good amount of protein

• Lesser Evil popcorn - my whole family loves having this on hand for a snack!

• Banza pasta and macaroni and cheese (nice to have as a quick and easy option, especially during those early days of postpartum when my husband will be taking the main responsibility for cooking and our toddler)

• seaweed wraps- we love making a quick and easy “sandwich” wrap out of these for a quick lunch!

• maple syrup and vanilla - a couple of my favorite ways to naturally sweeten coffee, which we will definitely be making use of!

• Redmond sea salt- a great way to replenish mineral stores after pregnancy

Going into labor this time, I feel so confident in how i have set up my family for postpartum. I really have a specific vision of how I want this postpartum season to go and I know that would require a certain amount of preparation. I will definitely be following up here in a few months to let you all know how it all worked out and my recommendations for caring for yourself holistically during your next postpartum period.

-Kaelyn

Related Reads:

• The Importance of Balanced Snacks and 30+ Easy Ideas

• 6 Strategies to Balance Your Blood Sugar Naturally

• Non-Toxic and Minimalist Baby Registry

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