Find the best postpartum meals to make for yourself, a friend, or a meal train to nourish new parents after a baby is born. Find nutrient-rich breakfast, snacks, and dinners below.
I love sharing food with postpartum mamas as a way to help them stay nourished when they are likely not getting enough sleep. But since my own life is busy with little kids, I also need the recipes I make for friends to be easy enough to pull off—so my favorites are below.
Each of these is easy to prepare, stores well, and is packed with nutrients new moms need including fiber, protein, and iron.
Why These Recipes Work
In this list you will find breakfasts, since those are often overlooked and can be super helpful to have on hand, as well as a few snacks and my go-to postpartum dinners, too. Each is easy to prepare, nutrient dense, and yummy for a range of ages.
Each of these can also be frozen as a postpartum freezer meal if you are meal prepping ahead of time.
(You may also like my Lactation Smoothie and my go-to pregnancy snacks.)
Table of Contents
- Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Favorite Lactation Cookie Recipe
- Favorite Oatmeal Cups
- Easy Breakfast Burritos
- Protein Banana Muffins
- Easy Overnight Oats
- Asian-Inspired Chicken Meatballs
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chana Masala-Style Chickpeas
- One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
- Baked Mac and Cheese (Make-Ahead)
- Vegetarian Rice and Bean Burritos
- Easy Sausage Meatballs
- Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Thai Green Curry
- Favorite Chicken Salad
- Almond Butter Protein Balls
- Edible Cookie Dough
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to Store Postpartum Meals
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
This baked oatmeal has the flavor of banana bread, but with more whole grains, fiber, and balanced nutrition.
Favorite Lactation Cookie Recipe
I call this my “tired mama cookie,” and it’s a perfect postpartum snack—or snack for life with little kids.
Favorite Oatmeal Cups
Little hands can pick it up and eat it, we can eat it with one hand while we do all of the other things (if needed), and it’s even great packed as an on-the-go meal.
Easy Breakfast Burritos
I love that I can make a pile of them at once and store them in the fridge or freezer to warm up on future days. You can add more flavor with spices and dips; vary the beans according to what your family prefers; and use the type of tortilla you prefer, too.
Protein Banana Muffins
This recipe gets its sweetness from ripe bananas and protein from eggs, yogurt, and peanut butter (though there are lots of allergy swaps!), so it’s both delicious and so satisfying.
Easy Overnight Oats
They pack protein, probiotics, vitamin C, fiber, and healthy fats—and all you need to do is to stir the ingredients together and let it hang out in the fridge while you sleep!
Asian-Inspired Chicken Meatballs
You can make them in less than 30 minutes on a weeknight since they start with ground chicken. Or you can prep them ahead of time to serve out of the fridge or freezer another day.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
If you love Chicken Tikka Masala, you will love this incredibly flavorful (yet mild) Indian chicken recipe. The combination of shredded chicken and tomatoes with just enough cream and butter to add richness really is something special.
Instant Pot Chana Masala-Style Chickpeas
With extra veggies pureed right into the sauce, plus Indian-style flavors and an easy method, this vegetarian recipe is yummy and filling.
One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
It’s made with accessible ingredients you can easily find at the store, has a veggie right in the mix, and boasts the creamiest texture.
Baked Mac and Cheese (Make-Ahead)
This really is one of the easiest mac and cheese recipes I’ve made with a simple, yet super reliable method.
Vegetarian Rice and Bean Burritos
With just 5 simple and nutritious ingredients, you can make these for family dinner. They’re great to make ahead, too!
Easy Sausage Meatballs
This recipe uses inexpensive ingredients and usually makes enough for at least 2 meals (depending on the number of people in your house, of course).
Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup
With an easy one-pot method and variations to reduce chopping, this soup has all of the healing properties of chicken noodle soup.
Easy Thai Green Curry
It’s full of mild flavor and a pretty quick and healthy way to make a favorite takeout dish at home!
Favorite Chicken Salad
This easy meal is inexpensive, simple, and great for lunches for work, make-ahead lunches, or a really easy dinner.
Almond Butter Protein Balls
The batter for these protein balls comes together in about 10 minutes, the balls last for weeks in the fridge, and they are a balanced source of energy.
Edible Cookie Dough
This Edible Cookie Dough has the exact texture of raw cookie dough but is safe to eat since it contains no raw flour or eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Meals that are easy to reheat, nourishing, and filling — with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to support recovery and energy.
Yes! Most postpartum-friendly recipes are great for batch cooking and freezing so food is ready when you need it.
Absolutely. These recipes are meant to feed everyone — no need to cook separate food for different stages.
How to Store Postpartum Meals
- You can store any meal, once prepared and cooled, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
- If sharing the food with a friend, it is easiest to deliver it in a disposable container you do not need back so no one has to keep track of the container. You can also write on a piece of painters tape or put a Post-It note on the container with details about the ingredients or directions as needed.
- If the family has a toddler, you can include some favorite toddler snacks like crackers or applesauce pouches, or even a container of plain pasta or mac and cheese as an easy kids meal.
- My guide to Meal Trains may also help.
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