The first weeks home with a new baby are beautiful, exhausting and short on time. Postpartum meal prep means a new mother has warm, nourishing food waiting in the refrigerator every day, without anyone in the house having to cook. Here is how we plan a week for a new mom, and a sample menu.
How we plan for a new mother
- Warm and comforting: soups, stews, grain bowls and baked oatmeal that reheat in minutes.
- Easy to eat with one hand: wraps, egg muffins, energy bites and cut fruit for feeding time.
- Protein and fiber at every meal: to keep energy steady through broken sleep.
- Plenty to drink: we include infused waters and herbal iced teas without caffeine.
If she is breastfeeding
Most foods are perfectly fine while breastfeeding. Common guidance is to avoid fish that is high in mercury, such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish, and to keep caffeine and alcohol moderate. Some mothers notice their baby reacts to a particular food, often dairy; if that happens, tell us and we will remove it from the menu. Her doctor, midwife or lactation consultant has the final word, and we cook to their guidance.
A sample week
The chef cooks on two days, Sunday and Wednesday or Monday and Thursday, so every meal is fresh.
- Breakfasts: baked oatmeal with berries and walnuts; spinach and feta egg muffins; Greek yogurt parfaits with granola and fruit; whole-grain banana bread with almond butter.
- Lunches: chicken and vegetable soup with rice; lemon-herb chicken grain bowls; turkey, avocado and spinach wraps; lentil and sweet potato stew.
- Dinners: herb-roasted chicken with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and green beans; salmon with brown rice and roasted broccoli; beef and vegetable stew; turkey meatballs with marinara and whole-wheat pasta; a vegetable lasagna that freezes well.
- Snacks: oat and date energy bites, hummus with cut vegetables, cheese and whole-grain crackers, fresh fruit.
We label every container with the dish, the date and how to reheat it, and we can portion a few dinners for the freezer for the weeks ahead.
A thoughtful gift
Many families book a week or two of meal prep as a gift for new parents, from grandparents, friends or a baby registry. We coordinate the details with the household receiving it.
What it costs
Weekly meal prep is $728 a week for the chef, plus $21 per person per day for food, with a two-person minimum. Learn more about weekly meal prep or start planning.
We are chefs, not doctors, dietitians or lactation consultants. This menu is general information, not medical advice. Please follow the guidance of your own health care providers, and share it with us so we can cook to it.
Tell us about your table
Send us the date, your guest count and the occasion. We reply the same day with menu ideas and a quote.