Ive Been Getting A Lot Of Requests Lately For Easy & Healthy Freezer Meals
Also a lot of requests for freezer meals for new moms or moms who are expecting/pregnant who want to get as many good tasting meals made up in the shortest amount of time, so they arent on their feet all day long making freezer meals. They want to be all ready and prepared so they can enjoy those sweet baby moments of snuggle time So I know this post of easy freezer meals can help you new moms out there too!
And as some of you may know, Ive been making freezer meals for as long as I can remember.
Now, there are some freezer meals that take a long time to make , for example, most lasagnas. And there are some easy freezer meals are super fast to make, that you can prep in 15 minutes flat or less. Those are the ones Im focusing on in this post. The easy ones. And in order to be considered easy freezer meals they had to meet a certain bunch of my requirements.
New Moms Need Proper Nutrition
Without preparation, it is very easy to eat food that tastes good but lacks the vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a good supply of breastmilk or the energy to care for newborns. However, if freezer meals with proper nutrition are prepared before the pregnancy ends, there is a guarantee that at least one food per day will be healthy and simple to prepare.
Breakfast Freezer Meal Recipes:
Vanilla Waffles Recipe from My Life of Travels and Adventures. Simply make and freeze. Then pop in the toaster when ready to eat!
Whole Grain Freezer Waffles from The Cooks Next Door. Whip up this easy recipe and freeze. Simply warm or pop in the toaster when ready to eat!
Freezer Granola from The Chaos and the Clutter. This is the perfect way to have breakfast readily available for new moms. I love how freezer-friendly it is!
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Trying To Do It All And Never Getting It All Done
Trying not to remember last night.. when making dinner hadnt even crossed my mind all day. Seriously, I hadnt even thought about dinner, and around 7 pm the kids were all like..Maaaam, whats for dinner? And theres me UmmmI dont know! Its too late for me to make a big meal. How about cereal? Or the leftovers from 2 days ago? Youre on your own! Yes, I did say that. But, to be fair, my kids at home are 12 and 13, so its not total abuse, right?ahem.
But still, in the deepest part of my soul, there is something that just gives me joy when I can make my family a really good healthy homecooked meal. And if they tell me they all love the meal? That is everything I need! I think about it for days!
How To Reheat Freezer Meals & Snacks
To reheat a made-ahead frozen meal, remove it from the freezer one day before you plan to eat it. Place the frozen contain in the refrigerator and allow it to safely thaw. To reheat the taco hot dish or meatballs, cover the pan with foil. Heat it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated throughout. Use a pot on the stovetop to reheat the shredded meats and soup.
Most of the snacks are designed to be enjoyed either straight from the freezer. Or, if you prefer a bar or cookie that is slightly warmed , then simply pop one in the microwave for a few seconds.
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Quinoa Chili Freezer Dinner
Everyone wants their chili to be packed with protein did you know you can accomplish that and still keep it meat-free? This modern chili recipe freezes and heats flawlessly for Meatless Monday, vegetarian households, or any time you want to mix it up with something new and different.
Want More On New Motherhood
Whats your favorite freezer meal for new moms? Lets chat in the comments!
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Lunch Freezer Meals For New Moms
I am a big soup gal. I love soup. I went on a major soup bender the first couple of months that I was at home with Hudson.
Soup is super easy to reheat, a great way to get a good serving of veggies and protein in, and such a warming, comforting meal. Broth-based soups can also help new moms who are breastfeeding stay hydrated.
I love a piece of crusty bread with my soup, but also often had it with whole-grain toast or a side of salad mix.
Here are a few of my favorite soup recipes that reheat wonderfully from frozen:
Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark
Whether you make it plain or piled high with blueberries and granola, Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark is a totally surprising, protein-packed snack or breakfast that is eaten cold – straight out of the freezer.
Note: This is the only freezer meal on the list that won’t travel well, so it isn’t a great choice to take to someone else. But it is a great thing to have on-hand if you are about to be a new parent who will be walking or feeding a newborn late at night.
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Quick Freezer Meals For New Moms
Whether youre expecting a baby or preparing for a friend, freezer meals for new moms are incredibly helpful! Already a popular concept, freezer meals are ready to be cooked or reheated and stored in the freezer. Many current parents are probably familiar with this. Its even traditional for some families and cultures: Prepare several meals for the new parents to eat when they are home with a new baby.
Having a newborn at home is of course a stressful and transformational time in parents lives. They probably wont want to go out to restaurants or spend hours on end cooking in the kitchen. That means freezer meals can be a complete lifesaver as they take little effort, planning, or time. And making freezer meals for new moms is also special as love is easily expressed through food and cooking. While other food gifts, like a gift card to a pizza chain for example, are thoughtful and helpful, theres nothing quite like nutritious homemade meals to satisfy!
Best Freezer Meals For After Baby Is Born
Below is a list of quick and easy pregnancy meals to freeze before baby arrives that either I made, were recommended to me, or I found on the internet and thought would make for great easy freezer meals for new moms.
It did take some time to make all these recipes but I spread it out over weeks and months.
If youre in a rush or low on time, you could knock a lot out in one weekend. Enlist the help of your mom, sister, neighbor or friend
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Three: Go Grocery Shopping
Now that your list is made, you can go shop! To purchase everything on my list, it costed me roughly $150. That is about $10 per meal for my entire family.
I do not know how much it will cost you to make these meals because it is all dependent on where you shop! Personally, since I am a military wife, I go to my local commissary and I get a sweet deal. Plus, I am pretty thrifty at heart and I love couponing when I can. To make things a little cheaper, try Sams Club or buying in bulk and be sure to take advantage of weekly sales and discount days. BUT this time, I did my shopping at Walmart for the convenience.. and because I did not want to drive 30 miles to my local commissary this particular day.
My grocery shopping trip took me about an hour to complete. This is because I am a grocery shopping ninja! However, some of you are probably thinking, gosh an hour?? and might be on a higher ninja level than I am. Well, good for you!
When I got home, I packed away my groceries for the next day. The next day was my official Prep like a madman day.
How To Cook 40 Freezer Meals For New Moms In One Evening
Oh friend, if you are looking for freezer meals for new moms you have come to the mother-load resource for freezer cooking, let me tell ya!
I love making large family freezer meals. I especially have come to depend on easy freezer meals during my postpartum time after a new baby.
This was the case almost two years ago now when I did some Mega Freezer Cooking including 60+ Freezer Meals with 26 Dinners, 21 Breakfasts, 16 Lunches at the beginning of my 3rd trimester. Then made 100+ FREEZER MEALS FOR BIG FAMILIES towards the end of my 3rd trimester with baby #8.
These two big freezer cooking times got my family through my last trimester and through the first 5 or so weeks after I had the baby. Once the baby was about 8 weeks old I did another super megaLARGE FAMILY FREEZER COOKING DAY time in September of that year.
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To Be Considered Easy Freezer Meals They Needed To Be:
- Freezer meals that even beginners could make, not complicated
- Freezer meals that are quick! They need to take 15 minutes or less each to prep.
- Freezer meals that dont require cooking first before you prep. And minimal veggie chopping too.
- Freezer meals that you dont have to thaw overnight first.
- Freezer meals that are actually healthy too, like using real foods, or having some gluten-free and vegetarian options too.
- Freezer meals that are kid friendly and taste amazing ..like ones your family after trying actually says, Whoa, this is soo good!
So I decided to look through some of my own freezer meal recipes on Happymoneysaver, to figure out which ones would work great for this easy freezer meals list, and found some awesome ones. Then I decided to create some new recipes as well!
And so in all its glory, I present to you 15 of the easiest freezer meals of all time that are super delicious and healthy too.
Crockpot / Slowcooker Freezer Meal Recipes:
Crockpot Chicken Dinners from Sunny Day Family with only 4 ingredients each! Make all 5 freezer meals in only 1 hour. Or double the recipes and make 10 freezer meals in 1 hour.
Crockpot Pork Carnitas from Mommys Fabulous Finds plus 9 other meal recipes she shares.
Slow Cooker Lime Chicken from The House of Hendrix. This chicken recipe is so versatile you can enjoy it as chicken tacos, in a soup or atop a salad!
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry from Childhood 101 is amazing. Stick everything into the pot, switch it on and forget about it. Then freeze.
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan from Sweep Tight. This Chicken Parmesan Recipe is so easy. Simply set and forget it. Bonus: Its also not breaded. So, its healthier, and less work!
Sweet and Spicy Crock Pot Chicken from The Nourishing Home. This recipe allows you to prep the ingredients ahead of time and place them into the freezer.
Crock Pot Pizza Casserole from the Chaos and the Clutter. This casserole is really a kid pleaser! Mix all the ingredients together and place in a freezer bag.
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Freezer Meals For New Moms And Dads
Published: · by Jess Smith · · · This post may contain affiliate links.
Freezer meals for new moms and dads are fun, delicious, easy meals that can be used to stock your own freezer before baby or to take to parents of a new little one. It’s no secret that the months following the arrival of a new baby are hectic. Wonderful, and exciting, but hectic. I’m not even sure what happened in those early weeks when we brought our twins home from the hospital, and I certainly have no idea what we ate.
I always joke that we survived on tuna salad and take-out tacos. And that is partly true. But a good stock of freezer meals went a long way towards warding off hunger in those early days. Fast forward to the birth of our third daughter, , and I had pretty much perfected my new-baby freezer meal game. With June, we also had an amazing support system of friends and family who brought us home-made meals and helped to make sure that no one in our house went hungry. I used all of that inspiration from to develop this list of 10 delicious freezer-friendly meals that can sustain a family through those sleep-deprived weeks.
Freezer Meals To Take To New Moms
Since you had so much fun with the baby shower ideas for your bestie, youll love treating her to some freezer meals now that her little bundle of joy has finally arrived. Her days are going to be full of late-night feedings and trying desperately to iron out her new morning routine, so any help she can get will be *majorly* appreciated. Keep scrolling for 15 recipes, from breakfast to dessert, that you can freeze and deliver to all of your new mommy pals.
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When Should You Make Freezer Meals Before Baby
This is a hard question to answer, as baby could really arrive at anytime. Most babies will make their entrance between 37-42 weeks gestation, although theres always the possibility of having a pre-term baby as well.
Based on these factors, many moms aim to make their postpartum freezer meals around that 36 week mark.
It may not be a bad idea to make a few a little earlier and a few little later though as well. That way youre covered by a few more weeks if your baby decides to make an early appearance or cook a little longer. You may even want to have some to eat for when that end of pregnancy exhaustion hits hard.
Easy Freezer Meal Tips When Freezing Meals For The Postpartum Period
- If youre going to cook it all in one day cook large batches of meat to use in your recipes. This way you cook your meat only once and add it to several different recipes.
- Dont forget breakfast and lunch. Theres nothing nutritional about Cheerios in the morning when youre recovering from childbirth. And after being up through the night you wont exactly feel like cooking yourself a healthy meal in the morning or at lunchtime.
- Start double batching now. The easiest way to get these made before baby comes is to cook the meals now in double batches and freeze the second batch.
- Use recipes with tons of protein in them to eat the first week or so. I craved protein after all of my babies were born, but it seemed especially so after my first.
- Try to avoid too spicy or gassy foods just in case it may bother babys tummy.
- Use a crockpot or instant pot whenever possible. Just throw your frozen meal in there. Theyre a new mom lifesaver and crockpot liners makes cleanup a breeze.
- Store the meals in a certain amount of servings. For example, if its just you and your husband, freeze 2 servings in each pan or bag. That way you wont waste any that isnt eaten.
- Bake your meals in disposable aluminum pans. This makes it especially easy to freeze your meals. Just cover with plastic wrap and aluminum paper.
- Use ziploc bags for soups and stews. Label everything with a permanent marker.
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Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice
Honey-Garlic Fried Rice is packed with flavor, comes together super fast, and freezes easily. Forget the take-out, this recipe is even better than anything you might be tempted to order. The best thing about bringing this to new parents is that it’s totally different than most of what they’re probably eating from the freezer. I like to deliver it with frozen spring rolls and a tasty dipping sauce!
How Many Freezer Meals Should I Make
This is totally up to you and how soon you think youll be ready to cook again after your baby is born! We found about 10 different freezer friendly recipes that we liked and tripled each of them, giving us 30 meals total.
Those freezer meals coupled with our meal train where our friends and family brought us meals, lasted us through about 11 weeks postpartum, which was amazing!
I recommend finding about 10 to 12 recipes you like and then doubling or tripling them. Its easier to batch prep meals. Making three sets of lasagnas is a lot easier to shop and make than making three completely different meals.
Here are 25 delicious freezer meals that you can make before baby. Look through these to see which ones your family will enjoy. Then, make them now and your future self will really thank you!
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