One of the biggest mistakes I made with my first baby was not preparing enough postpartum freezer meals! Thankfully, you get to learn from my mistakes and I’ve done tons of research to help you find some of the best postpartum freezer meals out there! I will definitely be stocking up on these freezer meals!
This post is all about postpartum freezer meals to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a newborn a whole lot easier!
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Postpartum Freezer Meals
Are postpartum freezer meals really worth the effort?
YES YES YES! When your body is recovering from childbirth and you are getting up during the night with a newborn, you won’t have a ton of energy to spare. I highly doubt you will want to spend the little energy you have cooking. Plus, having freezer meals on hand will help you save money on eating out and ultimately help you eat healthier too!
When should you start filling your freezer?
Since most freezer meals will last between 3-6 months in the freezer, I would highly recommend starting to stock your freezer once you hit your third trimester. You may want to start breaking a few out in the last week of pregnancy so it’s good to have them ready to go! An easy way to slowly build up a stock of freezer meals is to double one or two dinners each week, eating one for dinner that night and putting the other one away in the freezer for later. Freezing two meals a week during your third trimester will leave you with 24 freezer meals to fall back on during postpartum! Sounds kind of glorious if you ask me!
What foods can/can't be frozen?
Unfortunately, not all frozen foods are created equal and some things just simply can’t be frozen. Here is a quick guide on what to freeze and what not to freeze.
Best Foods to Freeze
- Soups and stews
- Breads
- Most casseroles
- Many slow cooker meals/dump dinners
- Marinated meats
Foods that Don’t Freeze Well
- Rice (will usually get mushy when thawed)
- Fried foods or anything with breading (the breading will become very soggy)
- Leafy greens and veggies that have a high water content (will wilt)
- Mayo & other dressings (most will separate)
- Foods with crumb toppings
- Many foods with cream or milk based sauces (will separate or curdle when thawed)
Freezer-Friendly Breakfasts
Freezer Protein Waffles: These waffles are naturally gluten free and get a ton of natural protein from eggs and cottage cheese in the batter! Just pull them from the freezer and pop them in the toaster for a protein filled breakfast that won’t leave you hungry in 20 minutes! (because the breastfeeding appetite is real!)
Breakfast Burritos: These frozen breakfast burritos are best for the first month they are frozen, so you will want to prep these a little closer to your due date. You can either thaw your burrito overnight in the fridge or quickly thaw them in the microwave just before eating for a super easy and filling breakfast.
Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches: These super yummy croissant breakfast sandwiches can be pulled from your freezer and ready with just 1-2 minutes in the microwave. They taste best for the first 6-8 weeks in the freezer, so you may want to prepare these closer to delivery to keep them fresh.
Baked Oatmeal Cups: These baked oatmeal cups are perfect because you can grab just one or you can grab a few for a super filling breakfast. And they only take 30-60 seconds in the microwave to thaw and get warmed up! Throw on some berries and/or honey for a super yummy breakfast!
Egg Muffin Cups: While these egg cups are great as is, I personally love adding a little bit of shredded hash brown to the bottom of my egg cups! Freeze them individually and just thaw in the microwave for 60-90 seconds whenever you get hungry in the morning. (or anytime really, I’m all for breakfast all times of the day)
Smoothie Packs: If you love dump dinners (I know I do!), then you will love this dump breakfast too! Just pull a bag out of the freezer and dump it in your blender! Use a single serve blender like this Magic Bullet to make clean up easy too!
Freezer-Friendly Lunches & Dinners
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork: Freeze a pack or two of rolls along with this pulled pork for a super easy postpartum freezer meal. You can freeze it for up to four months! Just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave, oven, stove top, or crockpot to serve.
Pizza Casserole: If you choose to freeze this dish, make sure that you cook the pasta al dente so it doesn’t get soggy when thawed. You can store this casserole for up to three months and just thaw overnight in the fridge when you want it.
Lemon Garlic Dump Chicken: This dump dinner involves only five ingredients to make initially and freezes easily in a gallon Ziploc bag! It can be cooked in the crockpot, baked in the oven, or grilled when thawed! It honestly couldn’t get much easier.
Stovetop Chili: This chili stays fresh in the freezer for up to three months and can easily be reheated in a saucepan or crockpot when you are ready to pull a quick dinner out of the freezer.
Lasagna: If you ever forget to pull dinner out of the freezer the night before, this lasagna can be cooked directly from frozen by adding 30 minutes onto the cook time. This can be a huge perk to the sleep deprived mama who sometimes doesn’t have the brain power to think ahead to dinner the next day.
Sweet Potato Turkey Chili: Freeze this chili alongside a little cornbread for an easy comfort food meal postpartum. Plus, being able to easily eat it with one hand is a huge perk for any new mom.
Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken: Pull this chicken out of the freezer and throw it in a crockpot to simmer for a few hours for a delicious dinner. All you have to do is make a little rice and those 90 second rice packs make that pretty easy!
Chicken & Veggie Nuggets: These nuggets are the perfect postpartum freezer meal if you have toddlers at home and it’s super easy to make a double or triple batch to freeze. Toddlers love nuggets and postpartum moms love happy toddlers.
Freezer Meatballs: These meatballs freeze for up to six months and don’t even have to be cooked before you freeze them! When you are ready to eat them, throw these meatballs straight from the freezer into the crockpot, throw in a can of sauce, and make a box of spaghetti. Sounds like the perfect postpartum freezer meal to me.
Cilantro Lime Chicken: Dump this postpartum freezer meal into the crockpot to make some amazing homemade Chipotle bowls! All you need is some rice and a few toppings!
Freezer-Friendly snacks & Desserts
Energy Balls: This was one of my absolute favorite snacks during my postpartum recovery with my son and one of my favorite breastfeeding snacks. I will definitely be stocking a couple dozen of these in the freezer for our baby girl’s arrival!
Copycat Perfect Bars: I am a HUGE fan of Perfect Bars but the price tag of them is hard to swallow sometimes. This homemade version is super simple with only five ingredients and they are easy to keep on hand in the freezer. Let them thaw for five minutes before eating and you have a protein packed snack, treat, or even breakfast!
Frozen Yogurt Granola Bites: If you also have a toddler at home, you’ll probably have to share this freezer treat. While this recipe does use regular yogurt, you can also opt for strawberry Greek yogurt to lower the sugar and increase the amount of protein in this yummy snack!
Kitchen Sink Lactation Cookies: Whether you are looking for a good lactation cookie or just a straight up good cookie, these are it! They easily freeze for up to two months too!
Coconut Oil Fudge: While most fudge has little more to offer than calories (and yumminess of course), this coconut oil fudge is filled with tons of healthy fats and man is it GOOD. It’s the perfect postpartum treat that’s good for you too!
This post was all about postpartum freezer meals that are easy to make and also easy to thaw and heat later on. I hope they make postpartum life a little easier and allow you more time to enjoy those sweet newborn cuddles!
-Beautifully Busy Mom
