Did you know that one of the top searches on Pinterest is for “freezer meals to make before baby”?
If you are in your third trimester and starting to plan for your baby’s arrival, you may be wondering what you can do to make things go a bit smoother once you have a newborn.
I did as much as I could before my baby was born to make the first few weeks easier.
This included researching the best freezer meals for new moms and packing my hospital bag at around 35 weeks.
The issue I found after two newborn stages is that many of the supposedly “delicious” postpartum freezer meals I tried actually don’t taste that great.
Maybe they taste good when originally made but not everything freezes well.
That’s why I created this list of tried and true freezer recipes for new moms to make before baby.
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How To Prepare For Baby
Before my baby was born, I made sure to stock up on some postpartum essentials to help me heal faster and I did little things like making sure all our bills were up to date.
I also applied for lots of free baby stuff like samples & nursing covers to help me out in the first few weeks.
You should apply for these freebies sooner rather than later as some of them take a bit of time to arrive.
You can get a full list of great free stuff for babies here.
One of the best pieces of advice I got when I was pregnant was to prep for baby’s arrival by filling my freezer with easy meals that I could just throw in the oven or reheat and be done.
Having a freezer packed with meals for the first month after baby’s arrival allowed to me to focus on other things like trying to find a solution to her colic without going completely crazy!
If you want more tips for prepping for birth and baby, I highly recommend this free baby prep bundle.
It was created by a labour and delivery nurse and is packed with tons of tips.
You can download the free baby prep bundle here.
Tips For Creating Pre-Baby Freezer Meals
I found that the best freezer meals for new moms are the ones that are fully cooked before you freeze them.
That way you can just reheat them, maybe add a salad and you are good to go.
You may find a bunch of so-called pre-baby freezer meals that are literally just a bunch of raw ingredients in a Ziploc that you are supposed to throw in the slow cooker once thawed. In my experience, these never taste that good.
Read through the recipes below and decide which ones you want to make then make a shopping list and buy all your ingredients in bulk.
I like to save money on groceries so I kept an eye out on the local flyers for a while and bulked shopped the meat I needed for my freezer meals.
Here are some more tips that can help you:
1. Start Double Batching Now
What I found best was to cook big batches of tasty meals while I was still pregnant.
I then froze half or more of each meal.
This meant we could try out the meals beforehand so we knew we actually liked them and it also made the task of creating a month’s worth of meals a lot less daunting.
2. Freeze all meals in single serve portions
I froze some meals like lasagnas in huge foil trays but I found it easier to use the dinners that were already portioned out for me.
It’s only my husband and I in the house and having smaller portions meant we could stretch out one large lasagna for a couple of weeks instead of defrosting it and having to use it all up.
I also found it easier in case we didn’t both fancy the same thing one night, we could pick and choose what we wanted out of the freezer.
3. Don’t forget about breakfast
As crazy as it sounds, a bowl of cornflakes is near to impossible to eat when you are balancing a tiny baby and trying to get them to breastfeed.
One-handed meals and snacks are ideal for breakfast.
Think muffins, mini quiches and breakfast burritos that will fill you up and allow you to eat with one hand.
Supplies For Making Freezer Meals For Moms
Aluminum foil – wrap individual portions in foil before putting in the bags to avoid spoiling
Freezer-friendly Bento Box Containers – these are great for prepping meals so you can grab and go.
Aluminium baking trays with lids – These are perfect for baking and then freezing whole as they already have lids.
Sharpie marker – to mark down on the ziploc what your recipe is and what date you made it.
I started writing this post of 15 freezer meals to make before baby but I found so many great recipes that the list quickly grew to 25!
Keep reading for all the recipes. If you are stuck for ideas of what to make, I found that many of the pre-baby meals could be split into categories:
15 Freezer Meals To Make Before Baby
- Egg dishes for breakfast (burritos, egg cups like the Sous-vide ones at Starbucks)
- Muffins
- Pancakes for breakfast
- Chili
- Stew
- Lasagna
- Other pasta dishes that freeze well such as stuffed shells
- Taco meat that is really versatile
- Burritos in single serve portions
- Curry dishes
- Soups for cold weather
- Crockpot meals like pulled pork
- Meals that require a bit of extra work such as pot pie filling
- Shepherd’s pie
- Cabbage rolls
Read on for 25 recipes to get you started on your mission for a full freezer before baby.
25 Make-Ahead Freezer Meals For New Moms
The new mom recipes below are all great for making ahead and freezing. Make sure to mark your freezer container or ziploc bag with the date you freeze the meal so that you can eat them in order.
I like to freeze everything in single meal portions so I don't have to eat the same thing a few days in a row.
They all have clear instructions and are perfect for freezing and eating later.
Taco Egg Muffins
Breakfast foods are a perfect thing to make-ahead as mornings are so hectic, especially if you have to go back to work once baby is born.
One of the best breakfast freezer meals for new moms are eggs because they will fill you up.
I call these little egg muffins "eggies" and they are perfect if you are following a Paleo or Keto diet as well as the 21 day shred. They are also easy to eat with one hand!
Mini Crustless Quiche Cups with Sausage and Cheese
These cute quiche cups are another version of eggies that you can have for a quick breakfast.
Green Low-Carb Protein Pancakes
My kids love green pancakes ever since I made them for St Patrick's Day and these even have spinach!
Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Burritos are one of the best postpartum make-ahead freezer meals. If you are looking for one-handed meals for new moms, you can't get better than these.
You can wrap them in foil and freeze them individually in bags.
Eggplant Chickpea Peanut Curry (Vegan + GF)
This delicious curry is vegan and gluten free and packed with healthy foods for your postpartum recovery..
Crock Pot Refried Beans
These delicious refried beans make a great side dish for the enchiladas below
5 Cheese Homemade Lasagna
Who doesn't love lasagna? It's a great comfort food and is one of the best make-ahead freezer meals for the days after your baby is born.
Simply reheat and eat!
This recipe takes a bit more prep than some of the other recipes but it's worth it!
Spinach Stuffed Shells
Stuffed shells is one of my favorite freezer meals for new moms. It is easy to make, frugal and tastes fantastic!
Vegetarian Freezer Enchiladas
These enchiladas are gluten and grain free so perfect for anyone with allergies.
Vegetable Lentil Quinoa soup
A detox soup that is perfect for filling you up with nourishing good food while helping you lose the baby weight. You can make it easily in an Instant Pot.
Child Friendly Easy Vegetable Curry Recipe
This curry is so mild that you can give it to any older children you have at home and can be guaranteed that they will love it.
Black Bean Burritos and Rice
The slow cooker is your friend when you are planning to batch cook some freezer meals for new moms.
You can have something like these burritos and rice cooking in the CrockPot while you whip up another dish on the stove or oven.
Three bean chili
Chili is another easy meal that freezes well and can be portioned out.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
This paleo dish is great for a quick weeknight dinner and it freezes really well.
Southwest Chicken
You can use this tasty chicken dish for tacos or burrito bowls as well as sandwiches.
It's a great meal to freeze to have on hand when you can't think what to make for dinner.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie (with Pie Crust!)
Freeze this pot pie filling then add to a frozen pie crust and bake when you are ready.
White Chicken Chili
Chicken chili is lower fat and leaner than chili made with beef so it makes a nice change.
Crockpot Beef Stew
I love this stew because it uses simple pantry staples and taste amazing. Beef stew is so easy to make and perfect for chilly fall days.
Hearty Homemade German Goulash
If you are looking for some freezer meals for new moms that are not the usual, try this recipe.
This is an authentic German or Hungarian goulash and you can make it in the slow cooker or stove top.
Swedish Meatballs
These freezer friendly Swedish meatballs are gluten free and taste amazing. Perfect for quickly defrosting and eating with salad or spaghetti.
Crock Pot Taco Meat
If you love Mexican food, make up this beef taco meat and use it for fajitas, burrito bowls and more.
Twisted Tuna Casserole Recipe
This is a twist on the family favorite tuna casserole and is perfect for a quick weekday dinner.
Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
Chicken Tinga is a traditional Mexican dish of tender shredded chicken bathed in a tomato-chipotle sauce! It freezes really well and tastes amazing.
Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
This soup is perfect for freezing for cozy nights. It tastes great and you can make it in the crockpot which makes it even better.
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