nourish the new parents - meal train ideas

Written By lisa nowell

Community support is instrumental in helping ease the transition for a family when they welcome a new baby. New parents are exhausted. One way to combat the mental and physical exhaustion is to provide nutrient dense foods that provide healing properties and promote recovery.

Well wishers often bring to carb-heavy comfort foods. While delicious, those foods may not provide the healing properties that can support good health. Here, we’ve compiled a list of ingredients and ideas for ready made snacks that will provide the extra fuel throughout the day and will go a long way.

Needless to say, anything you bring will be a tremendous help! But if you have the access, integrate some of these yummy foods into your meal delivery for the birthing parent and their family.

  • A wide variety of fresh, colorful vegetables (especially leafy greens)

  • Fruits and berries

  • Iron-rich proteins like grass-fed beef, buffalo, lamb, bison, liver, and bone broths

  • Healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado oil, extra-virgin olive oil, and pasture-raised butter

  • Fatty, low-mercury fish like wild-caught salmon and sardines

  • Moderate amounts of gluten-free, nutrient-rich grains like rice, millet, quinoa, oats, etc.

  • Probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut help maintain a healthy gut, which helps quell inflammation throughout your body while improving digestion

 

grocery checklist for the postpartum family:

Here’s a list of inflammation-fighting, nutrient-dense foods for snacks and meals. Keep it for your next trip to the grocery store or as you plan meals to share.

Vegetables:

  • Avocado

  • Bell peppers

  • Broccoli

  • Brussels sprouts

  • Carrots

  • Leafy greens like spinach, Swiss chard, and kale

  • Potatoes

  • Red and green cabbage

  • Snow peas

  • Sweet potato

Fruits:

  • Bananas

  • Berries

  • Citrus fruits

  • Cranberries

  • Guava

  • Kiwi

  • Papaya

  • Pineapple

Proteins:

  • Albacore tuna

  • Beef

  • Beef liver

  • Black beans

  • Black-eyed peas

  • Chicken on the bone

  • Chickpeas

  • Cod

  • Collagen

  • Eggs

  • Lamb

  • Lentils

  • Mackerel

  • Sardines

  • Shrimp

  • Turkey breast

  • Wild-caught Alaskan salmon

Healthy fats:

  • Avocados/avocado oil

  • Coconut oil

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • Pastured butter

Nuts and seeds:

  • Almonds

  • Brazil nuts

  • Chia seeds

  • Flaxseeds

  • Macadamia nuts

  • Pistachios

  • Pumpkin seeds

  • Sunflower seeds

  • Walnuts

Miscellaneous healing foods:

  • Bone broth

  • Cocoa

  • Cultured foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut

  • Dark chocolate

  • Gelatin

  • Hydrolyzed collagen

  • Sea vegetables

  • Spirulina

  • Herbs and spices

snack trays ideas

The concept of the snack tray is simple: a variety of small, tasty bites a new parent can consume quickly, without having to think about "what sounds good to eat". Foods to include are proteins, vegetables, healthy fats and some carbs.  

  • Carrots

  • Raisins 

  • Mixed salted nuts

  • Organic peanut butter (high quality, no trans fats)

  • Dried apricots (or other dried fruit)

  • Dark Chocolate

  • Fresh fruit - apples, mandarins, bananas

  • Salami 

  • Cheddar cheese or goat cheese 

  • Pickled vegetables

  • Deviled eggs 

  • Hummus

Here are some recipes for items that can be added to a snack tray, or enjoyed on their own!

  • Dried Fruit Compote Recipe  This is so good on top of oatmeal for breakfast or ice cream if you have a hankering! 

  • Lactation Cookies or Lactation Bites – If the new mama is breastfeeding, she will be so appreciative that you thought of her! The cookies and bites are loaded with oats and brewers yeast, which are great for boosting breast milk production. Dairy Free Lactation Cookies can be found at this link .

  • Chocolate Protein Muffins – Honestly, you can enjoy these for breakfast, snack or dessert! They are the perfect meal train add-on.

  • Protein Balls – I love having these on hand when I need a quick and easy breakfast or snack. And they’re made with oats, which are helpful for breast milk supply.

  • Homemade Granola Bars or Energy Bites – You can’t go wrong with either of these. They’re parent and kid-approved!

  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars – So great to have on hand. These are packed with protein and made from real ingredients.

  • Baked Oatmeal Cups – These are amazing as a quick and easy breakfast option and the recipients can keep them in the freezer for longer storage, if needed!

  • Veggies + Hummus – This is an easy idea that doesn’t involve any cooking. Just run to the store, grab a container of hummus (or make your own) and chop up some veggies.

  • Fruit Salad – Another great option for healthy snacking.

meal ideas

Check out these nourishing soups and stews

more to come…

 

If you have any other tried and true recipes we should include here, or tips on great take out meals, please let us know!

lisa nowell