Meal Prep Tips for New Parents - Making Healthy Eating Easier

As two busy and tired mums, we at The Whole Bowl Co. understand as well as most how hard it is to get healthy meals on the table, throughout the day, consistently. We also understand the importance of supporting ourselves nutritionally throughout this chapter of our lives while combating sleep deprivation, healing from pregnancy and birth, caring for and feeding a new baby. In this article, we will share some practical tips that we try to implement into our own lives to help make healthy eating easier and and more manageable. 

Plan Ahead to Save Time and Energy

Successful meal prep is usually the result of good planning. We like to set aside time during the week (usually on a Sunday afternoon) to sit down and find the recipes we want to make during the week, create a meal plan, make a shopping list, and prepare our ingredients. We consider meals that can be cooked in bulk and stored in the fridge or freezer for later. We work out what meals our kids will eat with us and what other things we can have a stash of ready to go for those nights they need a quick but healthy option.

Choose Nutrient-Dense Ingredients

Throughout this chapter of our lives, our bodies need all the nutrients they can get. We try to focus on nutrient dense foods when creating our meal plans like green leafy vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Incorporating these sorts of foods into our meals will give us energy to get through the days (and nights) as well as support our postpartum recovery. Find a useful guide in our postpartum shopping list here and our article on healthful postpartum foods here.

Batch Cooking and Freezing

Batch cooking is a bit of a hack for parenthood. Preparing large portions of our favourite nutrient dense meals and snacks for both adults and the kids and then freezing in smaller servings for future use is like giving your future self a big hug while setting her up for success. So many meals freeze well including soups, curries, lasagnes, meatballs, ragus, frittata and grains actually freeze very well. Having a freezer full of frozen meals for the family means that you'll always have a healthy meal option ready to go. You can find some good recipes in our blog here.

Use One-Pot and Sheet Pan Recipes

Both one-pot and sheet pan recipes are also a good hack for new parents in getting quick and easy but healthy meals on the table. The idea of these meals is that they require minimal preparation and little clean up, making them perfect for busy days or when we can't quite manage to put the baby down. You simply toss your ingredients in a pot or a pan, and let the oven or the stove do the work. Delicious and nutritious meals created with minimal effort. Here is an example of one of our easy sheet pan recipes.

Consider Some Time Saving Appliances

New parents could do with some bigger cupboards and wider bench space. There does seem to be a gadget for everything these days. But during a period of seeking maximum efficiency, having little time and usually only one hand - we are here for the gadgets. Some of our favourite time saving gadgets include the air-fryer, slow cooker, rice cooker, food processor, blender. If things are going to be quick and easy, you're more likely to create them. 

Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand

Some days at home with the kids it just seems impossible to eat anything. This is why we are huge advocates for having nutrient dense snacks accessable at all times. A cookie, a muffin, a handful of nuts - whatever it is - keep a stash of healthy snacks in your fridge, cupboard and freezer, ready to go on those days when that is all you have time for and it needs to get you to dinner. Here are some of our favourite nutritious snacks.

Consider a Meal Delivery Service

Welcome, The Whole Bowl Co. We created this business because we wanted to provide a nutritious solution to support new parents throughout this period. There are plenty of meal delivery services around, however, we are particularly fussy with the ingredients we use in our meals as this is a time for recovery and healing so the quality of ingredients we consume throughout this period really does make a difference. Fill your freezer before the baby arrives and then consider it as a solution throughout those first few years (and beyond) on those weeks when we need the extra help and support. We still both fill our freezers with our own meals regularly.

So when looking at the week ahead and considering how you are going to incorporate nutritious, easy prep meals into your routine we encourage you to plan ahead, choose nutrient dense ingredients and find some time saving gadgets if required. Ensure that you and your family are well nourished during this period. Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of the baby.