Healthy Meals and Snacks to Prep Your Freezer for Baby

Healthy Freezer Breakfast Ideas

Any of these can be taken out of the freezer and thawed in the refrigerator the night before, or easily removed from the freezer and reheated for a quick breakfast for any number of family members.

• Frittata, quiche, or breakfast casserole, cut into individual portions (or make any of the above in muffin cups for pre-portioned egg cups). Some of my favorites: Broccoli Cheddar Egg Cups, Cottage Cheese Egg Bites, Spinach Mushroom Breakfast Bake, Veggie Sweet Potato Breakfast Bake)
• Baked oatmeal cut into individual portions, or baked in muffins tins for individual baked oatmeal cups
• Breakfast burritos or sandwiches with eggs and any meat, veggies and cheese you like
• Whole grain pancakes, waffles, or muffins (great if you have other kids at home to feed!)
• Steel cut oatmeal or other porridge you love frozen in individual portions
• Smoothie packs with everything you need (cut up fruit, veggies, nuts or seeds, yogurt cubes, etc) minus the liquid, that you can throw right in the blender with milk, juice or coconut water
• Quick breads like banana bread or pumpkin bread

Healthy Freezer Dinner Ideas

There are generally two kinds of freezer meals you can make: those that are simply prepped but not cooked, that can be dumped in a crockpot, pressure cooker, or Dutch oven to cook when you're ready; and those that are ready to be reheated and eaten. I prefer the latter. For casseroles and baked dishes, prep them up to the point of baking, then freeze tightly covered. When you're ready, just thaw and bake! For dump-and-cook recipes, you'll generally just throw all the chopped ingredients into a bag or container and freeze, then thaw and dump into a slow cooker or other appliance to cook. Here are ideas for both:

• Pasta casseroles such as baked spaghetti, chicken spaghetti, baked ziti, or chicken pesto tortellini.
• Mexican inspired casseroles or baked dishes like enchiladas, green or red enchilada casserole, quinoa enchilada casserole, or tamale pie
• Other casseroles like chicken pot pie, shepherd's pie, chicken and rice bakes (fill with plenty of veggies, you'll need the fiber!)
• Stir-fry inspired dishes like orange chicken, chicken and broccoli (or beef and broccoli), beef and green beans, etc.
• Stewed dishes like Swiss steak, beef stroganoff, butter chicken, tikka masala, or curries.
• Soups and stews. It's best to make kinds without noodles or rice, as those won't freeze well - or you can add them when you reheat. Some good ones would be chicken tortilla soup, chili, taco soup, butternut squash soup, vegetable soup, beef stew, and potato soup.
• Meatballs of all kinds - Italian, Asian, Mediterranean, etc. to build meals around. My Beef and Quinoa Meatballs or Chicken Ricotta Meatballs are perfect for freezing and tossing in some marinara sauce to reheat, and my Beef Kofta freeze really well, too - just add pita and hummus! Meatballs can be frozen before or after cooking.
• Meatloaf - Make and freeze in a foil pan for easy cleanup, or make mini meatloaves in muffin cups for individual portions that are easy to heat up for lunches.
• Shredded chicken, beef, or pork - Having cooked, shredded meat on hand makes it super easy to reheat and throw together sandwiches, tacos, soups, and more. I like having shredded chicken, barbacoa flavored shredded beef for tacos, and chopped brisket and pulled pork for sandwiches.

Healthy Freezer Lunch Ideas

These are handy to freeze in individual portions to easily thaw what you need for one meal midday. I like to just make a bigger batch when I'm already cooking and freeze the leftovers in individual portions.

• Soups - A single portion of soup that you can thaw for lunch is perfect for nourishing postpartum mamas. See Dinner Ideas above for suggestions on soups that freeze well.
• Salmon cakes or shrimp cakes - I love having these in the freezer to reheat in a skillet or the air fryer for a quick protein boost. Put them over a bed of greens or leftover quinoa for an easy meal.
• Falafel or bean burgers - Like salmon cakes, having falafel patties or bean burgers premade are also great to have around or lunch!

Healthy Postpartum Snacks to Freeze For Baby's Arrival

If this is your first baby, you will be so much more hungry than you ever thought postpartum while your body is healing and you are breastfeeding. Easy, healthy snacks that nourish your body and help your milk supply are essential. (Also essential - being able to eat them one handed!) Instead of buying expensive lactation cookies, make your own nourishing snacks that use the same beneficial ingredients. You can add brewer's yeast or flaxseed to many of these recipes if you like to up the milk boosting power.

• Snack balls (or lactation bites, protein balls, etc) - These oat-based snack balls in a variety of flavors are amazing for nursing mamas and for taking the edge off when you are starving. There are recipes in so many flavors that include various things like nuts, protein powder, or ever brewer's yeast to boost milk production. You can try my Pumpkin Date Balls, PB&J Quinoa Balls, Prune Brownie Bites, or any of the other specific recipes that I linked below.
• Breakfast cookies or granola bars - Again, oat-based snacks are great for nursing and for satiating intense hunger without too much sugar. Breakfast cookies are some of my favorites to have around (my Zucchini Breakfast Cookies with a handful of chocolate chips are great in the summer, and the Carrot Apple ones are yummy in the fall). If you prefer granola bars, they're super easy to prep and freeze too.
• Granola - I love having homemade granola around to snack on by the handful or sprinkle on Greek yogurt. Making your own allows you to control the sugar and other ingredients. Most homemade granolas will keep well in an airtight container in the pantry for at least a couple of months, and they also freeze well, so batch prep a couple flavors that you love!
• Muffins - Lower sugar muffins are not only great for kids' breakfast (or yours!) but they also make good snacks to grab! Make mini muffins or regular sized muffins in your favorite flavors - bonus points for whole grain, low sugar, or oatmeal versions, which will stabilize your blood sugar more and keep you full longer.
• Baked oatmeal cups - While I love having these on hand for breakfast for both me and the kids, the number of times I just grabbed a baked oatmeal cup and ate it cold straight from the fridge during the early nursing days (and midnights) postpartum might be a little embarrassing. Needless to say, I made a ton of them for my freezer this time. You can see the specific flavors I made linked below.

Other Things To Prep and Freeze Before Baby Comes

If you're super into making things from scratch like I am, here are some other things that can be a huge time saver to prep ahead of time and stash in your freezer (or can and store in the pantry if you're super trad). These items make it easier to put together a quick meal when you're out of your stash of prepared meals. I know I'll have a lot less time to make these things on my normal schedule, and high quality groceries aren't available to run out and grab where I live, so I planned ahead. If this kind of thing feels overwhelming, skip it and definitely don't let it stress you out. But if you enjoy making things from scratch and have the extra time, go for it!

• Grains like brown rice, quinoa, or farro (especially those that take longer to cook) are really handy to have made ahead and portioned either individually or in a serving size for your whole family for quick and easy sides or to throw together a nourishing lunch.
• Broth - If you like making homemade broth, having some already made and stocked in your freezer or pantry is a huge help for preparing flavorful meals. It's also extremely nourishing to sip on in the first couple weeks after birth to help heal your body.
• Bread, tortillas, pitas, buns, pizza dough, or any other bread-y item that your family eats often.
• Sauces and spreads like enchilada sauce, pasta sauce, pesto, or jam. Having some of these made will make it infinitely easier to throw together quick meals when your stash of premade meals runs out.

Things To Consider When Choosing Meals to Prep

• Take inventory of your freezer space - and the food already in it. Can you make meals out of the bags of veggies already in there? Do you some meat in there that needs to be cooked (and out of the way) that can turn into a ready-made meal? How much freezer space so you have to dedicate to meal storage? Don't forget to leave a little room to store extra breastmilk!
• Think about meals that your family already enjoys and eats often. Do you need to feed other kids? Make something you'll all enjoy. If your family doesn't care for Indian food, don't make freezer curry. If you hate the slow cooker, don't make dump-it meals for the slow cooker. If you are the only one who eats breakfast, don't make a bunch of breakfast burritos your husband won't eat (ask me how I know). You don't want to do all of the work of making freezer meals if you won't realistically eat it.
• Consider having a dedicated shelf or basket for prepped meals. Do things often get lost in your freezer, never to be seen again? Organize ahead of time so you can know exactly where the snacks are, or direct a helper to get out dinner to thaw. I know how easily things get lost in my chest freezer (honestly the bane of my existence), and postpartum is not the time your want to be frustratedly digging through frozen chaos.

Suggested Equipment for Stocking Your Freezer

You don't need much, but there are a few things that will come in handy for packaging and organizing that ensure your hard work isn't wasted due to freezer burn or food getting lost in the cold abyss of the freezer. Here are my top picks's what I use for storing food in the freezer. Use what makes sense for your situation.

• Zip-top freezer bags: Either ziplocks or reusable Stasher bags for storing things like smoothie packs, dump-it meals, and other things that can lay flat and then be stacked, such as cooked grains, soups, or shredded meat. I also suggest these for storing snacks or other items that you'll only want to grab a couple of at a time (like snack balls or pancakes). Make sure they are specifically the freezer ones to prevent freezer burn.
• Sharpie: Make sure to label everything so you remember what it is, or so that helpers can identify it should you ask them to get something out for you. For labeling multi-use containers, write on a piece of masking tape.
• Foil pans: Foil pans are great for freezing casseroles and other baked dishes, because you can just throw them away when you're done - no cleanup! You can also freeze in baking dishes or glass Pyrex dishes if you want to avoid single use containers, but I don't want my containers or baking dishes tied up in the freezer, possibly for months.
• Deli containers or mason jars: 16 oz deli containers are my favorite for freezing individual portions of soups, and I love the quart ones for storing larger portions of soups or spaghetti sauce. If you want to avoid plastic, mason jars are great for this too! While I try to avoid plastic as much as possible, I use all my glass jars on a regular basis and don't want them tied up in the freezer for too long.
• Silicone soup cubes or muffin cups: These make it super easy to freeze and pop out individual portions of things like soup, side dishes, and oatmeal. They're also handy for saving any other extra leftovers that future you may want for an easy meal!
• Vacuum sealer: If you have one already, a vacuum sealer is great for meal prep! I vacuum seal batches of baked oatmeal, egg muffins, meatballs, and shredded meat for longer-term storage. The packages lay flat or stack in baskets nicely and will lock out air to prevent freezer burn.
• Storage baskets: If you have the space, dedicated baskets for organizing your prepped meals make things so much easier to find and grab what you need. I have one for dinner things and one for breakfast and snacks. If you can, get wire baskets or something else with holes so you aren't impeding airflow in the freezer. Make sure you measure to make sure they fit your freezer with the door closed before purchasing any!

How To Freeze Food After Prepping

• For cooked foods like casseroles and soups, cool them down to room temperature before putting them in anything plastic, and before placing in the freezer.
• For things in ziplock bags, push or suck as much air out as possible and lay flat in the freezer. Once completely frozen, you can stack bags horizontally or vertically.
• Freeze individual items like muffins, pancakes, snack balls, and meatballs on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a storage bag and lay flat or stack in baskets.
• Freeze individual portions of soups, oatmeal, and sides in silicone soup cubes or silicone muffin cups until solid, then pop out and transfer to a ziplock bag, pushing out as much air as possible.
• Wrap things like breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches, and loaves of bread tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Or vacuum seal them.
• Keep in mind that liquids expand in the freezer! Be sure to leave a little room in jars or containers to account for expansion.

Short on Time? How To Stock Your Freezer Without Dedicating Days to Meal Prep

If you don't have days to dedicate specifically to meal prep - I don't blame you with all the nesting, washing and nursery decorating - you can still cook strategically for stashing food in your freezer. If you start a couple of months before your due date, your freezer can still be stocked by the time baby arrives.

• One for now, one for later: Think about which meals you're already cooking that you can double or triple batch - make one for now, one or two for later! Think meatloaf, meatballs, spaghetti, casseroles, shredded meat, grains, banana bread, pancakes, etc. As long as you have something to pack extras in, making extra requires no additional time or effort.
• Save your leftovers: Even in you have just a little leftover, single portions are great for a quick lunch for mama or for kids. Save that last bit of soup, extra oatmeal, or the couple extra muffins that would otherwise go stale. Have some fruit or greens that are on the verge of going bad? Make a smoothie pack real quick!
• Oven already on? Meal prep something. If I've got a little extra time while I'm in the kitchen cooking dinner and the oven's already on, I'll throw together granola, muffins, or something else that cooks at a similar temperature while I'm standing in the kitchen waiting. Similarly, if I already have the food processor out, I'll do a quick rinse and blitz some snack balls before I wash it for good and put it away.

A Sneak Peek at My Freezers: Here is EXACTLY What I Prepped and Froze Before Baby #3

After doing this three times, and knowing my family's needs living in a rural area, I've gained plenty of experience in freezer storage for our meals. If you're curious, here is exactly what I made to stock our freezers before baby number three. Keep in mind I have a LOT of freezer space, I live for making food from scratch, and I stay home with my kids, so don't feel like you have to do exactly what I did. Much of this I was already making and just double bathced it. Tailor your list to the storage space you have available, your family's needs, and what's realistic for you to do during the late stages of your pregnancy.

Breakfast and Snacks:

• Banana baked oatmeal muffins (with chocolate chips added)
• Samoa baked oatmeal
• Carrot cake oatmeal muffins
• Lemon raspberry baked oatmeal
• Banana berry baked oatmeal
• Peanut butter banana baked oatmeal muffins
• Spinach mushroom egg muffins - I doubled the recipe and added prosciutto.
• Buttermilk pancakes and sourdough waffles (for the kids)
• Blueberry protein muffins (my kids love these)
• Apricot yogurt muffins (for the kids)
• Sourdough chocolate mini muffins (for the kids)
• Sourdough discard granola bars
• Granola: banana bread and chocolate hazelnut
• Blueberry coconut breakfast cookies
• Snack balls (so many snack balls because my kids love them too!): Prune brownie balls, Monster cookie balls, Apricot white chocolate balls, cranberry bliss balls, lemon poppyseed balls, banana bread balls
• Healthy banana nut bread

Dinners:

• Meatloaf (from Ina Garten's Foolproof)
• Swiss steak
• Green chile chicken quinoa enchilada casserole
• Beef enchiladas
• Chicken spaghetti
• Baked spaghetti
• Shredded brisket - BBQ style and for tacos
• Meatballs: Italian and Kofta
• Falafel
• Meat sauce for spaghetti (I canned it to store in the pantry)
• Shredded beef ragu (I also canned this)
• Pomodoro sauce (from the cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat)
• Sloppy joe filling

Sides, Individual Portions and other Miscellaneous Things:

• Brown rice and farro
• Portions of taco soup, potato soup, and vegetable soup
• Loaves of sourdough bread, cinnamon swirl bread (from Magnolia Table Volume 2), blueberry sourdough, and focaccia
• Corn tortillas
• Hamburger buns
• Enchilada sauce
• Cooked spaghetti squash

Freezer Meal FAQ