Oh, the struggle of nourishing our bodies postpartum. It seems to get harder and harder with every baby to find healthy meal options, specifically postpartum-focused. Unfortunately, many of my previously used resources are now out of business, and even some I reached out to a few months ago have since shuttered. So, here is what I have been able to put together so far for the coming weeks.
1) Freeze some things you love ahead of time.
While this can be exhausting and difficult in the third trimester, if you have the energy to do so, I always find it comforting to have some things on hand that I have personally cooked and love eating. So here are some of my favorite go-to recipes that will freeze nicely and satisfy you in the first few months as you heal.
Quick Chicken Noodle Soup
Carrot Cumin Soup
Red Lentil Soup
Healing Garlic Broth
S & B’s Lactation Cookies
One Bowl Banana Bread
Pumpkin Bread
2) Motherbees is a postpartum-focused food service that makes delicious, nutritious, and healing broths, kefirs, teas, soups, porridges, and energy bars that all help aid in the mother’s recovery. I used them during postpartum after Paolo arrived. Many believe that warm, soft, comforting foods like the above do wonders for the mother’s healing journey in those first few weeks. I benefited from this nourishing food last time around and am excited that they are still offering packages for Local delivery in Los Angeles. They also have certain items that they ship nationwide as well.
3) Freeze soups or buy them already frozen from your favorite spots. If you are local to Los Angeles, places like Erewhon, Cookbook Market, and Joan’s on Third have a variety of healthy soups that you can either freeze yourself or buy already frozen. Meals like this are easy for anyone to reheat for you and will be warming and nourishing to your body in those first 40 days.
4) Looking beyond that first month postpartum, it’s helpful to have healthy, easy options on hand throughout the first three months. Daily Harvest is an excellent resource for delicious, single-serving frozen smoothies, bites, bowls, and more. I like to add Bulletproof MCT Oil and Tejari Protein Powder to my Daily Harvest smoothies before heading out to take the boys to school in the morning. I will continue my subscription for the next few months to always have something healthy, filling, and quick on hand as we navigate the new normal with three kids.
5) Lactation Cookies. I love eating cookies postpartum, and it’s even better when they are packed full of ingredients that help increase breastmilk production. So, I made a batch of my lactation cookies and froze them, and also bought a ton of lactation cookies from a local baker, Baked by Sha Sha, who specializes in clean sweet treats. OMG, her lactation cookies are insane. I bought 36 and froze them. They will last up to 2 months in the freezer even though they will all be gone well before then! She is local to Los Angeles, but it might be worth it to reach out to her and see if she ever ships!
Here are some of the other services and meal delivery companies people recommended to me as well:
Sakara Life
Thistle
Territory Foods
Methodology
Paleta
Organic Oren
Balanced Bites
Fresh and Lean
Taralynn’s Kitchen
Held Postpartum
NourisherDoula