A friend recently posted this in a mommy facebook group that I’m a part of, and I knew I needed to follow this conversation: 
We’ve been blessed by an amazing community of friends and family that showered us with tons of love and food when we first had our baby, so I can tell you from experience that it is a REALLY APPRECIATED act of service for families with new babies! Even so, I still have trouble coming up with meal ideas when it’s my turn to sign up for someone else’s meal registry. I’m guessing you will find yourself in a similar situation soon, if not already. Whether it’s a family going through a difficult time due to illness or unexpected circumstances or new parents who could use a helping hand, a nice meal can really show your care and love in a special way.
Imagine bringing your newborn home, feeling super sleep-deprived, and finally finding a minute to check your email. You see this message:
Wonderful, right?? It’s just one of the many great ideas I want to share with you.
I actually wanted to pin the post comments and ideas onto a Pinterest board for future reference, but I don’t think facebook statuses/pins can be pinned, so I decided to compile the ideas into a blog post instead. Here are some of my favorite responses from the post! Hopefully you will find this useful and pin-worthy for future reference!
Tips and ideas:
- It’s nice to email mom ahead of time and offer a few choices for her to pick from (wouldn’t you just LOVE to get a message like the email above?? Yeah. It was fantastic.).
- If you can, use disposable containers so the parents don’t have to keep track of returning storage containers.
- Fresh fruit is a treat. Even better if it’s already washed and peeled.
- Homemade food with vegetables is nourishing.
- Check with the mom about food preferences/allergies, including but not limited to dairy, eggs, nuts, wheat, spicy or acidic foods (tomatoes, oranges), chocolate (contains caffeine), broccoli/cauliflower (may cause gas (i.e. crying) in babies). Mom and/or babies can be sensitive to certain foods, especially if the mom is planning to feed the baby breast milk.
- Breakfast foods are really handy, such as wholesome muffins, croissants, etc.
- Anything you can eat with one hand is convenient, such as Chinese buns with meat in them.
- If you don’t have time to cook, getting a gift certificate to a meal delivery service such as The Munchery would be great! (If you use my link, we can both get $10 credit! :))
Specific food ideas:
- Pulled pork, served with sticky rice, and salad.
- Short ribs with rice and vegetables
- Roast chicken with vegetables
- Chicken casserole and rice
- Chicken katsu with rice and vegetables
- Pasta/Lasagne
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Stir-fry udon with chicken and vegetables
- Turkey chili with tortilla chips
- Sesame brown rice salad
- Stew and bread
- Care package of favorite goodies from Trader Joe’s: baguette with good cheese, dried fruit, other healthy snacks.
- Desserts and treats to go with the meal
- Pints of ice cream
- Homemade, pre-balled cookie dough in a ziploc bag (for fresh-from-the-oven cookies!)
- Brownies
- Cookies
- Lactation cookies
I know from personal experience that being offered a menu of choices to pick from (a few days ahead of time) feels really luxurious. Having fresh fruit was fantastic, and the easy to grab-and-go goodies were a life-saver. I used to bring takeout to families, since it was the easiest option, but now with all these ideas, I might just try my hand at bringing a homemade meal!
How about you? What are some of your favorite meals you’ve brought to others or received? I would be happy to add more to the list above!
6 responses to “Meals to Bring to New Moms”
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Those are great recipe ideas, with the exception of the Broccoli one. Broccoli and cauliflower were the only two foods my doctor told me NOT to eat while breastfeeding. Unfortunately, when I had my baby 2 months ago, we got 3 meals that were primarily that! Other foods to avoid for lots of moms are green peppers and lots of onions. Your idea about “one-handed foods” is brilliant–it’s hard to have both hands free with a newborn. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks for the feedback! Updated! 🙂
My sister made me a stew and some home made bread after I had my first baby (8 years ago). I remember thinking it was the most delicious thing in the whole world at that time.
Must’ve been really delicious since it stuck with you so long! I’ll add it to the list!
Enjoyed reading through your blog!!
I just had my third child last January and my husband’s mother brought over a macaroni and cheese casserole. Normally I don’t cook that because it doesn’t freeze well and the leftovers is rubbery. But it was a delight to eat – havarti cheese, bits of chicken and peas, and she added milk and a can of cheddar cheese cream! So it was creamy even the next day!
Also the one hand food is a great idea – wrapping a mixture of meat and a veggie into a flattened biscuit is a great way to do that! My favorite is chicken and spinach – hubby prefers ground beef and cheese 🙂
Mmm, that sounds delicious! I’ve never tried wrapping food in a biscuit! Great idea!