Easy food ideas for new parents

[Anonymous]

I’m a FTM of a newborn ( born June 8) struggling with time to create healthy meals that fill me up. My meals are just snacks throughout the day that never hold me over for very long. I’ve tried premixed salads but those don’t hold me over super well and aren’t enough for my husband. I need some easy meals that won’t require me or my husband to be in the kitchen for very long. Any suggestions will help.

[Anonymous]

I want to add that I’m used to eating a high protein low carb diet but I’m craving lots of carbs like fruit and bread.

[Anonymous]

Grain bowls instead of salads. Think farro, quinoa, nuts, crumbled cheese, chickpeas along with veggies and fruit (e.g., blueberries, dried cranberries) to make them more filling.

You can make lots of meatballs all at once. Eat with pasta, make meatball subs, freeze some.

Look up recipes for one-pot or sheet pan dinners.

And you're allowed to eat lots of snacks now, by the way Wishing you well, FTM!

[Anonymous]

Quesadillas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grain bowls instead of salads. Think farro, quinoa, nuts, crumbled cheese, chickpeas along with veggies and fruit (e.g., blueberries, dried cranberries) to make them more filling.

You can make lots of meatballs all at once. Eat with pasta, make meatball subs, freeze some.

Look up recipes for one-pot or sheet pan dinners.

And you're allowed to eat lots of snacks now, by the way Wishing you well, FTM!

Oh and I’m super picky. We don’t like chickpeas, rice ( only Chinese), farro, lentils, or quinoa.

Do you have a meatball recipe? I don’t eat pork so beef only if possible.

I know I’m allowed to eat snacks. I just need more filling options. Even eating cheese and an apple isn’t holding me for more than an hour.

[Anonymous]

I’m craving a lot of sandwiches but I know eating deli meat everyday isn’t food for you. I’ve been eating a pb & j for lunch but I’m sick of it.

[Anonymous]

Throw a whole chicken (or chicken parts) in a slow cooker to cook. Shred the chicken. Make rice (or another grain) int the rice cooker. Buy prepared veggies/salad. make a grain bowl with your choice of sauce. Guacamole and salsa one day. Teriyaki sauce another day. And repeat.

If you like hard boil eggs, have your partner cook a dozen and keep them on hand to eat with your apple and cheese snacks.

I ate a lot of yogurt bowls with plain Greek yogurt, nuts and fruit.

[Anonymous]

https://pinchofyum.com/best-anytime-baked-chicken-meatballs I half the salt but these are soooo good and both kid and adult friendly too

[Anonymous]

Tuna salad or egg salad - make your own. Have your husband grill a bunch of chicken and then you can slice and eat it cold over salad, rice whatever.

[Anonymous]

When my babies were small, I would get a case of those bean burritos at Costco and a case of v8, and dried fruit and nuts. Then I could eat with one hand and still have a hand free for baby.

[Anonymous]

Look up “sheet pan meals” or “sheet pan dinners”

Line your pan with parchment paper and put some ingredients on with oil and salt and roast it all at the same time. Sometimes you have to marinate in advance, but usually the prep is minimal. An example is chicken apple sausage, mini potatoes, baby carrots.

[Anonymous]

I have a 3 week old and ran into the same situation when I came home from the hospital. The first week I survived on takeout and whatever snacks we had. Now I’m batch making banana bread ( so good topped with crunchy pb and a glass of milk), muffins, pancakes, yogurt bark, and delicious desserts. I make it once a week and freeze it.

For salads, bulk it up. Add in a protein, some beans, avocado, etc., to make it more filling. I do this with my lunch salad.

Buy precut foods like fresh fruit and veggies. I buy this and dips. I buy protein drinks and bars. Eggs. Lots do easy snacks to have on hand.

Lastly, try meal prepping. I cook 2-3 meals a week that we eat for dinner. Lunch is a salad or I cook up chicken salad.

[Anonymous]

I think I’d just get some stuff from Costco: rotisserie chicken, fresh fruit, cut up raw veggies or buy the crudite tray, artichoke dip, charcuterie, etc. Their frozen lasagnas and some of the frozen Asian bowls are tasty (yakisoba noodles etc). Caprese salad shakers and bagged salad mixes. I also like their chicken taco platter in the prepared foods section.

Also, even in the summer- some things are tasty in the slow cooker. Pot roast with potatoes & carrots is super easy. Also pulled chicken for tacos is easy.

I also like to do stirfry with the frozen stirfry veggie mix and whatever meat you want (chicken, steak etc). Just takes a couple of minutes. Make rice in the rice cooker.

Baked pasta is also super easy and makes good leftovers. Pretty much any kind of cooked pasta, jarred sauce (add meat if you like), and mozzarella or whatever cheese you want.

Also a big fan of cold sandwiches this time of year.

Pasta salad is also easy and tastes so good out of the fridge. I like a simple caprese with bowtie pasta.

[Anonymous]

Grilled cheese, pb&J, Italian sub, scrambled eggs, etc.

[Anonymous]

I ate alot of bagged salads those first few months too- maybe add in meat to help make them more filling? I would do chicken thighs in the air fryer and it was super easy. I did chickpeas too but see you dont like those- maybe another canned bean that is easy.

I also was into overnight oats- and you can make that pretty filling and high calorie with chia seeds, whole milk/yogurt, adding in frozen fruit is easy (was in winter for me), flax, peanut butter. made 3-4 at a time for myself.