One of the ways I prepared for Baby Boy was to create a postpartum menu plan. Mainly because I wanted to think of a rough draft of a plan before that hazy, wonderful newborn phase - a plan that gave us the slightest bit of structure, a plan that accounted for easy meals, leftovers, takeout, and food from loved ones. And because I knew Future Haley would rather edit or rearrange a loooooose menu plan than completely start from scratch each week.
So that said, I won’t be publishing a weekly menu plan for awhile. Instead, I’ll be referencing the following format for our meals for as long as I need. :)
Because as I mention at the very bottom of my baby prep blogpost, once Baby Boy is here, I drop all routines and just do what we need to get by. And only once I crave a routine do I add it back, and only when I feel ready. Which means it’s hard to say when I’ll go back to my normal weekly menu planning - may be four weeks, may be four months, may be 2024. And that’s okay. No guilt, just grace.
So without further ado, here’s our easyyyy menu plan for however long we need postpartum.
A few notes to start:
I actually started following this postpartum menu plan in the last bit of pregnancy. It was the best way for me to rest - and enjoy my family of 3 - before my induction.
We have a higher takeout budget than normal since we paused our gym membership and my Fit4Mom membership postpartum until I’m ready to return. See all the other tiny (and big!) things I did to prepare for postpartum here.
I didn’t talk about this much on Instagram, but Brett decided to completely change jobs - a month before Baby Boy was due - to follow his dream of working for a start-up company. Which I 1000% supported. But that means I’m not sure how much I can rely on him for dinner help postpartum. And that’s okay. But that definitely went into consideration when making this plan.
Also know that we don’t have a lot of takeout or drive-thru options near us - most things are a ~20 minute drive at least. Which is great for nights we feel like getting out of the house. But sometimes that means takeout, delivery, or drive-thru are more of a hassle and we’d rather have something easy to eat at home.
Another option? Both my sisters live nearby, and one grabs takeout a few times a week with her fiance. And she’s more than happy to pick something up for us as well, and swing it by our house on her way home. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: we may not be from this area originally, but I’m endlessly grateful all my family ended up near each other and I’m endlessly grateful for their constant support.
I am hopeful to have two very specific dinners every Sunday and Monday - both because we love these Build Your Own Meals, but also because these leftovers serve us so well for lunches and for Leftover Nights the rest of the week. These Sunday and Monday meals are also incredibly versatile so that we can decide what sounds best that night and so we don’t feel like we’re eating the same thing over and over.
This is also why we froze a lot of grilled chicken and beans when I was pregnant - so that if ever it felt like too much to make these two things postpartum, we had an easy option in the freezer. Here’s the full list of things I froze.
I bought the biggest pack of disposable eatery. Paper plates, paper bowls, disposable silverware, disposable napkins, whatever. a massive amount for postpartum - we’re shamelessly minimizing dishes for a long, long time. we did this for KK’s birth and we were so dang thankful. That last few weeks of pregnancy I store the paper bowls and plates in our cabinets, stacked on top of their reusable counterparts - this reminds us to actually use the disposable stuff postpartum. and I keep a cute wicker silverware caddy on our counter or bar for the disposable silverware. And then if we have any leftover disposable stuff when we feel human again, I tuck it away in a tub. and we pull out that tub for emergencies - whether that be a natural disaster or when we had that plumbing nightmare. (it’s also handy for family visits, camping, etc.) see my oldddd post on our prepared-ish home for more.
My mom is a dinner asset. A few years back my parents moved to the area, and my mom once-upon-a-time went to culinary school for funsies. So she loves to send over food and because of her, I’m not asking for a meal train from other loved ones. But also? If there’s a dinner or prepped item (like cut up fruit or a particular salad) I really want, she’s happy to do it. So having a loose menu plan also helps me know how to ask for help - I can look at the menu plan and outsource, say, that big bowl of fruit or that pot of beans to my mom.
Also, the menu plan be rearranged based on when she sends over food. The menu plan is just a roughhhh draft.
I stocked our home with easy-to-eat foods. Ritz Peanut Butter Crackers, lunchables, clementines, precut fruit, applesauce pouches, bars, grapes, cheese, yogurt, pre-made salads, smoothies, and turkey sandwich fixings. I also froze a bunch of my favorite muffins, egg bites, kolaches, oatmeal, and PB&J’s…but you can read more about that in my Things I Froze blogpost.
Let’s talk meal trains. (You and I may differ here and that’s 1000% okay.) When I’m newly postpartum, I don’t allow visitors and I maintain this boundary relentlessly. For the first few weeks/months/however long I need, I really don’t want to see anyone other than my own family unit, my parents, and my sisters. And that’s okay - that’s how I handle transition. (I’m also very introverted - INFJ + Type 4 - so I generally find visitors incredibly draining.) Eventually - when I’m ready - I emerge again and I joyfully reunite with others. So along those same lines, I really don’t like meal trains - I’m picky, I have three barking dogs, and I just want to be in my own bubble for awhile.
(Side note: I do have some dear, dear friends who know that I go underground and have already vowed to quietly leave food by my door. And for that I will always be grateful for their unconditional love.)
Freezer food. You’ll see that below. That could mean something I froze to prepare for postpartum. That could also mean frozen chicken nuggets and tater tots. (Or anything from that Trader Joe’s run we did rightttt before my induction to grab postpartum snacks + freezer meals.) Anything goes.
Christmas + New Year. Our postpartum period blissfully overlaps with that slow, cozy stretch of holidays. Which means we may get to do our Christmas Food Traditions and our New Year Food Traditions. Or we may not. We’re very flexible this year.
And really quick, here are few of my favorites for making dinner even remotely possible:
a tripp trapp chair for Baby Boy with this incredible newborn insert
aka the only way we can eat dinner as a family…and with my hands free.
and our twin-size kitchen helper stool (and a second tripp trapp chair) for our toddler
I talk more in my baby prep blogpost about how I set up my home for life with a toddler and a newborn, if you’re looking for more of my must-haves!
postpartum menu plan:
sunday:
our beloved grill and chill ritual
brett grills chicken like this for tonight’s dinner + plenty of lunch leftovers
freeze a breast or two of grilled chicken for easy future meals
or pull grilled chicken from the freezer if too tired to grill
and we’ll set out ingredients to make our favorite Grill and Chill Meal
or our beloved burrito bowls
Brett may do this too to make our week easier while the grill’s still hot
I’ll also set out flour tortillas if someone prefers a taco-type situation. Whatever speaks to our heart!
ingredients like:
instant pot black beans or slow cooker refried beans
I omit the onion in both recipes out of personal preference, and often times I’ll use black beans in the refried beans recipe
or my slow cooker pinto beans, omit sausage
freeze half in these containers
or pull beans from the freezer if too tired to make
plenty of mashed avocado + pinch of salt to taste
pico, queso*, shredded lettuce, salsa, crema, onion, cheese, etc
*we always get the Queso Mama queso at Costco
flour tortillas + rice
could also grab sauces/sides/fresh tortillas from one of our favorite Mexican restaurants
monday:
build your own grilled chicken sandwiches OR build your own grilled chicken wraps
set out grilled chicken (leftover from sunday)
set out goooood sliders and last night’s leftover tortillas
also set out: lettuce, tomato, mashed avocado, bacon, red onion, cheese cheese, bacon, ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, honey mustard dressing, caesar dressing, etc
like, Brett’s #1 favorite is to do a buffalo ranch style slider or wrap with blue cheese crumbles, but I almost always do a chicken caesar wrap with crushed croutons and parmesan cheese. or a grilled chicken slider with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. THE BEST.
with a big bowl of fruit. or sweet potato fries. or frozen French fries. or salad with ranch dressing. the heart wants what the heart wants.
tuesday:
some form of takeout, delivery, or drive-thru
with a big bowl of fruit.
or precut fruit from the store.
or salad with ranch dressing.
or salad made by my mom.
or fruit salad made by my dad.
or bagged salad.
or veggie box.
wednesday:
food from loved ones or freezer food*
*either something I froze or some other freezer gem - anything goes
with a big bowl of fruit.
or precut fruit from the store.
or salad with ranch dressing.
or salad made by my mom.
or fruit salad made by my dad.
or bagged salad.
or veggie box.
thursday:
a big bowl of mashed avocado + something with Sunday’s leftovers:
or nachos
whatever speaks to our heart!
big bowl of fruit
or precut fruit from the store.
friday:
some form of takeout, delivery, or drive-thru
on Fridays, we may alternate between our favorite Chinese place, our favorite pizza place, and takeout from a new-to-us restaurant. for some easy structure, yes, but also these aren’t places we can normally afford on a frequent basis. so it’ll be the loveliest treat during this time (with ample leftovers for the weekend).
with a big bowl of fruit.
or precut fruit from the store.
or salad with ranch dressing.
or salad made by my mom.
or fruit salad made by my dad.
or bagged salad.
or veggie box.
saturday:
food from loved ones, leftovers, or Snack Dinner
with a big bowl of fruit
or precut fruit from the store.
or salad with ranch dressing.
or salad made by my mom.
or fruit salad made by my dad.
or bagged salad.
or veggie box.
also friday (or saturday, depending on the week) = movie night
an excerpt from my “things I’m doing to prepare for our second baby: how we’re streamlining our household and taking care of our future selves” blogpost:
I started a weekly movie night. all in the spirit of adding some easy, predictable structure to our household during this time of transition.
but also? growing up, my dad was a very successful, very busy patent attorney. and my mom - the most incredible person I know - was a stay-at-home mom to three girls, all eighteen-months apart. and every single Friday, she’d load the three of us up in the car, we’d pick up Burger King, and we’d come home to a movie night. it is honestly some of my fondest childhood memories. (a Burger King burger is still one of my favorite comfort foods and Brett will never stop giving me grief.) and looking back, my mom brilliantly found a way to prioritize some weekly, built-in rest after another long week of solo parenting.
so in that same spirit, we’re slowly working our way through the Disney+ catalogue (and/or holiday movies, when applicable), one week at a time.
and I clear out the fridge and make some sort of snack platter: produce, cheese, crackers, meats, dips, whatever’s hanging around. (I could also do some frozen chicken nuggets or fish sticks or taquitos or PB&Js - nothing’s set in stone here.)
see a full list of alllll the things we love for Snack Dinner here
but know I also love Yummy Toddler Food’s Snack Dinner blogpost, too.
but on weeks we have a little wiggle room in the eating out budget (or weeks we just can’t do leftovers for whatever reason), we’ll order our favorite pizza. or pick up some special takeout. or maybe find our own version of Burger King.
Christmas + New Year
Our postpartum period blissfully overlaps with that slow, cozy stretch of holidays. Which means we may get to do our Christmas Food Traditions and our New Year Food Traditions. Or we may not. We’re very flexible this year.
Instagram:
I take a break from Instagram every December, but I’ll be back in the New Year. Peek at my stories then for a glimpse of our new daily life. Baby Boy is due December 25th, and we’ve scheduled an elective induction for before then (like we did with KK), but we’ll see what Baby Boy’s plan is. :)
Our Christmas 2022 talks about why I love a December Instagram Break. The post also talks about what we’re doing for Christmas gifts this year, if you need ideas.
You deserve whatever you need to take care of yourself - and for me that means a loooooose postpartum menu plan. I’m so looking forward to this graceful, cozy, slow season.
xo, h