Postpartum Freezer-Friendly Snacks: 5 Things I’d Prepare Before Baby Arrives

Easy snacks to have ready for those first few weeks when eating can suddenly become much harder than you expected.

When you’re getting ready for a baby, there is so much to think about.

Nappies. Muslins. Clothes. Somewhere for the baby to sleep. Car seat. Changing bits. Feeding bits. And approximately 700 other things that suddenly seem very important.

But one thing I really want you to think about before your baby arrives is what you are going to eat.

Because those first few weeks can make eating surprisingly difficult.

You might be feeding the baby and suddenly realise you’re starving. You might finally get them settled and not want to risk moving. You might be holding a sleeping baby and have absolutely no spare hands. Or you might have spent the last hour thinking, I really need to eat something, only to realise you still haven't actually decided what that something is.

And when you're tired, recovering from birth and trying to figure out this whole newborn thing, food that is already prepared is worth its weight in gold.

I'm not talking about creating a Pinterest-perfect freezer full of 25 different meals.

I'm talking about having a few things you can grab quickly, eat with one hand if necessary, and ideally not have to think too hard about.

Here are five things I'd consider preparing before baby arrives.

1. Date brownies

First up, something sweet.

Because sometimes you want something that feels like a treat, but you also want it to actually give you something useful rather than eating half a packet of biscuits because it's the only thing you can reach.

Date brownies are a great freezer option because you can make them ahead, cut them into individual portions and take one out when you need it.

They're particularly handy for those moments when you've got ten minutes, you're hungry now, and the thought of making anything feels like far too much effort.

I'd portion these before freezing so you're not having to defrost an entire batch every time you fancy one.

Recipe:find more here

2. Egg muffins

I love the idea of having something savoury ready to go too.

Egg muffins are one of those foods that can sit in the fridge or freezer and give you something substantial without needing to cook an actual meal.

You can grab one or two when you're hungry, have them alongside some fruit or crackers, or add them to whatever else you've managed to find.

And this is exactly the sort of food I think about when I say make postpartum eating easier rather than more perfect.

You don't need to sit down to a beautifully prepared breakfast at 8am.

If you're eating an egg muffin at 11am while holding your baby, that's breakfast.

If you're eating two at 2pm because the morning disappeared, that's okay too.

The point is that there is something there ready for you.

Recipe: link here

3. Carrot cake breakfast muffins

Because breakfast can very quickly become a bit of a disaster with a newborn.

Before baby, you might have had a routine. Maybe you made toast, had cereal, cooked eggs or sat down with a coffee.

Then suddenly your morning depends entirely on whether your baby is awake, asleep, feeding, unsettled or has decided that today they would like to be held for the next four hours.

Having breakfast muffins in the freezer means breakfast doesn't have to be another decision.

Take one out, warm it up if you want to, grab a drink and you've got something you can eat without much effort.

I'd make a batch before baby arrives, freeze them individually and keep a few in the fridge ready to grab.

And if you end up eating one at 10.30am rather than 8am? Who cares.

Newborn life doesn't need a meal schedule that looks like your old life.

Recipe:Link here

4. Energy balls

These are another one I'd prepare because they are small, portable and ridiculously easy to grab.

They're great to keep beside the sofa, in your feeding station, in the fridge or wherever you're likely to spend a lot of time with the baby.

You don't need a plate. You don't need cutlery. You don't necessarily even need two hands.

And I think those little details matter more than we realise.

When you're exhausted, every bit of friction between “I'm hungry” and actually eating something matters.

So if you can reach into the fridge or freezer and grab something, that's one less thing to think about.

Make them into small portions rather than giant ones, freeze them and take out what you need.

Recipe: link here

5. Smoothie packs

And finally, something for the mornings when you wake up and think, I cannot be arsed to make breakfast.

Smoothie packs can be prepared in advance with your chosen ingredients, stored in the freezer and then blended when you need them.

This is one I'd particularly recommend if you already enjoy smoothies, because you're not trying to introduce a completely new food routine when you've just had a baby.

You're simply making something you already like much easier.

You can prepare several packs before baby arrives, label them and keep them ready.

Then when you need one, you don't have to stand in the kitchen getting everything out and chopping things while wondering whether the baby is about to wake up.

Recipe:Link here

And don't forget the really easy stuff

Not everything needs to be homemade.

Actually, I think this is something we can put far too much pressure on ourselves about.

Your postpartum freezer doesn't have to be full of homemade snacks for you to be “prepared.”

Put some cheese sticks, crackers, cooked meat, fruit, yoghurt or whatever else you know you'll actually eat somewhere easy to reach.

Think about where you're going to spend time feeding or resting and create little food stations.

A basket beside the sofa.

A box in the fridge.

Snacks upstairs as well as downstairs.

A water bottle you can easily refill.

Because when you're holding a baby and suddenly realise you're absolutely bloody starving, the best snack is the one you can actually reach.

My biggest postpartum food tip?

Don't wait until you're hungry to work out what you're going to eat.

By then, you're already tired, you're probably holding a baby and you're much more likely to reach for whatever is easiest.

A little bit of preparation before your baby arrives can take away some of that decision-making later.

You don't need to fill your freezer with everything on this list.

Pick two or three things you know you'll enjoy. Make a batch. Portion them. Freeze them. Put some easy-to-reach foods in the fridge and create a couple of little food stations around the house.

Future-you will be very glad you did.

And honestly, that's what I want postpartum preparation to be about.

Not doing everything perfectly.

Just making life a little bit easier for the version of you who is exhausted, recovering, feeding a baby and thinking, what the hell am I going to eat?