How I Make Healthy Food with a Newborn
Having a baby changes everything.
I don’t sleep the way I used to (or as much). I don’t have the job I used to. I don’t have as much flexibility as I used to. I have to organize my life around the feeding and sleeping patterns of a newborn baby.
But there are some things that don’t change, like my desire to take care of my body and pursue health. It would be easy to not care about eating healthy food or trying to exercise, but those things make me feel like myself, and I think it’s important to work them into my life in this new season.
If eating healthy is important to you, too, and if you’re wondering how to prioritize it with a new little one who depends on you for everything, keep reading to see how I’m doing it and if my tips could work for you!
Meal Plan for the Week
One of the best routines I established for myself before having a baby was weekly meal planning. I have a recurring reminder on my Todoist app on Mondays to create the meal plan for the week. I use my AnyList app (or the desktop version) to search for recipes, add them to my meal plan, and add ingredients I need to buy to my grocery list. I can add recipes from my cookbooks or notes about going out to eat, too. Having this consistent time and routine for meal planning gets my week set off on the right foot.
Having a plan for the week also makes it easier to prep food because you’ll know when you need to thaw meat, soak beans, or chop veggies. These tasks can be done ahead of time to save time when you’re in a crunch. I like to do them the day before or during nap time instead of dinnertime because our evenings tend to be busier.
When I’m putting together my plan for the week, I like to factor in one meatless meal, some quick-cooking meals, and meals I can cook in bulk to have leftovers for later in the week. That brings us to my next tip. But before we get there, consider what works for your family. I know some people like to have a regular rotation of recipes they’re familiar with so they’re not working with new recipes that take more mental energy. And some like to fall back on a formula like Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Wrap Wednesdays, Pizza Fridays, etc.
Leftovers are your best friend
I’ve always loved leftovers. Doesn’t it just make sense to make some extra food so you can cook once and have food for two, three, or four meals? I know some people don’t love eating the same thing several times, but I have some suggestions to deal with that. Additionally, it might be the time to address which is more important to you— meal variety or having easy meals on hand?
If you aren’t naturally a leftover lover, consider these ideas:
mix up the components, like separating your grains, sauces, veggies, and proteins so you can mix and match them throughout the week. You could have pasta with meatballs and marinara one night and then rice and meatballs with sesame ginger sauce or pasta with chicken and alfredo.
make over the leftovers. Fried rice requires having previously-cooked rice, so take your leftover rice and turn it into fried rice!
throw your leftover components into a new dish, like a soup, stir fry, or salad. This is a great use for veggies (raw or cooked), cooked grains, and proteins.
freeze any freezer-friendly leftovers to have later so you’re not wasting the food and not boring yourself with eating the same thing too frequently. This works well for soups, curries, and casseroles. Many online recipes will indicate whether they are freezer-friendly or not.
It’s helpful if you label your leftovers so you know what you have. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve skipped this step to “save time” and then wondered what’s in a dish in the freezer. And skipping the labeling really only saves about a minute. I’m partial to these erasable labels because I can reuse them. I’ve had mine for a few years, and they’re holding up great!
Consider prepping freezer meals in bulk
One of the best things I did before having my baby was to prep meals and freeze them. I didn’t get as many done as I’d planned since my daughter came two weeks early, but it feels like a gift from my past self every time I see a freezer meal I don’t have to cook from scratch now.
This makes making dinner significantly easier when I’m busy or caring for a fussy baby. I can dump a bag into my slow cooker or instant pot because all the ingredients are already pre-chopped, seasoned, and mixed. Even on my most tired days, I can handle a simple dump and cook kind of meal.
Convenience foods aren’t all bad
I used to hate the idea of convenience foods. I thought they were all unhealthy and overpriced. Of course, now that I’ve looked into it further, I’ve realized that they’re definitely not all unhealthy. The stores I regularly shop at (Aldi and Walmart) have a variety of pre-chopped veggies, quick-cooking whole grains, and riced cauliflower. Sure, it might be cheaper to buy whole veggies and chop them myself or buy traditional grains and dry beans to cook, but there’s a price I’m willing to pay to save time these days. I don’t have the energy to chop a butternut squash, boil beans for 45 minutes, or cook long-grain rice. I’m loving canned beans, 90-second microwaveable grains, and frozen chopped veggies. I don’t sacrifice the nutritional value, and I save time!
Additionally, frozen vegetables are available and fresh year-round, and sometimes cheaper than fresh vegetables, especially when they’re out of season. And they don’t go bad nearly as fast, which is also a plus when you’re in a busy season of life and maybe not quite as on top of using all your fresh food before it’s not so fresh anymore (asking for a friend?). :)
Add veggies to every meal
One of the easiest ways I’ve made my meals healthier is by adding veggies to every meal, at least lunch and dinner. It’s challenging to motivate myself to munch on carrots or celery, so instead I prioritize getting veggies with my lunch and dinner. I add them to my stir fry, soups, pastas, tacos, and wraps. I keep a lot of microwaveable steamed veggies in the freezer to have on the side of a dish that doesn’t have veggies to quickly and easily round out the meal. Another easy way to add in veggies is to make a salad. If you want to make it even easier, pick up salad kits that have everything needed in one bag. I’ve noticed that when I keep salad greens and salad kits in our fridge, my husband and I both eat a lot more vegetables, and that’s something I can feel good about!
I hope some of these tips help you! If you have additional ones or favorite simple recipes to share, leave them in the comments below!
