Freezable meals/snacks for after birth

8ofspades

I'm currently pregnant with my first, due early August, and I'm trying to prepare snacks and meals for the freezer - always had a problem with hanger if I don't eat or don't eat right so wanting to avoid that as much as possible!

Only problem is, I have no appetite right now so trying to think of what to eat today is an issue, let alone what I can make and freeze for future.

Also, I have IBS and have found that avoiding certain foods reduces the symptoms dramatically - so I avoid onions, garlic and beans which makes picking up something quick from the supermarket a hard task.

So far I have made bacon and cheese muffins for quick breakfasts, oatmeal cookies, the classic spag bol/chilli and beef casseroles. I'll probably make some chicken pies and have a freezer drawer full of frozen veg. I'd love some ideas though, trawling recipe sites just seems to be giving me indecision fatigue.

What other meals freeze well for you? Lunches/breakfasts? Post-birth staples?

dan958

I'll always recommend sausage/bacon egg english muffins (a mcmuffin copy) They are great to have for a quick breakfast.

Cazza

Soup, for easy lunches. Freeze it in a mug, lined with clingflim, so you can get it out the mug easily. When you want to eat it, it's the perfect shape to drop back into a cup, microwave and drink one handed. No need to juggle spoon, bowl & baby.

joedenise

What a brilliant idea Cazza. I often make soup but hadn't thought of doing this. I usually just use freezer bags and flatten them so I can stack in the freezer.

Think I'm going to pinch this idea.

Denise

GreenQueen

Do you eat fish? Fish pie freezes well - assorted fish/seafood in a white sauce topped with mashed potato - grating of cheese on top before it goes in the oven.

Freeze some flat breads/tortillas, they thaw quickly and they would go with you chilli. I've recently discovered frozen avocado (in Iceland), and they thaw in about an hour and mash easily to make a quick guacamole.

Don't forget cake - frozen in slices, to offer a short-notice visitor or to treat yourself!

It sounds as if you are already organised and prepared, which is half the battle. Good luck with everything.

DigForVictory

While you can, defrost your freezer, so no visitor or relative decides to be helpful & ends up killing it.
Not that I'm carrying a grudge 17 years later, oh no. (Her intentions were lovely, just her technique wasn't.) Honestly, if you can avoid having to shop for white goods with a un-inoculated newborn babe in arms, go for it.

To really play the amazing card, keep some biscuit dough in the freezer. Home made biscuits within 20 minutes of knowing how many appreciative visitors you have. Also ice cubes, to cool hot & uncomfortable areas, as well as rendering almost any long drink more palatable.

Farmfoods have an array of frozen fruits in bags. This may make any lump of ice-cream look better, plus add meringues & cream & lo - 'fruit-of-your-choice mess'.

Himself makes bolognese sauce by the vatful, so not only do we get a family meal I then have those plastic lidded cups filled so I can eat bolognese on pitta in the office. Truly the joy of leftovers!

Our lads adore the sacks of frozen small bits or strips of chicken. Very easy to heat, chuck a jar of chinese or curry sauce over & serve on noodles. Their number one meal in minutes...

Wicked_Lady

I made DD lots of Mocha Squares from a recipe on this site. They freeze extremely well.

Also individual or 2 person h/m cottage pies; a large lasagne cut into portions and frozen individually. Crumble mix in a bag keeps for months and can be added to fruit for a quick pud.

Fire_Fox

For poor appetite/ limited time/ spare hands: blended soups and smoothie mixes. Can be sipped if a spoon is not an option. The act of chewing can be off-putting if you don't really want to eat IYSWIM.

All kinds of vegetables can vanish into strong flavoured (eg. mixed berry, mango and orange) smoothies: broccoli florets, spinach, peas, raw grated carrot, raw grated beetroot for example. The freeze-thaw process softens small pieces ready for stick blending.

If you are low on essential minerals you can add live yogurt, cultured milk, cocoa powder, soaked chopped/ sliced nuts/ seeds or nut butters depending which nutrients you need. Pre-soaking nuts and seeds makes them easier to digest and blend 'creamier'.

If you are wanting a naturally-occurring sweetener that should not bother your IBS you might test erythritol. It is not broken down in our digestive system, nor is it feasted upon by our gut bacteria. You likely know that other polyols (xylitol/ sorbitol) ferment as they pass through, so can cause bloating and discomfort for some with IBS.

HTH!

8ofspades

Wow, thanks everyone - really loving these ideas. Have written out some recipes already based on suggestions and currently have some mocha squares in the oven (couldn't resist!)

Now to think up some soup ideas.

Luckily our freezers are fairly new (less than a year) so no defrosting issues (that sounds a nightmare!)

Thanks for the IBS and appetite suggestions - hadn't thought of trying smoothies but have been having fruit and yogurt for breakfast, so will make a big batch maybe. Luckily actually eating isn't too bad, it's just trying to decide what to eat and having the energy to cook it - have switched to eating main meal at lunch the past couple of days and just grazing in the evening, which I think has helped.

Tink_04

I made shepherds pies & chicken/beef casserole so we had a hot one pot meal.
Frozen micro veg too so you can just add some veg to meals easily.
You can buy frozen stir fry mix so you can just add any meat you have left over (usually from Sunday dinners) it makes a great quick lunch!

Tink

building_with_lego

Mice plus the veg that you can eat, blitzed int he blender then fried or slow-cookered together, drain, freeze in portions. ==> spag bog/ lasagne/ chilli/ enchiladas/ cottage pie/ whatever.

Tomato sauce- tins of basic tomatoes plus herbs plus red wine/ whatever to make a basic sauce, freeze in portions. ==> spag bog/ lasagne/ chilli/ whatever

White sauce- milk/ butter/ flour whisked together and cooked slowly with a little nutmeg or allspice until it thickens. Freeze in portions ==> lasagne/ carbonara/ macaroni cheese/ whatever.

Roasted veg. Roast whatever veg you like to eat, freeze in portions. ==> add to your lasagne/ sandwiches/ pasta dish/ whatever.

Roast potatoes. Parboil and roast as many potatoes as you can fit into your pan ==> cook in c20 minutes from frozen = a quick roast dinner with sausages and your roasted veg.

You can freeze 'packs' for the slow cooker, where you put in the meat and marinade plus veg, then dump it all in and switch it on. Pinterest is your friend here.





Try to think about meal blocks. Mash freezes well if you allow the liquid to drain off while it defrosts (or warm from frozen). Mince as above makes many dishes, the veg can go on loads. I make about 12 blocks of mince+veg at a time, which lasts me a couple of months for an hour's work plus cooking- this is where the slow-cooker comes in handy.

P.S. Congratulations! I hope this August isn't as scorching hot as it was when I had my youngest!