The EASY method to Make Freezer Meals for After Baby

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You’ve probably heard stories of moms who have had EPIC pre-baby freezer meal prep session. There are quite a few articles about moms who were able to make 15 freezer meals in 2 hours. Or even 24 or 42 meals!

Wait, but how the heck did they do that?  Just the thought of organizing all the pieces that go into having a “freezer prep day” can be totally overwhelming!

Grocery shopping, then washing, chopping, seasoning and bagging all those meals.

All in one day, in one afternoon, in 2 hours….

If you are thinking it seems like A LOT. And overwhelming. I feel you.

But here’s the thing – there is no ONE way to make freezer meals for after baby.

When I discovered freezer meals, I had 3 kids under 6 and was 30 weeks pregnant with #4. The idea immediately appealed to me, I just felt like “OMG, how the heck could I ever do that.”

I mean I had no time. I was totally unorganized. I lacked energy and patience. Plus, I was always with my kids. So having an whole uninterrupted afternoon to focus and prep seemed totally undoable to me.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how genius it really is to make freezer meals for after baby. And I just HAD TO figure out a way to get it done, if I was going to have ANY sanity whatsoever after I had my baby.

So, I decided to do it the easy way and just make 1 freezer meal at a time.

And once I made 1 meal and saw how easy it was, I committed to making another and another.

And slowly over 2 months, I was able to build a stash of freezer meals for postpartum recovery. 

Who doesn’t love the convenience of taking a done for you meal out the freezer and popping it in the crock pot? The beautiful thing is –  even if you forget to defrost, you can put them in the slow cooker frozen and the meals come out just fine!

This is what all Moms need during the postpartum period to make life easier. 

So challenge yourself to make a freezer meal! Just to test it out and see if it’s right for you. These postpartum freezer meal tips can help.

Really it’s super easy and quick. 

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Easy Method for Making Freezer Meals Before Baby

Making your freezer meals for postpartum the super simple way is really a great option for Moms who are looking to save money before having baby, or have a tight budget that does not allow for getting all the ingredients for a big freezer prep session at one time. 

This freezer prep method also reduces your stress load while still stockpiling before your baby comes. Most of us can easily wrap our head around preparing 1 recipe, where as preparing a whole bunch of meals at once can be too overwhelming. 

If you are diligent and prep just one freezer meal each week, starting at 32 weeks pregnant, you will have 8 or so meals by the time your baby arrives.

Trust me – any amount of prepared food will be a lifesaver in those first weeks with baby. 

So just take it nice and slow and pat yourself on the back each time you add a meal to your freezer stash. 

Here is a quick and simple step by step process for making pre baby freezer meals the easy way – one meal at a time.

RELATED – 15 Things to do before your baby arrives 

Step 1 – Pick a meat that is on sale and buy a big pack or multiple packs.

Picking a meat (or protein) is the start of your freezer prep. Buying in bulk allows you to save money and also prepare multiple meals at once. 

Check your store’s sale paper for the best deals and then decide what meat you’d like to cook. 

Chicken thighs, drumsticks, whole roasts and whole chickens are some of the best meats for making freezer meals.

Step 2 – Pick a recipe you like and collect enough ingredients to cook 2 meals (1 to cook + 1 to freeze)

Once you have picked your meat, think of a recipe that you’d like to make with it. Gather all the ingredients to make a double batch of this recipe. 

Easy slow cooker and instant pot recipes are the best for making into freezer meals. Though casseroles and skillet meals work too. 

Need recipe ideas? Check out this list of healthy freezer meals for new Moms

Some of my favorite recipes to prep at the same time:

In this picture below, I am seasoning the roast for dinner in the crock pot and freezing two packs of seasoned beef stew meat for taco bowls later. 

This is such a simple process. Don’t make it overly complicated. Choose something easy with few ingredients and few prep step to make it easy for yourself. Especially the first few times you try this. 

This ebook has some easy freezer meal recipes specifically for postpartum and breastfeeding. 

You can even use this method at breakfast time with these make ahead breakfast recipes to freeze.

Or prep some these healthy freezer snacks for dessert as you make dinner.

Step 3 – Make the recipe for dinner as you normally would. Start chopping all the vegetables. Put half into a gallon ziplock bag and use the other half for dinner.

So now the fun starts! You are going to prep your freezer meal as you make dinner!

Get out all the ingredients and set up your cutting board. Chop everything together, then divide.

So chop all the onions (etc), then put half in the pan for dinner and add the rest to a gallon ziplock bag for the freezer meal. Do this until all your veggies are prepped. 

 

Step 4 – Season your meat all together, then put half into the bag and cook the rest.
If any sauces, liquid, or canned items are needed, add it to the bag at this time.

By seasoning everything together, you only need to take out the spices once. 

This saves so much time. 

And pro tip —>>> seasoned or marinated meat all by itself makes a super easy freezer meal! Cooked meats make great taco filling, sandwiches or a simple meal with sides. 

So if all you have time for is to season the meat and pop it in the bag, or if chopping veggies is not your thing, you can still make freezer meals.

It really can not be any easier than that.

Step 5 – Squeeze out any extra air and lay flat to freeze. And that’s it!

Make sure to squeeze out the extra air. This will help prevent freezer burn and ice inside your bag. 

Laying flat in the freezer will allow you to save space and have room for more meals in your freezer. Once they are frozen you can rearrange them as you need to fit. 

Because you are cooking the same meal, there’s not a lot of extra time needed. Once you get this process down you can prep multiple meals at once. But when you are just getting started, keep it simple so you don’t get overwhelmed.

To help with organizing your prep sessions, I made a special freezer meal planning sheet just for email subscribers! This handy page is going to help you track the ingredients you need and the steps to making freezer meals.

Sign up below to download your FREE planning sheet!

It’s the perfect companion for planning your next freezer meal prep session, whether it’s 1 meal or an EPIC session.

Get Your Guide to Freezer Meals for Postpartum

If you are ready to dive into freezer meals, get your copy of Healing Freezer Meals for Postpartum and Breastfeeding here. This ebook is designed to help make it easier for you to make pre-baby freezer meals that actually support the healing process and breastfeeding.

It has 12 recipes with leftover suggestions and cooking options. Plus a grocery list.

The recipes are all healthy, gluten free and whole food based. Which means you can eat them no matter what stage you are in and feel assured you are feeding your family nourishing, real food meals.

Click here to get the ebook

More from Birth Eat Love

Our goal here is to help you prepare your mind, body and fridge for postpartum and breastfeeding. Check out these popular posts while you are here.

The Ultimate Postpartum Grocery List – meal ideas and foods to stock up on for the 3rd and 4th trimesters

Essentials for Natural Postpartum Recovery – everything you need to get NOW to help your body recover after childbirth

5 Surprising Foods to Avoid for Successful Breastfeeding – planning on breastfeeding? This is a must read article, especially for first time moms. 

And make sure to follow our Healthy Freezer Meals for New Moms Board on Pinterest for more ideas!

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