New Mama Meal Plans

During pregnancy, everyone will keep telling you, “You’re eating for two, you must eat well.�? Even though you’ve given birth, the situation is still very similar. What you eat still impacts both you and your baby, regardless of whether you’re breastfeeding or not. Your mood, your physical health, and your confidence are impacted by what you eat, and a strong mommy is the one who takes care of herself and has enough energy and motivation to handle the emotional rollercoaster that’s coming her way. For the sake of your family and especially your baby, now is the perfect time to figure out how to stay healthy, help your body heal faster, and maybe shed that pregnancy weight that’s been making you feel insecure. For tips on what to eat and how to prep your meals, read on.

Breakfast

The best way for new moms to figure out how much to eat would be to simply listen to their own body and see what it craves. No matter how tempted you are, you shouldn’t starve yourself to shed pounds, especially not now. The best result comes from all-natural solutions and simple dietary changes, and to kick off your healthy day, you must begin with a good breakfast. We recommend that you go for a high-protein meal, so something like an egg omelet with mushrooms and bell peppers should do the trick. It will make you feel full and prevent that energy crash that can come if we eat only carbs early in the day. Another good breakfast would be oatmeal with fresh blueberries sprinkled in, or some whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana slices.

Lunch

Lunch is the perfect opportunity to stock up on some much-needed omega-3s, as they are necessary to maintain your and your child’s cardiovascular health and prevent any future problems. You might be wondering, what is the best diet for weight loss and health? Well, the one that contains plenty of these fatty acids certainly helps quite a bit. If you never eat fish, now’s a great time to start, and any mother would benefit from eating coldwater fish like salmon, halibut, or lake trout three times a week. Pair this with a plateful of veggies, especially leafy greens, such as kale, arugula, iceberg salad, and spinach. Rice and quinoa can also be added, but always make sure that the largest bit of your meal consists of veggies. Apart from fish, seafood, turkey and chicken are also a great idea, and so are black beans, peas, baby carrots, onions, and garlic. Some great lunch ideas are pasta with goat cheese and black beans, turkey sandwiches, and any type of soup with hummus and whole grain toast. Of course, if you’re a vegan, you will need a different diet, but you can take a look at these meal recipes to get some good ideas.

Dinner

Grilled shrimp with fennel, couscous with veggies, chicken salad, teriyaki steak, lentil stuffed peppers, cauliflower with cheese – all of these are great ideas for dinner. You could also use our lunch recipes and switch them around, and make adjustments that satisfy your food cravings. It all depends on whether you prefer a bigger lunch or a bigger dinner. We recommend that you don’t eat after 18h-19h in the evenings, and that you take a calming chamomile tea after you’re done with your meal.

Snacks

Fruit and nuts should be your main snack, particularly almonds and walnuts. Graham crackers are also great, and so are Greek yogurt, kefir, pickles, baby carrots, and dark chocolate. Two small snacks a day in between meals can help keep your energy up, but if you prefer you can merge them into one bigger snack to save up on time.

Prepping in advance

New mamas know just how hectic life can get when there’s a newborn in the house, so the most important part of any healthy diet is preparing your meals in advance. Having a slow cooker pot can definitely help you because you can just chop up some veggies and chicken and leave it to cook overnight. If you want more tips, here’s a handy guide that will help you with meal prep.

One last thing to remember is to drink plenty of water, tea, and unsweetened fresh juice to stay hydrated. Eating well can help you both physically and emotionally, and you don’t need to go on any fad diets to get healthy. Take care of yourself, mama, because you and your baby deserve it.