Nourishing, freezer-friendly foods for late pregnancy/early postpartum

[blueridgewoman]

My best friend is due around Christmas and I really want to help her by making some freezer-friendly food for her family. She's getting to that uncomfortable pregnancy phase and already has two kids under five...

Any thoughts on particularly nourishing meals that she can freeze and reheat easily? It's only been two years since I've been pregnant, but I've already sort of forgotten what I enjoyed eating in late pregnancy or immediately postpartum.

Budget friendly is always a plus. She has a wheat allergy, but I'm GF, so that's no problem. I'm thinking LOTS of bone broth based soups and stews, but I welcome specific recipes.

[cristeen]

I made and froze enchiladas, moussaka, and potato leek soup (without the dairy - it takes up less space that way). I also froze (raw) small meatloafs - just big enough for the two of us, I think about half a dozen of them, and fresh corn on the cob (it was in season). I was going to (but went into labor first) make and freeze a big batch of chili and a couple loaves of cornbread.

I was also planning on making and freezing mac & cheese, but that's not really suitable for someone wheat-free.

I did have a big pot of bone broth simmering the entire time I was in labor (5 days) - so had this lovely rich broth that I could use (as a drink, as an easy soup, etc.).

[blueridgewoman]

Oh wow, these are great suggestions, thank you! I have plenty of beans/tomatoes for chili and I can get a fair amount of ground beef cheaply this winter from our favorite farmer so mini meatloafs and chili and meatballs, etc will be perfect. Good source of iron too....

I'm also making butternut squash soup, maybe some green enchiladas stuffed with chicken (I have TONS of sprouted corn tortillas), and bone broth

Keep those ideas coming!

[phroggies]

For a break from the soups and stews (nothing wrong with lots of those--my friends brought oodles and they really hit the spot), I've recently been making a bean-and-hominy casserole derived from the bean casserole in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. If you don't have that book, the idea is that you mix beans and hominy together and season them (I use cumin and oregano), then layer them with cheese, corn tortillas, and veggies (I've used mostly tomatoes, bell peppers and greens, but you could expand this considerably). Make sure to top with a layer of tortillas and cheese, then bake at around 350 until the top is bubbly and the veggies are cooked. I've made this in big batches, frozen some for myself and passed some along to friends. It's super-cheap except for the cheese, which you can adjust to your budget.

[MammaG]

We don't have any dietary restrictions in our house, so some of these might not work for you, but might give you some ideas. I'm 39 weeks, 2 days and so far, I have in my freezer:

Vegetarian chili
Vegetarian marinara sauce (you can put this over pasta, spaghetti squash, baked potatoes...all add veggies to a simply-made base)
Meat bolognaise
Beef stroganoff (sauce, not the noodles...again would be great over a baked potato)
Vegetarian lasagna
Fish chowder (without the cream)
Dr Sears' Salmon, penne and peas
Moroccan chicken-pot-pie
Tuna noodle casserole
Meatloaf
Cottage Pie
Chicken-vegetable soup with alphabet pasta
Loads of beef marrow broth
A couple of pies....these are for Thanksgiving, but I think we'll have them left as I'm making more this week!

I also stocked up over several weeks on frozen veggies and fruits. Not my first choice, but it makes sure that if I defrost something like a meatloaf and I'm having a hard pp day, adding some greens is really easy. Friuts can be microwaved and added to oatmeal or yogurt. A grocery bag of frozen veg and fruit might be very welcome!

I keep thinking of more! What about wheat-free muffins? I keep meaning to make muffins. And I'm stocking up on shelf-items that make a quick and easy meal like canned salmon and sardines, etc.

Hope that helps. What a wonderful friend you are.