Inside: Learn tons of quick, easy food ideas and meals for new parents to eat when they have a newborn in the house.
It can be hard to feed yourself when you’ve got a newborn in the house. Whether you’re new to parenthood or you’re keeping an eye on your toddler or other kids while feeding a newborn, it’s easy to miss a meal.
The following is a list of over 100 foods and meals for new parents. These ideas were brought together by the Kids Eat in Color Instagram parent community.
Here’s what’s inside:
Tips from parents who have been there before
Foods you can drink
Quick prep cold foods
Quick prep warm(ish) foods
Frozen foods
Sweets
Fruits
Veggies
Bake-ahead
Cook-ahead/freezer-friendly
Easy meals
Tips for new parents from parents who have been there
All of these ideas have come from parents. Some of them couldn’t remember what they ate through the newborn stage, but they did have some advice for you. Here are some of their ideas:
- “Utilize the baby carrier. If your partner isn’t around, strap baby in a carrier and sway or soothe baby while you eat.”
- “Have a snack basket near the feeding area.”
- “Eat on the bathroom floor while the baby is in the baby tub for bath time.”
- “Order takeout.”
- “Let other people bring you meals. I still think about a butternut squash mac and cheese a friend brought me 4 years ago.”
- “I had someone feed me while I nursed.”
- “Prepare frozen meals before the baby arrives.”
- “Cut up a bowl of fruits and veggies and graze throughout the day.”
- “When people offer help, ask for food/groceries. They offered, so you can be specific!”
- “Eat fast.”
- “Small pasta shapes are best – booties, penne, etc.”
- “Make whatever you can load on a spoon: shepherd’s pie, chicken and rice, etc.”
Now it’s time for all of their amazing ideas to help you eat well during the newborn phase!
Grab-and-eat foods for new parents
Here’s a list of easy new parent foods to stock up on that you can literally pull out of the fridge or pantry, eat them and keep on going.
Nuts
- Trail Mix
- Peanuts and raisins
- Nuts
- Spoonfuls of peanut butter
- Chocolate-covered almonds
Dairy
- String cheese
- Yogurt pouches
- Pre-sliced cheese
Bars
- Granola bars
- KIND protein bars
- CLIF bars
- Perfect Bar
- RXBAR
- GoMacro bars
- Larabar
- LUNA bars
Meat
- Jerky
- Beef/pork/turkey stick
- Sliced deli meat
Other
- Crackers
- Uncrustables
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Peanut butter pretzels
If you need other snack ideas, both easy and make-ahead, our Everyday Snacks ebook gives you a great running start on feeding yourself and your child. The snacks are friendly to all ages over one, including adults!
Meals you can drink
Sometimes it’s easier to drink meals than sit down to eat when you’re a busy new parent. Try these slurpable meal ideas.
- Smoothies
- Protein drinks
- Protein yogurt drinks
- Milkshakes
- Chocolate milk
- Overnight oats (you can practically drink them from a shaker bottle)
Quick prep cold foods
These easy food ideas require only a little prep and can help fill you up while you’re taking care of your infant.
- Leftovers
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Snack plates: cheese, crackers, salami, lunch meat, nuts, fruit, cut veggies, etc.
- Cornish pasties
- Butter and honey in a tortilla
- Dates stuffed with peanut butter, hemp hearts, chocolate chips and sprinkle of sea salt
- Giant sub sandwich (cut, bag, store in fridge, grab, add condiments, eat)
- Canned tuna
- Chia seed puddings
- Hummus with pretzels
- Cereal and milk
Toast
- Avocado toast
- Peanut butter on bread
- Jam on bread
- Egg salad on toast
Sandwiches
- PB&Js (Tip: freeze them in zippered bags!)
- Peanut butter and banana
- Bagel and cream cheese
- Wraps of all kinds
- Grilled cheese
- Egg sandwich with cheese, avocado, tomato and everything seasoning
- Egg muffins/eggwhich
- Tuna salad
- Chicken salad
Quick prep warm foods
This list of warm foods can be prepared by new parents quickly and easily.
- Burritos (beans, cheese, veggies, eggs, etc.)
- Loaded quesadillas
- Rice or grain bowls (toss whatever is in the fridge over rice or grains and add sauce)
- Tacos
- Rotisserie chicken
- Onigiri (Japanese rice balls)
- Soup in a mug
- Sweet potatoes
- Fried rice
- Scrambled eggs
Warm cereals
- Oatmeal with add-ins (peanut butter, almond butter, hemp seeds, seeds, nuts, fruit)
- Instant oatmeal with plain Greek yogurt mixed in
- Cream of wheat
Pasta and noodles
- Boxed mac and cheese with freezer veggies mixed in
- Pasta with tomato sauce and frozen veggies
- Pasta and sour cream
- Ramen
- Tortellini
Sweets
Got a sweet tooth? Here are some suggestions for when you need something sweet.
- Ice cream cones
- Candy
- Cookies
- Sweet breakfast cookies
- Graham crackers
- Untoasted toaster pastries or Pop Tarts
Fruit
- Bananas
- Pears
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Pre-cut fruit
- Fruit salad with yogurt
- Berries
- Dried fruit
Veggies
- Veggies & dip
- Cut-up peppers
- Celery
- Carrots
- Edamame
- Bagged salads
- Roasted red pepper hummus
- Cooked green beans
- Cherry tomatoes
Freezer meals & foods
Stock up on these simple heat-and-eat freezer meals, perfect for tired parents during the newborn phase.
- Frozen burritos
- Frozen pizza
- Tater tots
- Frozen waffles
- Chicken tenders
- Empanadas
- Ready-made frozen meals from Costco
- Potstickers
- Taquitos
- Frozen fruit
- Frozen veggies to heat and eat or add to other dishes
Bake-ahead foods
Prepare these foods in batches and freeze them for future meals or snacks.
- Muffins
- Banana bread
- Quiche (freeze and heat to eat)
- Egg muffins with a veggies mixed in
- Cornish pasties
- Granola bars
- “Breakfast” cookies with nut butter, oats, etc.
- Baked oatmeal/batch-cooked oatmeal (microwave for breakfast)
- Lactation cookies/balls
- Peanut butter and oat energy balls
Cook-ahead, freezer-friendly meals
Freezer-friendly meals can be prepared when you have a spare minute, and then reheated when you need something quick.
- Meatballs
- Chicken enchiladas
- Soups
- Lasagnas for family dinner
- Chili
- Taco meat
- Lentil soup
Easy meals for new parents
Check out these easy meal ideas for new parents!
- One-pan meals
- Crockpot barbecue chicken (sauce + chicken = easy)
- Dump-and-bake-style casseroles and bagged salad
- Chicken pasta
- Meat or chicken broth with noodles and ginger
- Chicken pot pie
- Chili con carne with rice or bread
- Air-fried chicken with different toppings (black beans, corn, croutons, etc.)
- Stew
We’re rooting for you during this time! We hope you can enjoy some of the snuggles. Remember to print all these ideas to put on your refrigerator to make feeding yourself easier!
You may also find these blogs helpful
- How to Choose the Best Baby Formula
- Feeding Babies from 0-12 Months Old
- Best Baby Books About Food
- 10 Top Teethers for Babies
- 6 Tips for Starting Baby on Solids
