I know Friday was our last official day of the pregnancy series. But I thought it might be helpful if I shared a few things I’ve done to prepare for baby in the food arena. Consider it a “bonus” post. {ahem}

One of the things that is hardest for me to get back to after baby is making meals. Part of it is the timing of dinner. It comes soon after naptime {meaning my kiddos are waking up/cranky} and it’s usually either right after or during the time that baby needs to eat. To add dinner onto my plate {nice pun there, right?} is just crazytown.

So this time, I’ve been way more motivated to do freezer cooking. I don’t have a stand alone freezer, but a combination fridge/freezer, so I haven’t made millions of meals. But here are some things I have made in order to make cooking a little easier:

• breakfast burritos
• cream of chicken soup
• salsa chicken
• bean & cheese burritos
• stuffed shells
• honey sesame chicken
• pizza dough
• cookie balls

I don’t have a recipe for the stuffed shells. Basically, it’s a few different kinds of cheese, italian seasoning, and egg mixed together and stuffed into shells. I freeze them in ziploc bags, then when I’m ready to bake, I just take out however many I need, put them in a dish with spaghetti sauce, and bake. Voila.

I’ve also made out a list of quick meals that take small – medium prep time. I plan to keep this list in my pantry so that on those days when it’s 4:45 and I have absolutely no clue what to eat for dinner, I can make something fast. Here’s my list so far:

• scrambled eggs/pancakes/grits
• bean & cheese quesadillas
• chickpea tacos
• tuna sandwiches
• spaghetti/green beans
• omelettes
• chili/cornbread

Obviously, these items require a stocked pantry & freezer. Which is why I went on a big Aldi run and spent a large chunk o’ change in order to have a bunch of meals after baby arrives. I totally cheated and grabbed a massive 12 box package of mac & cheese {from Sam’s Club} to have for quick lunches for me & the kids. I know it’s not the healthiest thing on earth with all the processed cheese powder. Buuuuut I decided 12 lunches of the stuff won’t kill us. And it might just save my sanity.

Some quick + healthy snacking options are always a good idea, so here’s my plan for those:

• apple slices + peanut butter
• bananas
• cheese sticks
• oranges
• carrot sticks + hummus
• smoothies {made with frozen peaches + yogurt + random fruit/spinach}

And that’s about it for food. I tell ya – it is immensely helpful to have some meals planned – if only for my mental health. It’s just one less thing I have to think about and one more reason to keep cuddling with my kiddos during those first weeks instead of stressing out about dinner.

Don’t miss a post from this series!

• I’m Prego…Now What? {Introduction}
• Your Body Communicates
• Nutrition during Pregnancy
• Exercise during Pregnancy
• How to Talk to a Pregnant Woman
• Preparing for Baby
• Making Meals after Baby