What makes a recipe a postpartum recipe? My criteria: easy to make, high in protein, fat, and/or fiber, nutrient dense, comforting, and extremely delicious.
I have a birth and postpartum doula client due next month, so I'm starting to plan out some of the meals I'll be bringing her from late pregnancy through the first 40 days postpartum. Here are my tried and true go-tos - nourishing and postpartum friendly, but most importantly, they're simple to make and delicious.
Use bone broth when you can for extra protein and nourishment!
Ginger Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils and Kale
I've made this with red, green, and brown lentils and it's always delicious. Freezes well too. This is a great postpartum recipe for vegetarians, too!
Ginger Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils and Kale from The First Mess Green Garlic & Ginger Chicken and Rice Soup
I delivered this to a client over a year ago and she still texts me about it. If you have rice and chicken left over, it comes together pretty quickly. It's super flavorful but still comforting. You can obviously leave out the jalapeno if you're not feeling up for much spice.
Swamp Soup from Wishbone Kitchen Dilly Bean Stew with Cabbage and Frizzled Onions
I've been making this for so many years, and it's so fast and so extremely delicious. The frizzled onion step is yummy, but definitely not necessary if you're short on time. Dill is a not-often-talked about postpartum herb, so be generous with it! And swap the sour cream for full fat greek yogurt for an extra protein and good fat boost.
Thai-Style Minced Chicken Lettuce Cups
If you've read much about postpartum healing, you might know we usually want warm, soft, easy to digest foods. And while I often prioritize that, I also just want quick, easy to eat/reheat, and delicious options. This recipe is so, so good. I've made it at least monthly for many years. ****IMPORTANT NOTE! Follow the recipe as written but for only 1lb of ground chicken. If you're using 2lbs, double all the other ingredients. The sauce to meat ratio is critical.
Larb Gai from Once Upon a Chef 30 Minute Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen
Look I know Half Baked Harvest is controversial. I'm not a super fan, but I have been using this recipe for many years and it is so quick and tasty. This is my favorite curry paste for this recipe. It's moderately spicy. I also like to use organic buckwheat soba or ramen noodles for a little extra nutrition.
Curry Peanut Soup from Half Baked Harvest Crunchy Puffed Millet Treats
Another tried and true. These are a little unfamiliar process wise, but definitely not hard to make. I used to be able to get puffed millet in my grocery store, but have to order online in New Orleans (send me a note if you know of somewhere local!).
Puffed Millet Treats, adapted from Sqirl by me Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Another super quick one to throw together... I make in the slow cooker and in the instant pot. I like to get fire roasted tomatoes or tomatoes with green chiles for a little extra flavor and like to use chicken bone broth instead of chicken stock. I also prefer to use chicken thighs for this one. Don't forget the avocado and full fat green yogurt for topping. Plus tortilla chips and lots of lime and cilantro.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup from Cooking Classy Postpartum Shatavari Rice Pudding
One of my favorite small businesses sells this - and many other postpartum supportive meals - and they ship in the US. This is so good for breakfast or a sweet treat any other time. I've subbed different types of rice and regular milk instead of coconut, and sometimes I use maple syrup instead of coconut sugar. It's a pretty flexible recipe, just make sure you have enough liquid so it's not too thick as it cooks. I don't have Shatavari powder, so I leave that out. I use collagen powder often for my family and for postpartum clients. This one is my favorite.
Postpartum Rice Pudding from Mama Meals
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