How to Prep Postpartum Freezer Meals for a Small Freezer

Are you looking for a strategy to prep postpartum freezer meals but you only have a small freezer? If so, this post is for you!

I am currently expecting our fifth baby (due in January) and we don’t have a huge freezer or family living nearby to rely on for meals after this baby arrives.

Additionally, we are a single-income family, where I stay home with our kids, homeschool, and cook about 95% of our meals from scratch. So when I’m out of commission for postpartum recovery, there’s a lot that I can’t carry in terms of the workload within our household.

Since I’ve done this pregnancy thing a few times, I know how I typically feel at the end of pregnancy with borderline low iron and feeling the pinch of a budget that needs to stretch a bit to add another baby and cover some end-of-pregnancy costs. And my energy and inspiration lags as it gets hard to reach the counter top around my expanding belly!

I don’t share this to be discouraging if you are a first time mom, though! Rather, what I want to provide for you is a PRACTICAL, REALISTIC strategy for how to prep postpartum freezer meals while using your small freezer and filling it with healthy, nutritious, delicious food.

Preparing meals for the freezer before baby isn’t exactly easy, so why do it? Here are the main reasons I’ve found it’s worth the effort to prep postpartum freezer meals:

It supports healthy recovery.
After building five babies in eight years, I know my body needs intentional nourishment. Eating well helps me heal faster, keeps my energy steadier, and sets the tone for my whole family’s well-being.

It saves money.
Those final weeks of pregnancy and the early postpartum days always bring extra costs, sometimes expected, sometimes not. Having the freezer stocked keeps us from defaulting to takeout or pricey convenience foods when we’re tired.

It saves energy.
Caring for a newborn takes everything I have for the first few weeks. With ready-made meals in the freezer, I can rest instead of cooking from scratch, and my husband has easy options he can pull out as he steps in to keep our household running.

It helps us keep a routine.
Our older kids do better when mealtimes stay predictable. Having food prepped makes it easier to keep their schedule steady, even when life with a newborn is a bit chaotic for the parents!

And here’s the good news: even if you don’t have a giant chest freezer, a small upright freezer can hold plenty of meals if you plan and pack carefully.

About month five of pregnancy:

• Make a list of meals you’d be happy eating for at least three weeks postpartum. I stick to what our family enjoys when I prep postpartum freezer meals. I typically gravitate toward soups, curries, casseroles, and “sheet pan” type meals.
  
• Aim for diverse flavors so your family doesn’t get “burned out” eating the same thing!
  
• Keep the list visible. I like to write it in the “monthly brainstorm” section of my planner AND keep a copy of the list stuck to my fridge.
  
• Use grocery store sales and seasonal produce to help you determine which meals to prep next to make your money stretch as far as possible.
  
• As a helpful tip, consider thinking beyond just dinner meals. Having snacks, breakfasts, and single-serve portions of meals for lunches can be helpful.

Step 2: Time Your Prep to Start in the Third Trimester

I recommend waiting until you are at least 28 weeks before you start your freezer meal prep for after baby. If you start much earlier, you risk your food getting freezer burned.

And I also recommend trying to wrap up your freezer stocking process by about 36 weeks. My experience has been that my energy is really starting to lag by then, and I mostly want to nap if I can!

I have never gone into labor before my due dates, so personally, I don’t worry about baby coming before 40 weeks and being unprepared, but I am aware it technically COULD happen, so it’s nice to just have the meal prep crossed off my “to do” list.

This timeframe gives you about 8 weeks to chip away at making meals. You can certainly do a “marathon” day (or a few big cooking days) if you want, but I personally like to try to stash 2-4 meals per week. This is a pace I can maintain while also allowing my costs to be spread out over a larger period of time.

Step 3: Bulk Cook to Prep Postpartum Freezer Meals With Minimal Extra Work

Since I typically meal plan weekly or bi-weekly, I like to incorporate my postpartum freezer meals into my normal weekly meal plan.

My strategy is typically to cook once, and eat it multiple times: fresh, one leftover meal, and then freeze at least one or two meals for postpartum. If I have more than that, I like to freeze small portions for postpartum lunch options.

Although yes, I am dealing with more food, I find I can usually make some simple adjustments with minimal added effort to produce more food. For example, I’ll triple the vegetable chopping and reach for a bigger pot or utilize my 2nd crock pot.

This process helps to build my stash gradually, which is ideal for me, because I don’t want to overwhelm myself with a lot of extra work, and I also don’t want to overwhelm my small freezer with trying to flat-freeze too many meals at once!

Step 4: Utilize Smart Strategies to Make Your Food Fit in a Small Freezer

To make the most of a small, upright freezer as I stock it while I prep postpartum freezer meals, I rely on freezing food in zip-top bags and using the freezer’s dimensions to my advantage.

I freeze meals flat on a cookie sheet so they stack neatly. Since my grocery store’s “large” size bags are too long for my freezer’s depth, I fold down the top two inches before freezing. For individual postpartum portions (like quick lunches), I use sandwich-size bags.

Once frozen, I “file” the bags vertically on the bottom shelf, like folders on a shelf. I even adjusted the shelf height so the bags fit perfectly. New meals go in on the right, and I work my way left as I add more.

Labeling is essential, especially since my husband often reheats the meals postpartum. I write the meal name and simple reheating directions on the top edge near the zipper, so he can quickly see what’s inside without pulling out every bag.

The top shelf (and the left side of the bottom shelf as space fills up) is reserved for extras: frozen veggies, grab-and-heat snacks like muffins or egg bites, and ingredients waiting to be cooked.

This simple system lets me pack a surprising number of meals into a small freezer while keeping everything easy to find when we need it most.

Step 5: Anticipating and Meeting Postpartum Needs Beyond Dinners

As a mom of four, it’s natural for me to think about everyone else’s needs. But I’ve learned it’s just as important to anticipate my own postpartum needs beyond dinner. While prepping, I make sure my freezer includes:

Protein-rich snacks. Egg cups, energy balls, or muffins with extra protein and fiber keep me fueled, especially since postpartum moms need even more protein than during pregnancy.

One-handed meals. Soups I can sip from a mug or burritos I can grab while nursing make eating realistic when both hands aren’t free.

Individual portions. I freeze soups in sandwich bags for my lunches and pre-freeze egg cups before bagging them so I can pull out two or three at a time. Since my schedule doesn’t always match the kids’, these single servings are a lifesaver.

My husband is very capable of feeding our family, but postpartum is a busy season for him too. Having meals ready in the freezer eases his workload and keeps all of us eating better.

There’s a big difference between homemade bolognese loaded with vegetables and a jar of store-bought sauce. On a busy night, my husband probably wouldn’t make the scratch version. But if it’s already in the freezer, heating it takes no more effort than opening a jar.

By prepping these kinds of meals, I’m not just making sure we eat; I’m making sure we’re nourished in the weeks when it matters most.

Bonus: Tips for how to Prep Postpartum Freezer Meals Without Extra Help

In addition to these five steps, I also utilize these strategy tips to prep postpartum freezer meals for our home:

• Spread out the meal making and the meal prep to avoid overwhelm. Where possible, I like to chop everything for a meal one day, and then cook it the next day.
• Time blocking my days helps me know when it is “focus time” on meal prepping, and when I need to devote myself to other responsibilities. Nap times can be a good time for getting some chopping or browning meat done.
• Involve older kids where you can: my 7 and 5 year old are great at holding open freezer bags, retrieving cookie sheets, stirring sauces, and doing some basic veggie chopping. And my 3 year old loves loading the dishwasher!
• Use click-and-collect and lean on your partner for extra running around: grocery shopping is an exhausting chore for me at the end of pregnancy! So I often utilize a click-and-collect option and my husband will swing by the grocery store and pick it up on his way home.
• Remember: every little bit helps! Even if you don’t have time to stock away 30 meals, even 8-10 freezer meals can make a huge difference!

What I’ll be Making to Stock our Freezer:

If you’re interested in knowing exactly what meals I’ll be making for our freezer, this is my list that I’ll start chipping away at in a few weeks:

Postpartum Freezer Meal Lunches:

I’m aiming to have healthy, nutritious soups to eat for lunch for 30 days postpartum. I love soups, and find them to be nutritious, hydrating, and easy on my digestion as everything gradually gets back to normal. And I’ll also make some burritos in case I’m REALLY hungry at some point!

If I make one item on this list per week, I’ll have them done by 32 weeks.

• Creamy Lentil Postpartum Soup (12 individual servings)
• Caldo de Pollo (6 individual servings) (I’ll use homemade bone broth for additional nutritional value)
• Chicken Red Date Ginger Soup (6 individual servings)
• Chunky Lamb Stew (6 individual servings)
• Easy, Healthy Chicken Burritos (12 individual servings)

Postpartum Freezer Meal Dinners:

Before this next baby comes, I’ll prep postpartum freezer meals that our whole family will eat for dinner. I’ll store them in large zip-top bags and flat freeze them to file them into the freezer.

If I do two things from this list per week, I’ll have all made within 8 weeks.

• Loaded bolognese, with veggies and lentils, and I’ll add some browned hamburger (x 4 bags) – This can be served over pasta, rice, or quinoa easily.
• Tom Kha Gai (x 2 bags)
• Chunky Pumpkin Sausage Soup (x 2 bags)
• Veggie-Rich Peanut Butter Chicken Curry (x 4 bags)
• Homemade Enchilada Sauce (x 4 bags) – We can use this for simple enchilada bowls, or my husband can easily make my Easiest Ever Enchilada Casserole either in a casserole dish or the slow cooker.
• Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole (x 3 bags) – I like to mix the whole thing up with everything cooked, let it cool, and then bag it and flat freeze it. To serve, my husband will just thaw, dump into a casserole dish, and bake in the oven to heat it.
• Browned hamburger (x 3 bags) – super handy to have on hand for bowls, nachos, or just to toss in with some whole grain pasta and pesto
• Cooked, shredded chicken (x 3 bags) – super handy to have on hand to add to quesadillas or bowls
• Cooked, shredded pulled port (x 2 bags) – for bowls, tacos, or an easy sandwich dinner option
• Sheet Pan Fajitas (x 3 bags) – for easy assembly, I like to buy pre-frozen, sliced bags of onions and bell peppers
• Hearty Lentil Soup (x 2 bags)
• Teriyaki Chicken (x 2 bags)
• Taco Soup (x 3 bags)

Postpartum Freezer Meal Breakfasts/Snacks:

If I still have enough space in the freezer, I’ll make up these breakfast options as well. If I’m running low on space, I’ll probably plan to rally myself to make the two kinds of muffins the week of my due date, as they’ll hold in the fridge for awhile.

I figure if I start working on these after I finish the lunches, I will have these all wrapped up by 37 weeks.

• Cheesy Sheet Pan Scrambled Eggs (recipe x 4, for four breakfasts for our family)
• Egg cups (recipe x 3, approximately 36 muffin cups)
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins (recipe x 3, approximately 36 muffins) – I may make them into muffin squares in a casserole dish rather than actual muffins, since squares are a bit more efficient to store.
• Banana Muffins with Lentils (recipe x 3, approximately 36 muffins) – I may make them into muffin squares as well.
• Energy Balls (recipe x 3, approximately 30 servings) – I’ll probably make them into bars or squares also for storage reasons.

Quick (Non-Freezer) Snack Ideas:

While I’m in the mode to prep postpartum freezer meals and practically set up our home for a peaceful recovery, I’ll also stock our pantry with some of these quick and easy non-freezer snack options:

• Homemade Granola – we love this recipe, and it’s delicious either by itself, over greek yogurt, or with milk
• Trail Mix – I like simple, homemade ones with almonds, cranberries, dark chocolate, and pumpkin seeds best
• Roasted Chickpeas – for something salty and crunchy!
• Popcorn kernels – everyone in our family loves it, and it’s easy to pop up in the microwave
• Electrolyte Packets – not so much a snack, but definitely important for helping me get enough fluids in!