If there is one thing I can be described as it would be…organized! I haven’t met a to-do list I didn’t love or an Excel sheet I haven’t maximized its usage of when it comes to trips, life cycle events, home remodel, etc. There is nothing more satisfying than crossing something off my to-do list. Being in my third trimester, I have taken it to the next level which I didn’t know was even possible. I am surrounded by all of the checklists and Excel sheets with the goal to hopefully be as prepared as possible for when the baby arrives. I know the parents out there are probably laughing their heads off reading this because I do know that no matter how prepared you are, there is nothing more life changing than having a baby. At the same time, it gives me control and a feeling that I have a handle on all things going on (even if it’s not true). But back to my OCD…having food restrictions and keeping a moderate FODMAP diet lifestyle, makes it harder to have family and friends help with meals. Most of my friends after having a baby had a meal train set up for them for at least a month or two to help out with dinner time but for me it’s not as easy to explain what I can and cannot eat. Instead, I want to have as many FODMAP safe meals and snacks in the freezer ready to grab when needed.
I really loved Molly Yeh’s blog post about preparing meals for the freezer as well as the best techniques for freezing. I know I don’t take full advantage of my freezer but I’m starting to see what a life saver it can be just when I freeze leftover pesto or pasta sauce. Please let me know if you have any freezer tricks that you have found life changing!
Here are a list of my personal favorite recipes that I have in the freezer ready to go when Baby T makes an appearance.
Blueberry Baked Oatmeal – this is one of my favorite breakfast recipes to make on a Sunday and have throughout the entire week. It also freezes fantastically as I cut the baked oatmeal into individual portions and froze accordingly. This way when I ask for baked oatmeal, it’s super easy for someone to grab a portion out of the freezer and heat a single serving in the microwave.
Gluten-Free Oat Waffles – these waffles are my absolute favorite to make. I doubled the recipe to make sure I had extras and also added blueberries for additional fiber. I have a feeling chocolate chips will eventually end up on these bad boys…
Butternut Squash Soup – this is a go-to soup for me as I can eat it all year round. I learned an important tip when freezing soup: use quart size freezer bags and make sure to leave space for the soup to expand while it freezes. Who knew?! Plus using freezer bags instead of containers take up much less room in the freezer.
Chicken Enchiladas – I absolutely love this FODMAP safe meals recipe that I adapted from my girlfriend. She always makes an extra batch to freeze so I immediately knew I wanted to have this in the freezer during my maternity leave. Instead of freezing an entire casserole, I froze individual portions in aluminum containers. Not only does it make it more compact in my freezer but also works better for portion size.
Lactation Chocolate Chip Cookies – These cookies are so good if you’re breast feeding or not! You can freeze these cookies two ways: either fully baked OR scoop the raw, portioned cookie dough onto a baking sheet and freeze until frozen. Once the cough dough is frozen, seal into a freezer safe container or freezer ziploc bags.
Banana Bread Muffins – these muffins are a staple in my house and they hold up really well in the freezer. I love adding a teaspoon of peanut butter on top for added protein. Place these in a freezer Ziploc bag and freeze flat to prevent the muffins from getting smashed.
Minestrone soup – This soup is filled with hearty and healthy vegetables and a great soup to have available in the freezer. It may look like I filled the entire freezer bag with soup but I left 1/4 empty at the top. I froze sitting upright and stored horizontally once it was frozen.
Peanut Butter Energy balls – these are in my freezer and ready to be thrown in my bag for snacks at the hospital. These are perfect bite size pieces of energy that don’t take up much room in the freezer.
This is exactly what is in my freezer right now as I’m 37 weeks and counting. I hope this helps you and especially me in the next few months!
Also, on a side note, I have been intrigued by this book which describes how women from all over the world are nourished and taken care of during the fourth trimester/post partum. I found it so interesting to learn about the customs that are implemented to take the best care of the new mother so she can take the best care of her new baby. There are many recipes in this book that I am going to adopt to make FODMAP safe meals. I already put my mother in law in charge of preparing these dishes for me those first few weeks. I will update what recipes I used and my thoughts in case anyone else is interested! 🙂
