Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Author:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
Share
+
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 focus on feeding the baby and end up missing meals yourself!
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.
You can download a printable form of this food list here and put it up on your fridge! Consider it our congratulations gift to you. We hope it helps you through the amazing whirlwind of those fresh baby days!
And while you’re thinking about keeping everyone fed, sign up to get our First Bites emails for everything you need to know about feeding your baby (including introducing solid foods) when you need to know it. One parent recently told me, “Love these emails. They give me concrete research based options and take the stress and guess work away!”
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!”
“Foods that are easiest to eat with only one hand, while holding a baby: 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!
No-prep, 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 with dried fruit
Peanuts and raisins
Dried cereal with seeds or nuts
Peanut butter and apples
Chocolate-covered almonds
Peanut butter pretzels
Flaxseed crackers
Single-serve nut and seed butter packets
Fruits & veggies
Bagged salad kits
Pre-cut fruit cups (canned or frozen fruit as well!)
Cut veggies with guacamole, hummus cups or dip
Pre-packaged hummus and pretzel packs
Bottled smoothies or juices (Tip: bag up your favorite combos once during the week and enjoy later)
Applesauce packets
Fruit bars/fruit leathers
Freeze-dried or dehydrated fruits and veggies
Fruits like bananas, pears, clementines, grapes or berries
Veggies like bell peppers, celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers or snap peas
Edamame
Cooked green beans
Dairy
String cheese and crackers
Yogurt pouches
Pre-sliced cheese
Cottage cheese with fruit
Regular, chocolate or other flavored milk
Yogurt drinks
Dairy-based protein shakes
Yogurt covered pretzels
Meat
Jerky
Meat sticks
Pre-packaged meat/cheese/nut snack packs
Canned or pouched meats (tuna, salmon, sardines, etc.)
Smoked meats
Grain & bar snacks
Granola bars
Crunchy peanut butter bars
Date and nut bars
Protein bars
Grain bars
Rice cakes
Popcorn
Granola
Dried cereal
Crackers
Other
Pre-packaged overnight oat packs or chia seed pudding pouches
Uncrustables or other store-bought sandwiches
Pre-packaged hard-boiled eggs
Bagels with cream cheese or smoked meat
Roasted red pepper hummus
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 (berry smoothies, chocolate-peanut butter smoothies, green smoothies, etc.)
Protein drinks
Blended soups
Yogurt and kefir drinks
Meal replacement drinks
Foods you can prep in 20 minutes or less
Warm foods
This list of warm foods can be prepared by new parents quickly and easily.
Breakfast
Breakfast burrito (eggs, cheese, chopped greens or veggies)
Scrambled eggs or veggie omelet
Fried or poached eggs with toast
Microwave eggs (scramble and put in a bowl, makes a great “egg wrap” too!)
Microwave pancake mug (microwave pancake batter in a mug and enjoy!)
Got a sweet tooth? Here are some suggestions for when you need something sweet.
Grab-and-go
Cookies (lactation cookies!)
Chocolate covered strawberries
Chocolate or yogurt covered fruit and nuts
Snack bars
Make-ahead
Chia seed pudding
Sweet breakfast muffins
Date balls
Lactation cookies or other treats
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!
Get monthly infant feeding and nutrition updatesbased on your baby’s age. Learn what you need to feed your baby when you need to know it. Feel free to pass this on to friends you know who have a baby as well!If you’re getting ready to feed your baby solid foods and looking for flexible evidence-based methods for starting solid foods with no guilt or pressure on parents, Easy Weaning can help.
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Jennifer Anderson is a registered dietitian and has a masters of science in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In 2019, she founded Kids Eat in Color®, a public health resource that improves child and family nutrition and mental health. Prior to starting Kids Eat in Color® she coordinated youth nutrition programs at a food bank, performed research in inner-city food deserts, and consulted for the USDA national office SNAP-Ed program. Her academic background is in public health nutrition, cultural anthropology, and economics.
Related articles
Breastfeeding Beyond Maternity Leave: Tips for Pumping at Work
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 focus on feeding the baby and end up missing meals yourself!
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.
You can download a printable form of this food list here and put it up on your fridge! Consider it our congratulations gift to you. We hope it helps you through the amazing whirlwind of those fresh baby days!
And while you’re thinking about keeping everyone fed, sign up to get our First Bites emails for everything you need to know about feeding your baby (including introducing solid foods) when you need to know it. One parent recently told me, “Love these emails. They give me concrete research based options and take the stress and guess work away!”
Here’s what’s inside:
Tips from parents who have been there before
Grab & eat foods
Foods you can drink
Quick prep warm foods
Quick prep cold foods
Frozen foods
Bake-ahead and make-ahead meals
Sweets
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:
Now it’s time for all of their amazing ideas to help you eat well during the newborn phase!
No-prep, 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
Fruits & veggies
Dairy
Meat
Grain & bar snacks
Other
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.
Foods you can prep in 20 minutes or less
Warm foods
This list of warm foods can be prepared by new parents quickly and easily.
Breakfast
Lunch and dinner
Cold foods
This list of cold foods can be prepared by new parents quickly and easily.
Breakfast
Lunch and dinner
Frozen foods
Stock up on these simple store-bought, heat-and-eat freezer meals, perfect for tired parents during the newborn phase.
Breakfast
Lunch and dinner
Bake-ahead & make-ahead foods
Prepare these foods in batches and freeze them for future meals or snacks.
Bake-ahead foods
Make-ahead, freezer-friendly meals
Freezer-friendly meals can be prepared when you have a spare minute, and then reheated when you need something quick.
Sweets
Got a sweet tooth? Here are some suggestions for when you need something sweet.
Grab-and-go
Make-ahead
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!
Get monthly infant feeding and nutrition updates based on your baby’s age. Learn what you need to feed your baby when you need to know it. Feel free to pass this on to friends you know who have a baby as well!If you’re getting ready to feed your baby solid foods and looking for flexible evidence-based methods for starting solid foods with no guilt or pressure on parents, Easy Weaning can help.
You may also find these blogs helpful