33 Meals to Make for the Tired New Parents in Your Life
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Grain Bowls With Chicken, Spiced Chickpeas, and Avocado
When people think about meals for new parents, they often lean on casseroles and soups, too often skipping fresh vegetables. The separate elements of this grain bowl can easily be made up to two days in advance (don't slice that avocado, though!) and delivered to new parents in separate containers for them to assemble into a meal whenever hunger strikes—or the kid finally takes a nap. See recipe.Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton - 2/33
Jam Bars
Packed with almond butter and rolled oats, these jam bars are a deeply satisfying solution to the one-handed parent lifestyle—and bound to be their jam, indeed. See recipe.Photo by Paige Green - 3/33
No-Bake Energy Bites with Oats and Dried Cherries
These one-bite coconut and oat cuties are just as easy to make as they are to devour. Try one batch with dried cherries and another with mini chocolate chips. It may not be a full meal, but it'll definitely keep any new parent's energy up. See recipe.Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone - 4/33
Classic Easy Banana Bread
Nobody's ever sad about receiving a loaf of homemade banana bread. And this loaf is a great one. See recipe.Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Rhoda Boone - 5/33
Slow-Cooker Green Chicken Chili
A chile verde and white chicken chili hybrid, this comforting recipe will fuel a new parent for long days and sleepless nights. See recipe.Photo by JP Bevins, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone - 6/33
Israeli-Style Hummus
Give a snack care package with this homemade hummus, a container of crudités, and a bag of fresh pita bread. (Score some bonus points with a fancy bottle of olive oil for drizzling.) See recipe.Photo by Ted Cavanaugh. - 7/33
Lemongrass-Ginger-Carrot Soup
Package this soothing creamy soup in several individual-sized jars for easy freezing. Perfect for quick-defrosting meals on hand for hectic parenting days—which, let's face it, is all of them. See recipe.Photo by Christopher Testani - 8/33
Coconut-Date Power Breakfast Bars
Five different types of coconut go into our quintuple-threat breakfast bars. They're a greaytway to start a new day—or make it through a long night. See recipe.Photo by Gentl & Hyers, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski - 9/33
Tomato and Cannellini Bean Soup
This hearty bean and veggie soup can be made days ahead of time, and enjoyed days after delivery. Include a jar of chopped almonds for textural topping, and a fresh loaf of bread for sopping. See recipe.Photo by Eva Kolenko - 10/33
Sheet-Pan Brownie Thins
These easy, chewy, and chocolaty treats are perfect to nibble on while holding baby. A nice tin elevates these to gift status. See recipe.Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone - 11/33
Crunchy Quinoa Salad
The busiest parents will appreciate the fresh asparagus, crunchy kohlrabi, and radishes packed into this light but hearty quinoa salad. It's the kind of lunch you can grab any time. See recipe.Photo by Jennifer Davick - 12/33
Pollo Rostizado con Naranja y Chile de Árbol (Orange-and-Chile Roast Chicken)
This lip-smacking roasted chicken (and potatoes!) recipe combines a mix of spicy, sweet, savory, and tangy flavors. The leftovers are great packed into a torta. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley - 13/33
Eggplant Parmesan
This bubbling, cheesy number is one of those gateway casseroles that will make everyone an eggplant believer. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton - 14/33
Vegetarian Lasagna With Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce
With tomato sauce that's roasted for concentrated flavor, this supreme vegetarian-friendly lasagna serves up a surefire win. Wrap up a loaf of garlic bread to serve on the side, plus some washed greens and a jar of homemade salad dressing. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce - 15/33
Chicken Soup
A big batch of chicken soup is the comfort that exhausted new parents need. Dill, parsnips, carrots, and onion lay down a beautiful base. Add in matzo balls, egg noodles, or some rice. See recipe.Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson - 16/33
Turkey Meatloaf
This turkey meatloaf defies all expectations—it's packed with flavor and never dry. Offer make-ahead mashed potatoes on the side. See recipe.Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova - 17/33
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
This aromatic and satisfying vegetarian chili couldn't be easier to make. Keep those new parents full so they can keep their new little ones happy. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich - 18/33
Trail Mix Cookies
Ever wondered what a trail mix and oatmeal cookie baby would taste like? Well, it's a match made in heaven—and the answer to around-the-clock snacking. See recipe.Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova - 19/33
Coconutty Beans and Greens Stew
Creamy white beans, vitamin-packed Swiss chard, and bright sweet potatoes make this twist on an East African stew a dish new parents will be happy to eat (and reheat) night after night. See recipe.Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker - 20/33
Nut Butter Granola Bars
Meet a sweet and nutty bar that's easy to grab on the go (or while nursing, between naps, or whenever you want). See recipe.Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li - 21/33
Morning Glory Muffins
These hearty 1970s-style muffins can be breakfast or an afternoon snack. Toast the nuts and swap in/out ingredients as desired. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele - 22/33
Pozole Verde Con Hongos
Cook up this mean, green vegetarian pozole for easy freezing. (And don't forget to deliver a container of radishes, onions, and herbs for textural topping!) See recipe.Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell - 23/33
Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken
With parenting, they say the days go slow but the years go fast. Embrace that new parenting pace with a gift of slow-cooker shredded chicken. With tortillas, a jar of your favorite salsa, and ripe avocados, of course. See recipe.Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson - 24/33
Curried Lentil, Tomato, and Coconut Soup
This thick vegan soup flavors lentils with a medley of tomatoes, onions, ginger, cilantro, garlic, and curry powder. See recipe.Photo by Alex Lau - 25/33
Easy Pasta Salad
This tangy (mayo-free) pasta salad features olives, tomatoes, banana peppers, and orecchiette—arguably the cutest pasta around, and perfect for new baby-themed gifting. Even if your new-parent friends aren't ready to bring their babe to a picnic, this dish will come in handy for quick out-of-the-fridge mealtimes. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton - 26/33
Chickpea-Mushroom Veggie Burgers
Gotta love this veggie burger for rejecting any fake meat pretenses and embracing its authentic self: a glorious mushroom, miso, tahini, chickpea, and quinoa patty. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Liza Jernow - 27/33
Banana Muffins With Brown Sugar Oat Streusel
These muffins are packed with brown butter, and topped with a crunchy, oat streusel. Drop off a batch to make any new parent's day. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele - 28/33
Braised Chicken With Olives and Citrus
Sure, a store-bought roasted chicken will suffice, but why not cook up a truly special bird for delivering to friends? This braised chicken reheats beautifully. See recipe.Photo by Quentin Bacon - 29/33
PBJ Thumbprint Bars
Imagine the blondie version of a PB&J sandwich. Ta-da! This jam-packed, peanut buttery bar with white chocolate drizzle takes the snack game to new heights. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne - 30/33
Khara Huggi or Pongal
A big pot of this comfort food truly feels like the warmest of hugs. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton - 31/33
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Crispy top. Cheesy inside. Instant winner. See recipe.Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert - 32/33
Apple Cider Pork Pot Roast
Apple chunks and cider cut through the richness of this unctuous roast, while thyme and onions create the best smell ever. Feed new parents and their visiting in-laws too! See recipe.Photo by Colin Price - 33/33
Green Tea Arnold Palmer
We've shared lots of ideas for meals for new parents, but there's more you can bring. Like thirst-quenching! Life-giving! Hydration! (Because, c'mon, water does get boring.) Deliver a jug of this Arnold Palmer to keep everyone in good spirits. See recipe.Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.
Julia Price Baron
Forget about cute onesies—the best gift you can take a new parent is home-cooked food.
Originally Appeared on Epicurious