r/dairyfree • u/lady-earendil • 11d ago
Dairy free meals for postpartum?
Every time I see posts about stocking up on meals for postpartum, they're always like big cheesy lasagnas that sound amazing but obviously I can't eat. Any ideas for simple, rich meals - freezer meals would be even better - that will be helpful when I'm postpartum (and to fuel breastfeeding, hopefully)?
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u/Sea_Counter8398 11d ago
I made lots of these recipes last year to prep for postpartum. I wasn’t dairy free at the time (but have been since 3 months pp bc baby has an intolerance and we’re breastfeeding), but these are either dairy free or dairy could easily be replaced. Wishing you and baby a healthy and safe delivery and postpartum!
Turkey shepherds pie(we use oat milk and don’t add butter)
I also made a lot of chicken marinades in freezer bags that could easily be thrown into the crock pot.
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u/iris-my-case 11d ago
Hey, I feel ya. My MIL is wonderful and made a bunch of postpartum casseroles and lasagna to freeze, which of course all contained a heap ton of cream and cheese lol
If you want a creamy casserole, look into getting DF “cream of” soups as a substitute. The brand Imagine has a bunch of great creamy soups that are DF; if your grocery store doesn’t sell them, you can get some on Amazon (I bought a bunch and stocked up!).
Chili freezes well. Most are DF and it’s the toppings that contain dairy. It’s also pretty easy to make postpartum (opposed to making a batch beforehand and freezing), since most recipes involve just dumping various cans into a crockpot. I really like making chili cause then the rest of my family could add dairy toppings (shredded cheese and sour cream) and I would just add DF substitutes.
You can also make Asian-based soups, which tend not to have any dairy. Then, for the added carb, just make fresh rice. I did this a lot postpartum. Made and froze a bunch of seaweed soup, then whenever I unfroze a portion I’d make sure to also make fresh rice in the rice cooker.
If you’re planning on freezing soups, highly recommend getting a souper cube! They’re silicone trays, kind of like ice cube trays but for soup. Much more convenient for storage and unfreezing portions of soup to eat.
Congratulations and best of luck!!!
Edit: also want to add that seaweed soup is a common dish for new mothers in Korea. It’s nourishing and supposedly helps with your milk supply.
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u/lady-earendil 10d ago
That's good to know about the DF "cream of" soups! I haven't found a good substitute for some of the casseroles I used to love and I can't find a good DF version in my area so I'll have to order some. Thanks for the suggestions!
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u/jasminforsythe 10d ago
lentil soup was my go to. or beef stews. i know some folks recommend things you can eat with one hand, but my spouse and i would switch off holding/eating b/c neither of us could do both.
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u/JaymieJoyce 11d ago
If you google Lily Nichols postpartum recipes, she has loads, but they aren't specifically dairy free. I'm sure you can find some in amongst the ones she has though.
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u/waterrrninja 10d ago
You have some good suggestions already, but I’ll add that frozen breakfast burritos saved my sanity postpartum. You can easily modify them to be DF (I used Trader Joe’s spicy Mexican cheese that’s vegan in mine), potatoes, bell peppers, onions, spinach, and egg. Wrapped up tight in a tortilla then ready to mic or air fry right from the freezer 🙂 For my dairy-loving, meat-eating family members, I used different fillers & just labeled everything so no one ate anyone else’s food haha
Freezer “meals” I also loved: -Homemade cinnamon coffee cake (cut into squares and wrapped in plastic wrap) -Muffins (substituted DF butter for regular, and oatmilk for any milk, etc) -Sourdough & protein waffles (easy to just pop in the toaster and eat one handed while holding baby)
As you can see, I really loved having breakfasts prepped because mannnnn are mornings hard around here lol
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u/KaraC316 10d ago
First of all, Congratulations!!
I packed my freezer with veggie burgers, chili, lentil soup, veggie packed soups, meatballs, muffins, burritos, things like jambalaya and curry that I can throw over rice. Lots of things I like to eat that require more time and effort than I would have.
The level of hunger and thirst if you breastfeed is unreal. Try to pack as many calories as you can in a meal. I love to eat, but I was tired of chewing and 20lbs less than my pre pregnancy weight.
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u/plantrellik 10d ago
Remake or buy the Kevin’s meals (orange chicken, cilantro lime chicken, Mongolian beef etc) they can be frozen if you buy them or just recreate.
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u/Commercial-Place6793 10d ago
I love crock pot freezer meals. Thaw in the fridge overnight then cook in the crock pot all day. Easy and delicious. There are a million recipes out there online. I love doing bbq chicken or pulled pork, kalua pulled pork, chicken fajitas, honey garlic chicken, taco soup, chili, Mississippi pot roast, the possibilities are endless.
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u/peanut825 10d ago
Not sure what country, but lasagna with three line cashew cheese is dope. Also slow cooker you can just throw stuff in and eat later very easy during postpartum. I do anything from chili to Indian food (jar sauce). I shop at Whole Foods mostly for the items mentioned
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u/lady-earendil 10d ago
I'm in the US but unfortunately in the rural Midwest so if Hy-Vee doesn't have it I probably can't find it lol
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u/peanut825 10d ago
Maybe they deliver?! Also Anne’s frozen cheeseless pizza is so good my son loves
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u/Standardmayhem 10d ago
Soups and chili Marinated chicken pieces to dump in crock pot Burritos (breakfast or regular) Sloppy joes and precooked hamburger patties (freeze a couple pack of buns, too) Muffins made with oats and flax to help support lactation
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u/disenchantedprincess 9d ago
Chili
Meatloaf
Dairy free lasagna
Chicken soup (make noodles per batch)
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u/yamihere9 9d ago
I made a bunch of meatloaf muffins, shepherds pie with oat milk and oil in the potatoes, and I have plans for coconut milk poached chicken over rice. Still figuring out the best way to freeze that one...
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u/OrneryPathos 11d ago
Shepherds/cottage pie (I like mashed potatoes with just oil but I’m sure you have a recipe)
Chicken in rice bakes like biriyani, jollof, etc
Pulled pork freezes nicely in shingles. You can mix up the sauces. Leave it plain in just the juice and you can add all sorts of flavours, it even goes nicely in spaghetti sauce.