Every new parent is told to "make sure you eat properly", usually by someone who is not holding a newborn at the time. In the first weeks, cooking is often the first thing to go, and toast becomes a food group. A little planning before the birth makes a real difference.
Stock the freezer before the birth
The single most useful thing you can do is fill the freezer in the weeks before your due date. A three-dish visit gives you twelve portions, four of each dish. Choose dishes that freeze well, and freeze most of them on the day they are cooked.
The best dishes on our menu for the freezer are:
| Dish | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Japanese curry | The best freezer dish we make, and it improves as it sits |
| Gyudon | Freezes very well, especially with the rice frozen separately |
| Chicken teriyaki | Freezes very well and reheats easily |
Label each container with the dish and the date. It sounds obvious, but at three in the morning you will be glad you did.
Choose food you can eat with one hand
In the early weeks, many meals are eaten while holding, feeding or rocking a baby. The dishes that work best are:
- Served over rice in a bowl, like gyudon and curry, which you can eat with a spoon
- Microwave friendly, so reheating takes two minutes rather than ten
- Not fried, as katsu is at its best reheated in a pan or air fryer, which is harder to manage with a baby in one arm
Save the tonkatsu and chicken katsu for later, when there is a bit more time to reheat them properly.
After the birth: a pack you use as you need it
Once the baby arrives, a visit takes one job off the list entirely. A pack of 4 visits is 5% off and a pack of 8 is 10% off, and you book each visit when it suits you, within 6 months. That matters when plans change by the hour: there is no fixed slot to keep, and a visit cancelled 48 hours or more ahead goes back into your pack.
With a pack, we send the same chef wherever we possibly can, so you are not letting a stranger into your home each time.
If you would rather not have anyone in the house
In the first few weeks, some parents would rather not have a visitor at all. Our delivered option cooks at our kitchen and brings everything to your door the same day, in containers we provide, so there is nothing to wash up either.
Food safety with a newborn in the house
When you are exhausted, it is easy to lose track of what went in the fridge when. Keep it simple:
- Eat fridge portions within two days, and freeze everything else on the day
- Defrost in the fridge overnight, not on the counter
- Reheat once, until steaming hot all the way through
- Take extra care with rice: eat it within a day, or freeze it
Our guide to storing and freezing meal prep has the details. If you have specific dietary needs while breastfeeding, your midwife, health visitor or GP is the right person to ask.
A practical present
When friends and family ask what they can do to help, a week of proper dinners is one of the most useful answers there is. If someone would like to arrange a visit for you, they can message us to talk it through.
FAQ
When should I book meal prep before my due date?
A few weeks before is ideal, so the freezer is full before the baby arrives and you are not relying on the date.
Which dishes are best for new parents?
Dishes that freeze well and reheat in the microwave, like Japanese curry, gyudon and chicken teriyaki.
Do I need to be home for the visit?
You need to let the chef in and be around when they leave. If that is too much in the early weeks, choose our delivered option instead.