Powerful Postpartum Cooking: Supporting New Mamas

Recipe: Powerful Green Goddess Salad, a year-round classic!

Mar 29, 2025

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→ Jump to Recipe: Powerful Green Goddess Salad — because you, Mama, are a Goddess!

I hope your week has been nourishing – for your mind, body and happiness!!

Today, inspired by my sweet friends Sarah & Chris who just welcomed a beautiful baby girl (Congratulations guys!), as well as Franny and James (yay!), Chloe B, and a few other dear friends who just had babies too (you know who you are 💜), we're diving deep into postpartum nourishment (AKA that critical Fourth Trimester) to support you physically, emotionally, and hormonally.

I unfortunately live far away from these friends I mentioned, and during a quick recent visit to SF didn’t get the chance to stock their fridge and freezer (feeling guilty here!), so hopefully this post inspires some of you to do the same for them, for others and for yourselves when the time arrives.

As a health-conscious chef, who was a caterer for 12 years, bringing people joy through delicious, beautiful food is 100% my passion. So whether you're being super organized and getting prepared stocking meals for your freezer, or looking to support a loved one with a cute care package, this one's for you!

In my work and research I’ve connected with countless parents who’ve stressed that the postpartum period is a messy blur, that they wish they’d entered with more prepped in advance food-wise. Routine totally obliterated, disrupted mornings and evenings, empty fridge so having to order takeout, and more visitors than usual. Everything is just all over the place.

(P.S. I’ve been told the best hospital gift is an UberEats/DoorDash gift card.)

Becoming a Mom (or welcoming another little one to the family) is a profound, beautiful, indescribable and challenging shift. While there's no magic wand for sleepless nights, the hormonal roller coaster, or a crying baby, there is something we can (somewhat) control: Eating deeply nourishing food.

In many Asian cultures, the postpartum period is considered sacred. Practices like the Chinese tradition of ‘Zuo Yue Zi’ (坐月子), which literally means 'sitting the month,' prioritize warmth, rest, nourishing meals, and community support to help the new mother heal and thrive.

It's a beautiful reminder that slowing down postpartum is powerful and deeply restorative. They say that giving birth is like running a marathon, and after carrying a baby for 9+ months, and giving birth, you’re absolutely owed some time for deep recovery. (source) Yet, you don’t really get much of the chance without support and some prep ahead of time. Oof. So let’s talk about why all of this is worth having a convo about…

Whether you’re in the throes of postpartum yourself, expecting soon, or supporting someone who is, the fourth trimester (the first three months after baby arrives) is a profoundly important time for nourishing and replenishing the body.

Birth, breastfeeding, and sleep disruptions all take a HUGE toll physically and emotionally, so intentional, comprehensive nutrition can truly change the way you tackle this time period.

But why exactly is postpartum nutrition so critical? Your body has just done something miraculous (growing and delivering a baby!), but it’s also been through immense physiological stress. Your hormones, metabolism, blood sugar, and hydration levels are all working overtime, leaving you especially vulnerable to feeling depleted, anxious, or overwhelmed.

Your body is in overdrive replenishing nutrients, repairing tissues, and if breastfeeding, producing milk, which BTW is truly a superhuman task!

Taking steps now (no matter how small!) to prep your/your friend’s kitchen and freezer can make all the difference. It’s about gently nurturing yourself back to balance, giving yourself what you need most: nourishment, hydration, ease, and comfort.

If you’re already in the postpartum period and didn’t prepare, don’t panic. There’s some quick takeaways at the end of this post for those of you who are already going THROUGH IT.

Here’s why thoughtful nutrition matters so much right now:

Energy & Mood Stability: Balanced meals with protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats stabilize blood sugar—essential when you're running on minimal sleep. (Source) All of my recipes offer a balanced blend of these things.
Hormonal Balance & Mood Support: Quality nutrition helps mitigate postpartum hormonal fluctuations and can reduce severity of postpartum depression (Source)
Hydration & Lactation: Hydration needs significantly increase during lactation. Broths (like this 5-minutes of prep homemade option), soups, juicy fruits (the whole fruit with its fibers, not just juice), and even hydrating veggies are key. (Source)

Your body creates milk tailored to your baby's specific needs? If you get sick while nursing your body creates antibodies in your milk to avoid your baby catching the illness too. (Source)

By the way -- The Blood Sugar Method, a course and membership that I've been building for months and months with

Beth Bollinger

is FINALLY launching! We're offering a special insider access discount starting April 16th to our Substack members, and then it will go live to the rest of the world on May 1st. We will also be doing a live cooking class that you'll LOVE! Keep an eye out for details, it's coming up fast and we're SO excited!!

When prepping for postpartum, the secret lies in simplicity.

Cooking elaborate meals while managing newborn life is a tall order (hint: it’s not gonna happen), so the trick is in stocking your pantry and freezer with foods that practically cook themselves, nourish deeply, and bring ease back into your life without having to reach for Doordash.

These recipes are exactly the type you can prep and freeze ahead—simple, tasty, nutrient-dense, and perfect for gently reheating in the days or weeks after birth.

Here’s how you can effortlessly set yourself up for postpartum success:

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