AIBU to ask you for suggestions of meal ideas i can make for new mum?

[duckbilled]

A good friend had her beautiful dc2 tonight and I have been thinking of ways to help her. She doesn't have a very good support network and before the birth was anxious with managing a toddler and a newborn.
I will be in the same position in a few months and the thing I think would practically help is food!
I plan on making a few dishes for her family in the next few weeks and would love your suggestions.
I was thinking a vegetable curry, lasanga, cake..... But drawing a blank on any other recipes.
Help please!

That's a really sweet idea. My memory of ds1 is stick to things she can eat one handed - so pasta bake rather than lasagne, buns or cookies rather than cake etc.

Fish pie. Delicious, nutritious and can be eaten one handed.

How about meals she can freeze? eg bolognese sauce, chilli con carne, lasagne, fish pie, etc.

Stuff that can be frozen or just needs heating up like Shepard's pie or a nice casserole. Maybe some cookies, flapjacks or muffins that she can grab on the go and are easy to eat one handed. Might be worth asking what her toddler's favourite meals are and seeing if any of those are suitable for batch cooking and freezing?

Yes, things that can be frozen and just go in the oven. My friend brought me vegetable chilli and baked lactation cookies - best present ever!

My friend brought me chicken pie, fruit salad and chocolate cookies.

She is amazing and it was a wonderfully thoughtful gift.

Anything she can reheat and eat one-handed!

You're a good friend.

Yeah, as someone who gave birth just over a month ago, I'd second anything that can be eaten one handed!

I actually find mornings the hardest so breakfast things would be good. Can you make her some flapjacks/breakfast bar type things? Often you can freeze them so you could make loads. They don't have to be unhealthy either - I saw this recipe the other day which I want to make (but haven't got round to!): www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3028699/feelgood-flapjacks

Also, anything that you can pack a load of veg into. Bean burgers maybe? Again can be frozen and sometimes cooked from frozen, which is a bonus. Or vegetable fritters.

Oh, and maybe something like this? It's dense enough that it'd make a meal in itself, and hopefully the toddler would like it too agirlcalledjack.com/2015/05/13/cakey-goodness-bread-62p-a-large-loaf/

How about a soup? She could eat it one handed and could be a good way of helping her get some veg in easily

Flapjacks! SIL made me some when I'd had DD1 and was finding it hard to get time to eat, they're full of energy, good for lactation and can be eaten any time of the day. Ditto one handed stuff, maybe something like this www.kidsguide.org.uk/mini-omelettes-cooked-muffin-tin/

Agree with those who say anything that can be frozen. Be it lasagne, chili, stew, curry, soup, cookies, cup cakes, etc..

The problem with stuff that can't be frozen, is that she may already have dinner ingredients already available/cooked. If so, she still benefits from your kind gesture.

And as somebody who has been on the receiving side, it is a fab gift to receive! You are a very kind friend.

Butternut squash risotto with lots of cheese.

Thank you for all the suggestions everyone! I will let you know how it goes

My mum batch cooks for my toddler which helps immensely. She does things like roast chicken & beef dinners (frozen in gravy), cottage pie, braising steak with mashed potato and carrots, fish pie, hot pot, thick soups, sausage casserole, bolognase, chilli, curry...

Check out Nanny McPea on fb too she has tons of nice looking, toddler friendly ideas, I'm waiting for a day off to try some out! [www.facebook.com/nannymcpea] (i think)

The help I really wanted was someone to come round, sit and have a coffee with me and then tell me to go upstairs to bed with my baby whilst they spent 30 minutes helping out - walking the dog, a quick hoover or hand wash and then saw thenselves out.

Foodwise, penne pasta dishes, soup, nice bread and definitely cake.

Slightly different idea but my DM came round and made me a lunch of all the things I couldn't have in pregnancy like soft cheese, pate, crackers etc and held the baby while I ate. It was wonderful!

Pork, chorizo and bean stew. No recipe I'm afraid, I just make it up as I go along (ingredients above plus tinned toms, garlic, stock, paprika, mixed herbs) but goes well with pasta/rice/cous cous/jacket pots.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/22/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-honey-peanut-butter-bars-recipes

These are yummy, for a bit of a twist on flapjacks?

You are a good friend to think of this - the trouble with having your second child is that you can't just live on any old thing you can grab as DC1 still needs to be fed!

GloGirl definitely second that. My mum came round and cleaned my bathroom (better than I could ever have done it!), did the washing up, took the recycling out etc, while I just sat and fed baby. Appreciated it so much.

What a lovely friend you are. I'm in the same boat as your friend and would love some help. One handed dinners would be great. Also someone to mind then while I have a long hot shower. A girl I know left a lasagne on our doorstep recently. I was very touched.

Lovely recipe ideas, thanks! I popped to the pound shop and bought a lot of Tupperware so she can heat it all up easily.
The cleaning is a great idea, unfortunately though i am six and a half months pregnant myself and the spd is kicking in.... Struggling to do my own lol!
I have offered to pick up her dc1 and take him out for the day next weekend so hopefully she will have a easier day then.

Thanks all

Lots of red meat, as need lots of iron. Cottage pie, lasagna etc went down a treat for me x

The best present I've ever had was 2 days worth of ready meals from m&s for dh, me (veggie) and da (then just 3) when dd was born. Main courses, prepared veg, puds, custard, tea bags, naice biscuits. awesome, must have cost a fortune!

I have repeated it on smaller scale/lower budget for friends, but always do a homemade fruit crumble and custard, and often some banana muffins.

Don't forget the older child!

rocky what sort of beans?