Due today! Online food shop ideas please from experienced parents!

[CheeseChomper]

Due today (although no sign of baby yet!) and planning a Tesco delivery to come first thing tomorrow morning.

Me and DP normally cook from scratch but i'm aware that with imminent arrival of first baby that we won't be able to easily do this!

We have (annoyingly) no freezer space for ready meals or for me to have cooked and frozen tasty homecooked meals.

Anyone with past experience have ideas for meals we can knock together quickly with cupboard/ fridge foods with good shelf life so I can do a big order today? My mind has gone blank apart from toast and cereal

What can I put on the list that's relatively healthy and easy to cook/prepare? Help!

Baked potatoes with cheese/beans/tuna/whatever you normally like

Pasta & pesto/tomato sauce (homemade or from a jar)

Filled pasta parcels (they keep for at least a couple of weeks in the fridge IIRC) & sauce as above

Bagels & cream cheese/smoked salmon

Hummus & pitta bread & veg sticks

Soup

And, not from Tesco, takeaway menus!

Also, when one of you your DP does cook, try and make enough of something that can be reheated easily the following day.

Great, thanks Sariska - like the idea of filled pasta parcels as I love them! Will put on the list

[[http://www.wiltshirefarmfoods.com/
These people]] do home cooked ready meals with free delivery, irc.

Might be some use when if you're desperate!

Lots of snacks! Anything you can grab and eat with one hand- cereal bars, fruit, cake, mixed fruit and nuts. Wouln't bother worrying about calories if BF. I was constantly hungry the first few weeks.

I found once DP got in from work I found I could hand over DD and enjoy some time cooking. Make enough for next day. Also did big batch of soup and bread to last the week (can make 2 kinds at the same time then you don't have to eat same every day. As Sariska says, filled pasta is great- lots of choice of fillings and sauces and cooks in about three minutes. I used to set up things ready to go in the morning- (toast in toaster, teabag in cup, sandwiches made up)then I could still sort it with one hand if I neede to. We found the cooking easy- it's getting to eat it together while it's still hot that's a challenge!

You'll get to know your baby's routine and work around that. I do priority stuff as soon as she nods off for first nap- getting myself bathed and dressed and fed, then tackle the mountain of laundry after. After a feed and second nap we'd go out. I think it got much easier for us around 6 weeks. Good luck.

definately lots of snacks if you're BF - I was always starving so went for scones, crumpets, scotch pancakes, fruit plus make sure you have plenty of liquids as I was also really thirsty when BF (tip - make sure you put the drink on the opposite side to baby's head otherwise you just end up sitting looking longingly at your drink until darling LO finishes their feed 45 minutes later)

i found that DD would sleep for fairly long periods in the day (2-3hrs) in the first few weeks leaving you free to catch up on some sleep and DH time to prep your dinner - it's when they stop sleeping and start moving that it becomes much more difficult to cook from scratch.

Food that can be eaten one handed and tepid. Lots of snacks to be left by your bed/chair for night feeds.

I drank gallons of fruit water also, I'm not a great hot drinker anyway but was stressed about hot fluids around my dd.

Ben and Jerry's.....

Soups - convent garden soup is on special at the moment and they are all pretty healthy and tasty.

Things that can be eaten with just a fork or a spoon are ideal.

Good luck

Dorset muesli (well that's the brand I like) - I found I could enjoy a bowl with cold milk or plain yoghurt at almost anytime and they are generous with the fruit/nuts etc. Can be prepared with one hand & it really hit the spot. Especially great if BF.

Also prepare (or buy) some good dressing (french or basalmic) and some tins of stuff to beef up salads ie sweetcorn, tinned artichokes, tuna etc. Then you take bag of salad, tomatoes, cuc, spring onions, add something from a tin to give it substance or some cooked pasta, dress & viola, meal in a bowl.

Thanks all for the ideas- really helpful!

Will trot off and place an order now of suitable bits and bobs...

Food that can be prepared with one hand. I used to be at pre-sliced bagels till I had DD (who didn't like being put down).

Those Innocent pots are lovely.

And yy, anything that can be prepared and eaten one-handed.

Pizza's good on that score.

Yes, and you can cut pizza one-handed with kitchen scissors. Actually, I found loads of things a lot easier to do with scissors than a knife.

Pizza is also easily balanced on the arm of the sofa

Dried puy lentils and tinned chickpeas for turning into salads: have the chickpeas with chorizo, cherry tomatoes, red onion and parsley (or make it into a stew with tinned tomatoes instead of fresh ones); try the lentils with veg (beetroot, leftover boiled or roast carrots and parsnips, broccoli) and feta cheese. You can do the lentils whenever you have 15 minutes and keep them in the fridge for a few days. The chickpeas just need opening.

Also falafel for having with humous in pita bread, with feta if you have it, and salad.

Also, so you can have a proper meal at least once a day, Pieminster pies or Higgidy quiches for bunging in the oven while you steam some carrots and broccoli (do extra for salads the next day).

For days when you can't make it out to the shops, get some tofu - it keeps for ages and is good in stir-fry or curry. Get some stir-fry packs or keep some spring onions / carrots / mushrooms / broccoli in the fridge.

Ditto halloumi - keeps for ever so really useful to have hanging around. Good fried then put into some wholewheat bread with tomatoes and salad.

I'd also get some ready-made curry pastes and coconut milk so you can sweep out the veg drawer and make something nice from it.

Lastly, don't forget eggs. A cheddar and mushroom omelette will take about 10 minutes to do and keep your strength up for ages.