If you have some new parents in your life (or anyone in need of a little assistance), the gift of a homemade meal can go a long way! So I've put together this guide for making homemade meals and preparing food gifts for new moms and dads. From freezer friendly meals to recipes for snacks and plenty of tips, your gift is sure to be appreciated!
I've never been much of a gift person. At least when it comes to gifting (or receiving) stuff.
As a bit of a minimalist, I don't like to gift other people things that they may not want or need.
But I love the sentiment of it. Thus, I tend to be of the gifting mindset of giving things that never go out of style. A.K.A. Money or food.
And whenever possible (and appropriate), I like to go the food route.
Although I haven't had children yet, I am at the stage where a lot of my friends have started having kids. And I have asked a lot of them what the best gifts that they have received are.
A meal (or snacks) seems to be a favorite!
So I've put together this guide to give you ideas for gifting food to the busy new parents in your life. Or to anyone, really, that could use the gift of a home cooked meal!
Tips and Considerations
Alright, before we get into some tasty meal/snack/dessert ideas, here are a few tips and things to consider.
First off, be considerate and communicate with them.
Bringing a meal doesn't have to be a surprise and it will often be more appreciated if you don't show up unannounced.
Depending on your relationship with them, it is a good idea to ask about the following:
- Dietary restrictions and preferences.
- If there is anything in particular that they need (or have received a lot of already)- you don't want to make them their 5th lasagna.
- When to bring it. Again, do not show up unannounced. And if the nature of your visit is simply to drop off a warm meal, don't overstay your welcome. Set up another time to visit.
Secondly, let's talk about some things that can make your food gift even better for the parents.
- Packaging: Don't gift the meal in a dish that has to be returned to you. While I don't love the idea of using disposable items, I do appreciate that new parents are very busy and don't need extra dishes to wash and think about returning.
- If you don't want to use something disposable, consider looking for compostable options or picking up a dish from a thrift store that doesn't need to be returned to you.
- Portioning: Consider the size of the family when portioning the meal that you make. If their family is small, divide large recipes into smaller dishes.
- For example, rather than gifting one 9x13 inch tray of lasagna that two people then eat leftovers of for 4 days, divide the recipe into 9x5 inch loaf pan servings. You can still gift them all of the servings, but then they can just thaw and reheat each one for a meal or two.
- As a variation of this, I like to make 2-3 meals and divide them into the smaller portions. Then, I just take 1 portion of each meal so that they get some variety. And I keep the extra portion of each meal for dinners for us (win-win).
- Info: Make sure that you include all of the information that the new parents need to enjoy your meal. Things like reheating directions, storage directions and an ingredients list.
- I personally like to just print off the recipe card or write it up (and include all of this information on it). That way if they really enjoyed the dinner, they have the recipe in order to make it again.
- And while it can be nice to be fancy and include a cute note or tag, don't fret over it. What the parents will remember is the tasty meal- not if it has a Pinterest worthy presentation 🙂 .
- Also, if your meal is frozen, label it with the name of the meal and the date. You can just use a piece of tape to do this.
- Nutrition: I personally like to bring foods/meals that are a little more on the nutritious (but still delicious!) side.
- Mom is recovering from a pretty major event so I like to make sure that I am gifting balanced meals that are made from whole foods and include vegetables and quality protein. You can include a little treat/indulgence that you know that they like, but in my opinion, giving something nourishing to someone who is healing is extra loving.
- Extras: While meals are great, it can also be helpful to bring snacks, breakfasts and/or desserts that the parents can just grab and snack on as needed.
Now that that's covered, let's get to some recipes which make great gifts!
Meals
All of these meals are freezer friendly so they can be delivered warm or prepared and frozen for later!
Breakfast and Snacks
Gifting healthy snacks and grab and go breakfasts can be just as helpful as meals!
Treats
Other Ideas
If you don't have time to cook, you can still give a thoughtful food gift in another form!
- When you are going to visit, offer to pick up (and pay for) takeout from their favorite restaurant.
- Give a gift card for food delivery.
- Offer to go grocery shopping for them (or pay for grocery delivery service).
- Buy treats or fresh bread from their favorite bakery.
Now over to you! Are you a parent? What were the best food gifts that you received?
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