Postpartum Food Preparation: Practical Matters

Once you are through the first couple of weeks postpartum, you will be establishing the rhythm of life with your new baby. If you have not already done so, now is the time for you and your partner to figure out how to fit the preparation of nourishing meals into your lives. You don't need to measure serving sizes, try a lot of exotic new foods, or follow complicated recipes to do this. And you don't have to follow any specific diet "plans" or do any mathematical calculations to figure out how much to eat of certain foods. You have enough to worry about as it is. All you need to do is work within some general guidelines. We will look at some practical matters concerning how to use and prepare those foods in the easiest and most healthful way.

Kitchen Basics
Set up your kitchen for the greatest possible ease and convenience. In the past, this may have meant having plenty of frozen pizzas and Lean Cuisine meals and a working microwave, but to make the shift to a whole-foods diet, you need a few other gadgets, including the following:

• A blender.
• A small coffee bean or seed grinder.
• A food processor.
• A rice cooker.
• A salad spinner.
• A slow cooker (Crock-Pot).
• Freezer bags, small and large varieties.
• Glass canning jars (Mason jars).
• Reusable plastic storage containers (Tupperware or similar brands).

Having all of these items on hand will help you to simplify the processes of cooking and storing healthful food with a minimum of work time in the kitchen.