When friends have babies, bringing them food is the natural reaction. After all, these people are now spending their days in a zombie-like state, trying to adjust to the full-time care of this tiny, completely dependent new human. The least you can do is help to make sure they don’t go hungry in the process, right?
While your menu choice will likely differ a bit based on the dietary preferences and restrictions of the recipients, here’s a list of menu new parent-friendly items to consider. (You’ll notice this list is void of casseroles. While casseroles are great and all, it’s likely these newly minted parents will be receiving them from lots of other folks. These options are all a bit lighter.):
1. Pre-made homemade muffin batter
Bring it over ready to throw in the fridge and spoon into a muffin tin so that the new parents can easily bake themselves a delicious breakfast, making one or two muffins at a time or the
whole batch.
2. Ready-to-grill kabobs
Load up skewers (be sure to soak them in water first!) with fresh peppers, onions, mushrooms and any other favorite kabob-worthy produce (maybe pineapple) along with chicken or steak, and pre-marinate the kabobs. The new parents can just throw these kabobs on the grill or even in the oven, making this dish perfect any time of year.
3. Fruit salad Fruit salad sounds — and is — super simple, but providing a busy new parent with washed, beautifully cut, fresh fruit is a huge gift. They can keep it in the fridge and pair it with meals or enjoy it on its own as a snack.
4. Homemade granola
It’s likely others might overlook breakfast food when thinking of dishes for new parents, so baking up a batch of drool-worthy granola – that can be enjoyed with milk, on top of yogurt or just in handfuls – would be a great balance to other items they’re likely receiving.
5. One-handed wraps
If there’s one thing a new parent is short on (besides, you know, sleep), it’s hands. Give them a one-handed, ready-to- inhale-while-standing meal with a delicious sandwich wrap, like this one from Martha Stewart.
6. Soup
It’s leftover-friendly and quick and easy to prep for a meal, and if you can choose a recipe that’s both filling and healthy chili you get bonus points.
7. A crockpot-friendly meal
Crockpots are magical, so let that work to your advantage. Provide all the fixins (sides and any other components needed to make this meal complete) and let the new parents choose when to put things in the crockpot for a magical meal.
Anna Keller likes the occasional fancy, over-the-top meal served on a white tablecloth, but will be just a happy with dinner from Taco Bell (she and her husband were there the day they launched their new breakfast menu.) For her, food is about the experience, the story, the tradition, and the community it provides, and it takes a starring role in her blog, where she shares recipe creations and recreations—usually of the baking variety.