33 Meals to Make for the Tired New Parents in Your Life

In a baby’s early days, while new parents obsessively focus on feeding the little one—ounce by fluid ounce—it's easy for the adults to forget to nourish themselves, much less find a moment to cook. This is where you come in: Make-ahead, nurturing, freezable meals for new parents are better gifts than giraffe-shaped teething toys or even the most adorable tiny socks. Below you’ll find ideas that'll truly help ease the burden of reality with a newborn.

When I first became a mom, my dad stocked our freezer with eggplant parm. You’ll see that below, along with other warm and hearty favorites. I've also included muffins, breakfast bars, energy bites, and sweets (like lactation cookies) for convenient, one-handed munching. Step up your friend, family, coworker, or neighbor game and put together a care package for that new parent in your life. Better yet, gather a group of folks for a meal train—we've got 33 recipes to get you going.