The Best Postpartum Meal Delivery Services for New Moms

 Article originally published May 19, 2021. 

Ever felt like you’re in a whirlwind of change after welcoming your little one into the world?

There’s sleepless nights, diaper changes and let’s not even start on how hard it is to get a healthy meal. It feels like trying to cook dinner while running a marathon!

You might ask yourself, “Isn’t there an easier way?”

The answer is yes! There are companies that deliver postpartum meals right at your doorstep. So, keep reading because we review some of the best companies we think are worth ordering for postpartum meals.

In this journey we’ll explore the benefits of these services, understand why nutrition matters so much for new moms, and discover tips to pick out the best service.

I promise you’ll leave knowing exactly what to do next… Are you ready?

Between changing diapers, feeding your baby, sneaking in some rest time, and learning how to parent, nourishing yourself can quickly fall down your priority list. 

While you may have had every intention to batch-cook and freeze meals and snacks, the reality is that it often isn’t enough. Having a meal service deliver ready-to-eat, pre-made meals right to your door can be a life-saver for your sanity and stomach.

They’ll help you (ideally, your partner) find a nourishing, nutrient-dense, and satisfying meal in no time. Keep reading to discover which delivery services we love and how they stack up.

 Our picks for postpartum meal delivery at-a-glance: 

1. Postpartum-Focused: Mama Meals

2. Eastern Traditions: Chiyo

3. Custom Menu: Splendid Spoon 

4. Organic Ingredients: Daily Harvest 

5. Ready-to-eat: Sakara

6. Family-Friendly: Gobble

7. Ritual Meals (no longer in operation)

This post contains affiliate links. Hello Postpartum may receive a small commission – at no extra cost – should you purchase through a link on this page.

Having meals delivered to your door during postpartum recovery can be a lifesaver. You’re juggling the demands of caring for a newborn, recovering from childbirth, and adjusting to new routines – all while dealing with sleep deprivation.

Proper nutrition is vital during this time, but it’s often challenging to find the energy or time to prepare healthy meals. This is where meal delivery services come in handy.

No more fretting over what’s for dinner or making trips to the grocery store when you’re exhausted. A meal delivery service lets you enjoy diverse dishes without having to lift more than a fork. The convenience factor alone makes these services worth considering.

While there’s an upfront cost involved in signing up, most companies offer flexible plans that fit various budgets. Typically, you pay per meal – no hidden charges or complex pricing structures here. Some plans include complimentary delivery of your food, no extra cost.

You get different meals every day – no eating leftovers for days on end because cooking was too much effort one night. Many providers also cater special dietary needs such as vegetarian, gluten-free options etc., keeping things exciting at mealtimes.

Say goodbye to preservatives-packed frozen dinners. Most meal delivery services use fresh, high-quality ingredients and expert chefs to create delicious meals. You can be confident you’re getting good nutrition without having to do the hard work.

With all these benefits at your fingertips, it’s no wonder meal delivery services are becoming a popular choice for new moms during postpartum recovery.

The word “best” is a pretty subjective term, so while reading through our round-up, it’s essential to consider your and your family’s needs.

• Allotted budget

• Number of people to feed

• Dietary restrictions

• Meal preferences

• Delivery area

• Customizable menu

• Duration of program

The above list isn’t exhaustive, but it will give you an excellent place to start to find the best meal delivery service for your postpartum recovery.  Keep these points in mind as you read through our picks.

It’s also important to consider that some meal delivery services deliver only the ingredients plus recipes while others offer the meals cooked and ready to eat. We’ve denoted which is which throughout the post.

Mama Meals was created to help feed pregnant and postpartum parents with food made from organic, pasture-raised, and clean ingredients. Many of their recipes include organ meat – the most nutrient-dense food on the planet – and are focused on promoting healing through nourishment and warmth.

Meals include banana chia oatmeal, lentil stew, creamy chicken and rice congee, hearty sausage stew, primal chili, lactation cookies, and brownies, creamy sweet potato curry soup, healing postpartum tea, and more.

What’s unique about Mama Meals is their meals come in multiple servings.  For example, each container in the package is 32 oz. (about two pounds of cooked food), which could feed a few meals for one person or an entire family of four with extra toppings added.

When you order through our exclusive link, you can save $20 on your $200+ order from Mama Meals. Order and save now. 

Plans: You can choose from a gift box, a postpartum starter package, an essentials package, or a hungry mama package.

Menu selection: The menu is pre-set (but everything sounds delicious!)

Dietary options: Unfortunately, Mama Meals cannot accommodate nutritional requests now. Their meals are gluten-free, but the kitchen is not certified gluten-free (a potential issue for those with celiac or similar).

Assembly required: Food will arrive frozen. When ready to eat, thaw, reheat on low, and serve.

EXPLORE MAMA MEALS

EXPLORE MAMA MEALS

EXPLORE MAMA MEALS

Rooted in ancient Eastern principles, Chiyo focuses on blood replenishment, tissue repair, hormone balance, and more throughout a new mom’s postpartum period. It was founded by a team of clinical nutritionists and private chefs that “combine the best of Eastern food therapy with Western nutritional standards.”

In our modern culture that doesn’t emphasize how critical it is to rest after birth, Chiyo is designed to help fuel your body and encourage recovery during a delicate and transformational time.

Their meals are focused on healing and are available to ship nationwide so you can keep yourself fed and focus on resting and bonding during this time. Everything is gluten and dairy-free, plant-forward, and looks absolutely delicious.

If you hope to feed more than yourself or the person who gave birth, family-sized add-ons are available at a discounted rate.

Some example meals include: baked apples and dukkah granola over coconut yogurt, Thai basil tofu with brown rice and miso cod, squash pad Thai with almond butter dressing and curry chicken, strawberry rose chia pudding, ginger kimchi scallion noodle soup. Check out next week’s menu. 

You can use HELLOPOSTPARTUM30 to save $30 on your Chiyo postpartum meal delivery order. Order and save now. 

Plans: Under their “Restore” Postpartum program, Chiyo offers 3, 5, and 7-day programs for any combination of breakfast/lunch/dinner. They also offer the First Forty Days Postpartum Program at a 10% discount and weekly delivery at a 5% discount.

Menu selection: Chiyo will suggest the best meal plans based on your needs and preferences after answering a short questionnaire.

Dietary options: Chiyo can accommodate requests for dairy-free, gluten-free pescatarian, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, and more. Their baseline is gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-forward, though.

Assembly required: Food will arrive in individual-sized containers ready to eat. Some require minimal prep (like heating it up quickly).

EXPLORE CHIYO

EXPLORE CHIYO

If ready-to-eat, healthy, mostly organic meals are your thing, check out Splendid Spoon. Their menu focuses primarily on smoothies and nourishing bowls – soups, noodles, grains, and more – all designed to fuel you with delicious, high-quality ingredients.

Your food box will arrive chilled and ready for the fridge or freezer.

Splendid Spoon is great for postpartum recovery because minimal work is required from the fridge to your bowl. The most work you’ll have to do is toss it in the microwave or saucepan. The meals do well in the refrigerator or freezer if you want to save them later.

Plans: five different plans are available, ranging from breakfast only to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and reset

Menu selection: your menu is fully customizable with each delivery

Dietary options: customization of ingredients is not available at this time, but all meals are gluten-free and plant-based

Assembly required: smoothies are ready-to-eat; heating is only needed for bowls

EXPLORE SPLENDID SPOON

EXPLORE SPLENDID SPOON

If you’re digging the ease that Splendid Spoon provides, you’ll love what Daily Harvest offers because they have an even greater variety of meals. 

While Splendid Spoon’s smoothies are ready-to-eat, the smoothie cups from Daily Harvest require you to dump the frozen ingredients and a liquid of your choice into a high-speed blender. Easy enough, though.

You’ll also find many meals – such as flatbreads, soups, forager bowls, oat bowls, chia bowls, and even superfood ice cream – ready for easy eating during your postpartum period. Everything is done for you other than heating or blending regarding prep work.

Plans: available in small (9 items), medium (14 items), or large (24 items)

Menu selection: your menu is fully customizable with each delivery

Dietary options: customization of ingredients is not available at this time, but all meals are gluten-free and dairy-free

Assembly required: almost ready-to-eat; only heating or blending required for most meals

SAVE UP TO $40 ON DAILY HARVEST NOW

SAVE UP TO $40 ON DAILY HARVEST NOW

SAVE UP TO $40 ON DAILY HARVEST NO

While Sakara is undoubtedly a more significant investment than Daily Harvest or Splendid Spoon, there’s no denying the quality of ingredients (locally sourced and organic) and creativity that goes into every meal. Check out this excellent Sakara review, and see what we mean.

With Sakara, it’s like having chef-created, nutritionist-approved meals sent to your door. From superfood waffles to beetroot veggie burgers to avocado cacao pudding, the meals from Sakara feel truly nourishing and divine.

Save 20% on your first Sakara meal delivery with code XOHELLOPP at checkout. Check out next week’s menu. 

Along with your meals, you’ll receive a menu for the week, a sample of their Detox Tea, five days of their Complete Probiotic, and concentrated Beauty and Detox Water Drops.

Due to the higher price point, a meal delivery from Sakara would make a great gift to add to your registry for friends or family to split.

Plans: two, three, and five-day meal plans of a minimum of two meals per day

Menu selection: the menu is pre-set and cannot be changed

Dietary options: depending on your program, Sakara may accommodate severe allergies. All meals are gluten and dairy-free.

Assembly required: ready-to-eat, only heating required on some meals

EXPLORE SAKARA NOW

EXPLORE SAKARA NOW

Unlike the meal delivery services listed above, Gobble does require some meal prep work on your end. Thankfully, all meals are designed to be ready within 15 minutes or less, so you won’t be dedicating too much time to the kitchen.

When you open your meal delivery box from Gobble, you’ll see that they do a lot of the prep work for you, including par-cooking (partially cooked) grains, sauces, and pasta, as well as slicing and dicing the required vegetables and meat.

If you check out their menu, you’ll find they offer plenty of dinner and lunch options and have soups, salads, breakfast, and dessert options. Check out their upcoming weekly menus to get an idea of their offerings.

Plans: select from three or four nights/meals per week

Menu selection: your menu is fully customizable with each delivery

Dietary options: your meals can be prepared dairy-free, nut-free, or gluten-free by withholding certain ingredients in your meals

Assembly required: meals are not ready-to-eat, but a large portion of the cooking (slicing, dicing, and par-cooking) has been done for you

EXPLORE GOBBLE

EXPLORE GOBBLE

Oct. 2021 update: we’ve heard that Ritual has paused its postpartum meal delivery services and will update the post with any updates.

Ritual Meals is explicitly designed for postpartum mothers and offers organic meals, snacks, and teas delivered to your door. All meals are fully cooked, ready to eat , and made with high-quality, nutrient-dense ingredients to encourage postpartum recovery.

The meals are nutritionally designed to encourage a healthy recovery, promote hormonal balance, encourage energy levels, and support a healthy milk supply if the mom is nursing.

Ritual Meals was founded by two moms who discovered the power of Chinese Medicine and healing herbs during their postpartum recovery. Many of these principles can be found in the Ritual Meals meal delivery programs.

Plans: available in two, three, and five-day programs

Menu selection: your menu is fully customizable with each delivery

Dietary options: customization of ingredients is not available at this time

Assembly required: ready-to-eat, only heating required on some meals

EXPLORE RITUAL MEALS

EXPLORE RITUAL MEALS

*Note: While most of Splendid Spoon’s ingredients are organic, there are a few exceptions in some bowls and smoothies. Make sure to check each label for the most up-to-date ingredient list.

The ingredients and care that go into every Mama Meals meal are unparalleled, and you can genuinely taste the difference. This small, family-owned and operated business truly cares about the postpartum meals they serve, and it shows.

We love how delicious and nutrient-dense the meals are, plus they are inspired by traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine practices that encourage warm, cooked meals after birth.

A company entirely founded on serving postpartum parents and encouraging recovery and wellness makes them a clear winner in our book.

Order Mama Meals and Save $20 on your $200+ order.

Our second postpartum meal delivery service pick is Chiyo for its focus on postpartum healing and nourishment, flexibility, menu options, ingredient quality, etc.

We love how dedicated they are to serving postpartum parents and the integrity of their ingredients. We also love the optional family-sized adds ons and the daily morning tonic, broth, and snack. 

We do recognize, however, that the cost of this program is significant, and we kept that consideration in mind while choosing our favorite postpartum meal delivery program.

Order Chiyo now and save $30 on your postpartum meal delivery

Like most aspects of life, there are advantages and drawbacks to utilizing a postpartum meal delivery service. To make an informed decision, let’s dig into both sides.

A huge benefit is the sheer convenience. Juggling a newborn often leaves little time for cooking balanced meals. Services like HelloFresh or SunBasket, deliver nutritious meals right to your doorstep.

You also get variety without the effort of menu planning. Many services offer rotating menus that cater to different dietary needs and preferences – it’s as easy as picking what you fancy for the week.

The flip side? These services can be pricey compared to home-cooked meals – although some would argue that the time saved is worth every penny. Also keep in mind that portion sizes might not always meet your hunger levels during this period when nutrition intake need could be higher.

Last but not least, while many companies strive for transparency about their ingredients list; there are instances where control over every single ingredient isn’t possible. So some flexibility is needed when ordering these meals.

Everyone’s situation is unique so weigh these pros and cons against your personal circumstances before making a choice.

During my postpartum journey, meal delivery services became a lifesaver. Having tried a few, I have some insights to share.

Mama Meals, for instance, won me over with its simplicity and deliciousness. The easy-to-follow recipes made cooking feel less like a chore during those early weeks when energy levels were low. I also wrote a exclusive review about the experience and the food.

I also gave Green Chef a shot because they offer organic ingredients which was important to me as I was breastfeeding. Their meals are flavorful, healthy and surprisingly quick to prepare.

A key aspect that these services helped me with during postpartum recovery was reducing stress around meal planning and grocery shopping while caring for an infant.

Having nourishing meals delivered right at our doorstep let us focus more on bonding time as a new family unit instead of worrying about what’s going into our next meal – truly priceless.

Parents.com also offers great tips on quick and easy meal ideas for busy moms that you can incorporate along with these services.

Remember, the right service depends largely on personal preferences. It’s about finding what fits best into your lifestyle, dietary needs and budget. I hope my experiences help guide your choice.

To learn more about the importance of postpartum nutrition, check out some expert-created nutrition resources below.

• Six Stress-Free Nutrition Tips 

• What Nutrients Do Postpartum Women Need? 

• The Five Pillars of a Nourishing Postpartum Recovery Diet 

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CARLEY SCHWEET  

A two-time c-section mom, Carley Schweet is the founder and editor of Hello Postpartum and is deeply passionate about supporting other new parents as they navigate life after birth. She is a published author of two self-care books, and her work is featured on platforms such as Bustle, Forbes, MindBodyGreen, and more, and is a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.