Food & Meals to Bring a New Parent

When I was thinking of what nobody/no books told me about being a first time parent, I learned a lot about what foods I’d recommend. I never really knew what to bring new parents but now I have better ideas. On the first night home, my parents gave us a roast chicken, twice baked potatoes, green bean casserole (a fav of mine!) and cookies. It was ahh-mazing to have a real meal and to have leftovers to eat the next day. Some of the other foods they gave were equally appreciated (specifically grapes, salad stuff, and eggs).

Suggested new parent meals/foods:

  • food for their freezer: things they can pull out to defrost or that can go right into the oven. Maybe you don’t know what they’ll have or when they’ll need a meal. Here are some freezer-friendly foods I like. Include reheating instructions & ingredients, just in case.
    The Three Bite Rule - Traditional Lasagna
  • snacks/sides: munchies they can turn into a lunch or for whenever the hunger strikes. My first trip out of the house was for this stuff. Healthy and fresh foods are greatly appreciated after freezer meals. Suggestions: hummus, veggies & pita chips; guacamole and chips; crackers & presliced cheese; salads, fruit, etc. Seasonal items would be fun too. Lemonade & popsicles in the summer or hot chocolate mix and some cookies for the winter, etc.
  • single serve foods: I made some of these and found them helpful when just one of us was hungry, or as lunch, etc. Individual burritos, sandwiches ready to become a panini, or individual muffin-tin servings of food work great.
    muff_tin_spinach_590_390
  • ready made foods are great too. You don’t even have to cook, just buy stuff that goes together to be a themed gift: a “pasta pack” of fun shaped noodles with a jar of pesto, frozen garlic bread; or “bfast bag” with yogurts, granola, orange juice, & some fruit; or a “lunch box” with chicken salad, pita pockets, apples, and chips; or “snack time” with pudding cups, fancy trail mix, goldfish, and a bottle of lemonade. You get the idea. Dress it up with a stick-on bow. Tell them what it is, and then put it away for them if anything needs to be refrigerated/frozen.
  • treats: it doesn’t have to be a meal. A crate of clementines or some cider donuts or whatever is seasonal would be great. Ice cream bars? Yes, please. Something the new parent doesn’t neeeed but would like is fun to have. Trader Joe’s has fun sodas or a neighborhood bakery might have great treats.
    The Three Bite Rule - Cranberry Soda Cocktail

My other suggestions:

  • don’t give them a dish you need back unless you’re family and will be there often. It is easy to give my mom’s dishes back because she can take them on her next visit. From anyone else it’d be annoying to wash, to remember, to store, to coordinate returning it. This is prime time for disposable cookware. Or you could buy them a cheap rubbermaid container & note on it that it is theirs to keep. I’ve heard some people buy Dollar Store plates to give food away on or stuff at yard sales that they don’t need to get back.
  • tell them “no thank you needed” whatever you bring them, tell them a thank you would be for them to cuddle their cute baby or to sleep an extra 5 minutes. You don’t want them scribbling a thank you card (since likely they thanked you for a shower gift & sent a birth announcement, and they’re exhausted). I wish those who I hadn’t ever even met but who were so generous to give a gift said this to me. Students in one of my mom’s classes were so sweet to give gifts, but I didn’t even know their last names. It was hard to come up with a thoughtful thank you note for those folks. I decided my bff wouldn’t mind a thank you text message the night we ate the meal she brought us, instead of mailing a card.
  • arrive the time they tell you and don’t stay more than an hour. The new parents are trying to get the swing of things and don’t need you hanging out all afternoon. Maybe the baby is super happy, well, that might mean they enjoy an hour with you sharing the new babe but the next hour might be naptime, or feeding time, or just the 20 minutes they need to themselves. Unless you are being put to work loading the dishwasher or you’re rocking the baby while they lug laundry upstairs, you should assume it is better to come several times for shorter visits. I have loved visits to have some interactions with people who can converse with me. I’ve capitalized on my parents visiting as time to shower/make lunch/anything that needs 2 hands.
  • tell them they look good/they’re doing a good job/the baby is adorable. Whether any combo of these are true or not, they need to hear these things. on repeat.

Cereal Crusted French Toast

For my restaurant recreation, I remembered a favorite from one of the best bfast joints around. Zoe’s in Cambridge makes a crunchy french toast coated with cereal and nuts. Everything on their menu is always good and their menu is incredible and extensive, though parking was always atrocious.

I had some not-amazing cereal that was perfect to crust French toast with! It was Protein Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crunch by Special K. It was OK cereal but since we weren’t eating it quickly it seemed like not our favorite. The flavor of cereal prompted my additional flavors for the cereal coating. Nuts would be a good addition or even blending up the not-enough-for-a-serving remains of multiple cereals.

The Three Bite Rule - Cereal Crusted French Toast
Ingredients:
4 slices of french bread
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/8 cup vanilla coffee creamer or heavy cream (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups cereal
1 tsp cinnamon
dash pumpkin pie spice
2 tbs brown sugar

Directions:
Whisk together the eggs, milk, creamer, and vanilla. Then soak the bread in it while you make the coating.
The Three Bite Rule - Cereal Crusted French Toast
In a food processor, blend together the cereal, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar.
The Three Bite Rule - Cereal Crusted French Toast
Heat a skillet or griddle to medium heat.
Toss the bread into the cereal coating on both sides.
The Three Bite Rule - Cereal Crusted French Toast
Melt butter onto the griddle and pan fry the french toast.
The Three Bite Rule - Cereal Crusted French Toast
Cook for about 4-6 minutes on each side, being careful not to let the sugar or cereal burn.
The Three Bite Rule - Cereal Crusted French Toast

Keep warm in the oven if cooking in batches. Serve with maple syrup & enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Cereal Crusted French Toast
I know, none of us really neeeeed ways to sweeten & add more calories to French Toast, but this makes it ohh so good. I love the crispy crunch on the outside with a soft inside. I think a crazy sugary cereal like peanut butter captain crunch or frosted flakes, or cinnamon toast crunch would be ahhh-mazing too. Though, I try to keep my cereal choices somewhat on the nutritious side.

Mr. J likes some of those kiddie-intended cereals (which allows me to sneak a bowl here and there) and they’re not the worst thing you could choose. I’ve heard some kids get to pick any sugary cereal for their birthday. Mr. J got those sugar-loaded ones for a special first-day-of-school treat. I love those ideas. One family I babysat got those as dessert since they’re vitamin fortified and a serving of milk.

What about you? Are you raisin bran or lucky charms?

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Something I really missed while pregnant was blue cheese dressing. It wasn’t even a banned food I have all the time but I was definitely ready for it. (This one from the refrigerated produce area is my fav). I used some for this super quick buffalo chicken pizza as lunch one day. Blue Cheese dressing became part of the sauce and some drizzled on top. Pita bread as the dough is, hands down, the easiest way to whip up a pizza. Plus, it works perfectly when making pizza for one. Since there’d be zero nutritional value, I was glad this was a single serving.

The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1-2 breaded chicken fingers
1 Wheat pita bread pocket
1/4 cup blue cheese dressing
4 tbs hot sauce/buffalo sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Bake the chicken according to the package.
Mix together most of the hot sauce and most of the blue cheese dressing for the sauce. Taste it and add dressing or hot sauce to taste for your preferred spice level.
The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Cut the chicken into chunks and toss with some hot sauce.
Spread the buffalo blue sauce onto the pita.
The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Then top with cheese, then with chicken. Drizzle any extra sauce over the top.
The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees until the cheese melts and the pita crisps a bit. I used the toaster oven.
The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Drizzle some blue cheese dressing over the top and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pizza
My chicken chunks are somewhat massive for the size of my pizza but I didn’t care. I was loving the buffalo and blue cheese together, plus each getting to shine on their own too. The chicken is crispy and the pizza hit the spot. You could always add celery, if you’re into that…I’m not a celery fan. I used wheat pitas because why not pretend there’s one healthy thing happening here?

Mr. J doesn’t like spice but these little pita pizzas are perfect to customize easily. They also freeze well if you wanted to make & freeze them, or prep them with just sauce and cheese to add toppings before eating sometime. I love good pizza crust but not messing with dough is pretty sweet as well.

Chicken and Kale Enchiladas

I haven’t made enchiladas in a while but I also had some kale I was hoping to sneak into something. Enchiladas seemed perfect. To tell the truth, I’m not a fan of raw kale but it is a good veggie to tuck into other foods. I know, I feel like anyone with a food blog is supposed to loooove kale. The health benefits are amazing but I find it so tough. Chard & spinach often score higher than kale anyway and I like them better. Greens, like kale, work well to dice up and treat like an herb. I didn’t highlight it, but it has a good place here.
Chicken & Kale Enchiladas - The Three Bite Rule
This was a perfect make-ahead meal. I made the filling while I was making my lunch (see my taco salad with avocado lime dressing). Basically I ate pretty similar lunch and dinners on the same day, but I’ll take Mexican meals any day.

Ingredients:

4 chicken tenderloin pieces (or 2 breasts)
2 tbs taco seasoning
10 oz black beans (3/4 of a can)
4 cups kale, with ribs removed
6 oz shredded cheddar
8 wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce

Directions:

Dice the chicken into chunks and sauté with the taco seasoning until cooked through.
While chicken is cooking, remove the ribs from the kale and chop. Steam the kale for 3-5 minutes to partially cook.
Mix together the kale, black beans, and chicken.
Chicken & Kale Enchiladas - The Three Bite Rule
Assemble the enchiladas with tortillas, filling, a sprinkle of cheese. (save some cheese for the top)
Chicken & Kale Enchiladas - The Three Bite Rule
Then roll them up and place with the seam-side down into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
Chicken & Kale Enchiladas - The Three Bite Rule
Pour enchilada sauce over the top and bake for 30 minutes.
Chicken & Kale Enchiladas - The Three Bite Rule
Top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese melts. Or refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Or freeze for future use. I made 2 pans, each with 4 enchiladas. I baked one and froze the other.
Chicken & Kale Enchiladas - The Three Bite Rule
These were really good. The sauce has some zip to it and the wheat tortillas, kale, and beans, make them a bit more nutritious. The filling really could be anything. Mine was heavier on kale and beans than chicken.

Chicken & Kale Enchiladas - The Three Bite Rule
If you have any leftover filling save it and add some brown rice for a lunch burrito bowl!

Taco Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing

My little one can sleep through the blender whirring, which is awesome. Sometimes he naps in the “office” and I clench my teeth when hitting that pulse button not too far away, but he hasn’t been bothered by smoothies, or dressings, or anything in the blender! I hope he continues to sleep deeply like his Momma. I made this salad feeling like a million bucks because I repurposed some chicken meatloaf by just warming with taco seasoning, AND had a use for the rest of the black beans, AND was eating salad. #winning

The Three Bite Rule - Taco Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing
Don’t forget, excuse the shape of some of the meat since it’s first life was chicken meatloaf that was absolutely to die for, and no I didn’t photograph it as I dumped stuff in and hoped for the best. Seriously. It restored my faith in meatloaf. Also, excuse the fact that I forgot the black beans until after taking pics.

Ingredients:

2 avocados
1/8 cup lime juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup vegetable oil
pinch of sugar

Directions:

Put avocados, lime juice, garlic, sugar, and cider vinegar into a blender.
The Three Bite Rule - Taco Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing
Blend on low and stream in oil until smooth.
The Three Bite Rule - Taco Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing
Assemble salad and drizzle on the dressing. I kept mine pretty thick but you could add more oil & lime juice to thin it out if you’d prefer.
The Three Bite Rule - Taco Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing
My salad had lettuce, cucumbers, cheddar, salsa, black beans, and taco meat. I originally thought I’d be putting avocado onto the salad but then used it for the dressing. It was really good! Because of the salsa, I didn’t think I needed that much dressing. I have to admit I dunked a few tortilla chips in the leftover dressing (which was a good choice) so I’m not sure how well any leftover dressing would keep. I think it’d turn avocado-brown, but be ok to eat.
The Three Bite Rule - Taco Salad with Avocado Lime Dressing