Giving birth is possibly the most miraculous and joyous event in the life of most people because they now have someone to love unconditionally forever. If you are a dear friend, family member, sibling, or co-worker of a couple who has just become a new parent, you may want to give a thoughtful gift that is both useful and beautiful. Everyone loves food gifts, and no one is going to appreciate the right delicious snacking options more than new parents who are pressed for time and need all the energy they can get. 

1. The Power Of Fruit 

Fruits are incredibly nutritious and full of vitamins and minerals. A new mom needs all those B vitamins and folic acid to get back in the swing of things! One of the more considerate things you can do as a visitor in a house with a new baby is to create as much ease as possible for the new parents. Use Tupperware, ziplock, or any other vacuum or tight seal container and prepare a fruit salad or chop up the fruits removing seeds and husks. This makes the fruit ready to eat without a new mom having to peel off the skin and do the cutting and chopping herself. 

The same applies to vegetables! Either give canned or packaged pre-cut veggies or prepared soups. You can also do a home-cooked soup with chicken broth to restore some vitality, and new parents are sure to love it. Sprinkling a vinaigrette on the chopped fruit can also give it some extra shelf life in case someone forgets to refrigerate the jar or box right away. For new moms breastfeeding and doing a multitude of extra chores can really drain the nourishment out of them, so fruits and vegetables that are ready to serve can be a real lifesaver. 

2. Granola, Trail Mix, Nutritious Snacking Options

New parents constantly feel the urge to snack, but it can be extremely unhealthy to always be snacking on chocolate or candy bars. Create a gift basket that has healthy, low-calorie, and nutritious snacking options like nuts, dry fruit, granola bars, trail mix packets, or healthy brownie balls. You can also bake granola bars or package the trail mix yourself by buying nuts and dry fruit in bulk; the gesture does not need to be expensive, but it needs to show you care and made an effort. 

For friends or loved ones who keep kosher, Purim gift baskets are an excellent choice, and they can be purchased ready-made online. Purim baskets can have anything from sweet treats, dates, and nuts to pastries. New parents will love digging into their gift basket after a long day when they are winding down with a cup of tea! You can also write a heartfelt note to show you are with them in their happiness and ever-available to watch the baby. If you are aware of a particular preference the new couple has, you can also bake or buy banana oat muffins or healthy cookies and power bites. 

3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Hydration is important for everyone but even more so for new parents who are staying up nights in most cases and working harder than they are used to looking after the newest addition to their family. When designing a food gift, do not forget healthy and wholesome hydration options with some fun ones thrown in if you are aware of a certain preference. Ginger soda, fruit juices, smoothies, and shakes prepared especially are all good options. Banana date smoothies, strawberry or blueberry juice, green power smoothies, and so forth are all great liquid nutrition options to go with. Do not forget sparkling water or specialty glacier water to encourage a new mom to drink more water. 

4. Ready-To-Eat, Finger Food 

New parents rarely have the time, energy, or motivation to cook or assemble complex home meals. You can make matters easier for them by putting together a couple of containers or more of delicious well-made finger food that can easily be heated in a microwave and served as lunch or dinner at a moment’s notice. 

Some options to consider depending on the eating preferences of the new couple are salad wraps, burritos, mini burgers, sandwiches (egg, veggies, meat, and so forth can be chosen as fillings), and finger fish, lentil wraps, and wheat pockets. You can prepare a large batch by yourself and then cut it up into portion sizes. Making healthy kale and cauliflower pizza is also great for curbing those carb cravings and can be cut into squares and given in boxes.  

One-hand, easy-to-heat food need not be limited to items one can bite into but also includes salads, hummus, and vegetable or black bean rice. If they can dig into it right away with a fork or save for later, you’ve saved them time and money in either preparing a meal or ordering one online. 

5. Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal

Most people overlook the importance of breakfast for new parents, particularly new moms. New moms are constantly being drained of energy, and mornings can be some of the busiest times of the day for them. Not to mention long nights that are often disturbed by a newborn’s cries can make new parents cranky and ever in need of a great, tasty breakfast meal. There are many types of breakfasts you can prepare as a food gift, such as oatmeal in a jar (at least make enough for the first week), flavored Greek yogurt varieties, breakfast muffins, and cupcakes, breakfast burritos, bagels, croissants, and so forth. 

You can bake a large batch and leave it at the couple’s door. People are under the misconception that new parents want to be entertaining guests at all times, and while this may be the case for certain instances, most of the time, new parents are exhausted and not looking their best. Leave your food gifts nonchalantly at the door to not disturb them and communicate through texts or written notes, so the phone ringing does not wake up the baby. 

6. Go The Freezer-Friendly Route 

Freezer meals end up being a real staple for new parents, so be sure to give them a few options of food gifts that freeze and defrost very well. It could be toaster tarts, stew, dumplings, nuggets, vegetable patties, and even steak patties. Be sure to use vacuum-sealed pouches or bags for maximum freshness. A nice touch would be to enter the expiration date or ‘best before’ on the package so that it is easy to keep track of and it doesn’t get lost in the freezer before it can be consumed. Casseroles and lasagna may seem like generic food gift choices, but they are staples for a reason. They freeze great and can account for a number of meals for a new couple, so they are always likely to be enthusiastically received. Lasagnas and casseroles can also be filled with healthy ingredients like vegetables and served in single-use aluminum trays, so the new couple does not need to worry about returning containers. Not to mention they can decant the casserole into smaller containers for later use.