Healthy Batch Cooking Recipes

As a newly postpartum mama, let me just say—there’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving! Not only does it save the shopping, cooking, and cleanup, but when it’s made with real, nourishing ingredients, it’s like medicine for a tired and healing body.

Over the years, I’ve given and received so many thoughtful meals, and these are my all-time favorite recipes! From savory to sweet, quick to more elaborate, there’s something here for everyone. I’ve even kept baby’s potential gut sensitivities in mind (gluten, dairy, garlic, and strong spices).

These recipes aren’t just for new moms—they’re perfect for anyone who needs a little extra love and nourishment! 

Lactation Bites by Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients

Wet

• ½ cup all natural creamy peanut butter (or sub almond butter)

• 3 tablespoons honey (or sub date syrup to make vegan)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry

• ⅓ cup flaxseed meal

• 2 tablespoons debittered brewer’s yeast (Please note that not all brewer’s yeast is gluten free, so if you are GF be sure to check the label. Alternatively, you can use almond flour or protein powder.)

• ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired

• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts

• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

For the optional mix-ins

• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips of choice (mini or regular is fine)

Instructions

1. Add wet ingredients to a medium bowl: peanut butter, honey and vanilla; mix well to combine. 

2. Next add in dry ingredients: flaxseed meal, brewer’s yeast, oats, hemp hearts, chia seeds and cinnamon and mix together with a rubber spatula until well combined and everything is evenly distributed. Fold in chocolate chips if using.

3. At this point you should be able to form balls that stick together. Since all peanut butter/nut butter consistencies are different, you may need to add in more nut butter or sweetener to help the balls stick together. Makes approximately 8 large energy bites.

4. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or the freezer for up to 2 months. Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs by Ally Casey

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey

• 1 egg

• ½ cup almond flour, plus more if needed

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced (We substituted the parsley for shredded zucchini)

• ½ tsp. Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Coconut oil spray

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Spray the baking sheet with the coconut oil spray to keep everything non-stick.

2. Grab a large mixing bowl. Add the turkey, egg, almond flour, minced garlic, shredded zucchini, salt, and pepper to the bowl. 

3. Using your clean hands, gently mix together all the ingredients until they are well combined. The texture will likely be a little stickier and gooier than typical meatballs. 

4. Get about 2-3 Tbsp. worth of the mixture in your hands and roll into a tight ball. If the mixture does not keep its shape, you can add a couple Tbsp. more of almond flour, remixing, until the meatballs hold their shape. 

5. Place the meatball on the lined baking sheet. Roll and repeat for the rest of the mixture. You'll end up with about 8-10 meatballs. 

6. Spray the tops of the meatballs with coconut oil spray to get them golden brown. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

You can use them immediately, or wait until they cool enough to pack up and store in the fridge (up to 4 days) or in the freezer (for a couple months!).

Lemon Turmeric Ginger Chicken Soup by Rachel McConn

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp ghee

• 1 medium diced onion

• 5 cloves of minced garlic

• 1.5 cups of diced celery (3 stalks)

• 2 cups diced carrot

• 1-2 tbsp grated ginger

• 2 diced sweet potatoes

• bunch of kale

• 2 tsp ground turmeric

• 64oz chicken bone broth chicken meat from a whole chicken or 1lb ground chicken

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

• 1 lemon zested then juiced

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add some ghee. 

2. Then add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger. Once the veggies are tender, add in your ground turmeric. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the chicken, broth, and coconut milk. 

3. Simmer until veggies are cooked through, then add in sweet potato and kale and continue to cook until sweet potato is tender. 

4. Turn heat off and add in your lemon zest, lemon juice, and some more grated ginger. 

Overnight Chia Seed Oats by Rachel McConn

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup GF sprouted oats⁣⁣⁣

• 1/2 cup milk of your choice (canned coconut milk or homemade nut milk recommended)⁣⁣⁣

• 1/2 cup yogurt (i like @culinayogurt or @cocojune_organic )⁣⁣⁣

• 1 TBSP chia seeds (I use @mammachia)⁣⁣⁣

• 1 TBSP maple or honey ⁣⁣⁣

• 1/2 TSP vanilla extract⁣⁣⁣

• pinch of salt⁣⁣⁣

Optional add-ins: protein powder (or collagen peptides work great)

Marilee's Congee Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of organic white or brown rice (White rice if you have diarrhea, bleeding, Crohns, IBS, or extreme inflammation. Brown rice if have constipation, bloating, stomach pain, vomiting, acid reflux, nausea, constipation, bloating, stomach pain)                        

•  8 cups water

•  ¼ teaspoon sea salt

1.  Wash and rinse the rice until water runs clear.

2. Soak the rice in purified water to cover + 1 T. lemon juice or ACV for 8-24 hours for easier digestibility + to remove anti-nutrients such as phytic acid.

3. Drain and rinse the rice.

4. Bring 10 cups water + the rice to a boil for 5 minutes then drain. This removes remaining arsenic. 

5. Place rice, water, salt, and kombu (and other ingredients like chopped ginger + garlic cloves) in pot and cook 30-35 min until thickened 

6. Add chopped scallions, sesame oil and tamari to taste.
   
   

Golden Carrot-Spice Muffins by Amy Chaplin

Recipe from Amy’s book: Whole Food Cooking Every Day

(Makes about 10 muffins.)

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup (4/2 ounces | 130 g) millet flour

• ½ cup (1½ ounces | 45 g) gluten-free oat flour

• 2 tablespoons (/ ounce | 10 g) coconut flour

• 2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

• ½ cup (1½ ounces |45 g) almond flour

• 2 teaspoons organic ground cardamom

• 2 teaspoons organic ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons organic ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon freshly grated organic nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

• 2 medium eggs

• ½ cup almond milk

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

• ⅓ cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil (Note: If melted coconut oil is added to cold ingredients, it will clump and harden. If your wet ingredients are cold, not at room temperature, don't add the coconut oil until right before combining the wet and dry ingredients.)

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

• 3 cups of grated organic carrots

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). 

2. Line a standard muffin pan with 10 paper liners and set aside. 

3. Sift the millet flour, oat flour, coconut flour, spices and baking powder into a medium bowl. 

4. Add the almond flour and whisk to combine, breaking up any clumps of almond flour.

5. Break the eggs into another medium bowl and whisk thoroughly, then add the almond milk, maple syrup, orange juice, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and grated carrots and whisk to combine. 

6. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. 

7. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. 

8. Remove from the oven and allow muffins to sit for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Be sure to cool completely before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days; bring to room temperature, warm in the oven, or halve and toast before serving. The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature in the container they were frozen in.