Spread Some Love to New Parents with a Dinner Box
The best thing you can give to new parents (aside from sleep, which is surprisingly hard to gift wrap)? It’s not toys, baby clothes, or anything that makes noise. It’s food. And some celebratory bubbles.
Chances are, these new proud parents put a ton of work into getting themselves and their nursery ready for the new arrival, but they probably forgot about the fact that they’ll need to eat almost as often as the baby. This is where you come in.
Even if you’ve not yet been invited over to meet the bundle of joy (do not take it personally! The baby is busy!), be a good friend and drop off a dinner box to help the parents’ nights go a little smoother.
New Parent Dinner Box: Good Things to Include
- Chicken pot pie
- Uncooked pasta
- Pasta sauce in a jar
- Vegetable soup
- Chili mix
- Coffee beans or grounds
- Ready-to-heat cookie dough
- Champagne or bubbly wine (here’s one of our grocery store favorites)
- A mug or two
- A few cloth napkins that don’t look like baby clothes
Drop off a basket (maybe a cute one they can reuse in the nursery) with some very simple food that just has to be heated or mixed together and they’ll love you even more than they already do.
Sure, usually we recommend taking food that takes no work whatsoever, but those early days of new parenthood are often well-provisioned with lasagna and more soup than anyone can eat. It can be really thoughtful to drop off something that will be super easy to make and eat when those casseroles suddenly run out.
P.S.: Don’t forget snacks and sweets. Those midnight feeding sessions are hungry work and it’s so nice to be able to grab a handful of toasted nuts or an oatmeal cookie.
Some Helpful Pointers
- Even if you know this new mom super well, it might be worth asking if she has any new dietary restrictions, which might have changed since the birth.
- Be sure to include reheating instructions on anything that you made.
- Include dishes that can be frozen in case other people brought food over, too. This way, your stuff can be put in the freezer and pulled out next week when supplies are running low.
Helpful Recipes
What are your favorite things to put in a new parent dinner or snack box? We’d love to hear your ideas!
