Pregnancy

Baby & Kids

Parenting

Living

Magazine

Subscribe

Contact

Current
Issue

READ NOW

Archive

READ NOW

New Moms— Meet Your Go-To Menu for Postpartum Recovery

Kate Kirby

April 23, 2019

BY

Imagine opening a fridge stocked with healthy options specifically for your postpartum recovery, having a private chef prepare meals from start to finish, and cleaning up. It’s not a dream- it’s The Culinistas. New moms can choose their own package from three to twelve weeks, with available add-ons like a Lactation Support Session or even prep for a Sip & See Brunch and Date Night, so you can enjoy your new baby and focus on healing your body.

To help spark ideas about how to heal your body after birth (with both self-care practices and of course, food!), we’ve teamed up with the full-service, in-home private chef company to roll out a new postpartum menu series right here on on Mini. Each week we’ll debut a new recipe formulated for the fourth trimester and to kick it off, we asked The Culinistas founders Tiana Tenet and Jill Donenfeld to give us a little background on how they’re revolutionizing in-home cooking.

Tell us about your idea to create The Culinistas. What is it and how did the brand come to be?
The Culinistas provides in home chef services to busy households who value nutrient-dense, home-cooked meals. We both grew up eating around the dinner table with our families, and understand the value of that time spent engaging with each other. As adults in Manhattan, we have seen how incredibly difficult it is to carve out that time and want to help change that.
Why is The Culinistas a great resource for moms?
Mothers – new and seasoned – call us daily, overwhelmed, exhausted, and under cared for. The focus is on the kids; taking care of yourself falls by the wayside. The Culinistas provides the nourishment and support mothers need, so they can spend more time with their families, pursue their career goals, and care for themselves. And, because our menus are customizable, we can tailor to any family needs.
As we roll out this new menu series, what are a few key components of a postpartum menu?
We built the program based on the needs of both nursing and not nursing mothers, consulting with postnatal experts to develop menus supportive of lactation needs as well as honed menus for self-care and body reclamation. We focus on foods that have natural milk production (and milk cessation) properties as well as whole grains that will counterbalance the calories you are expending as you feed your baby, lean proteins and iron to stimulate baby brain development, and ingredients rich in vitamins C, Bs, and antioxidants to keep your immune system strong and your hormones balanced. 
 
That being said, our menus for women who are not breastfeeding feature light proteins, nutrient-rich leafy greens, healthy snacks, and fruit salads to sate a sweet tooth.
Keep scrolling for our first postpartum recipe from The Culinistas.

Chia Seed Pudding

Start the morning with plant-based protein from both chia seeds and almond milk. Cardamom is a natural galactagogue, promoting breast milk production for a little lactation aide. This pudding stays delicious for a week in the fridge.

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 cups almond milk
1 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 tsp sumac, plus more for garnish
1/4 tsp allspice, ground
1/4 tsp cardamom, ground
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients until everything is fully incorporated.
2. Let the pudding sit for at least 20 minutes prior to eating, or pack, garnish with sumac, and let sit overnight.

You might also like to read This Book About Nourishing the New Mother and Postpartum Recovery or pick up the Cleanest Prenatal Vitamins on the Market.

This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.