9 Seriously Easy Freezer Meals to Make Before Giving Birth

Start your day on an easy, stress-free note with pre-packaged smoothie bags that are chock-full of all the good vitamins you'll need to power through the day. "You can just dump and blend when you're ready to eat," says Moncel, the microbiologist-turned-food-blogger behind Budget Bytes, which is dedicated to healthy, easy and affordable recipes. "You can even stuff fresh spinach and kale into your smoothie bags."

Some nursing moms even swear by lactation smoothies to generate more breastmilk. Parents' Mega Green—made with baby spinach, avocado, and cucumber—is one such ultra-healthy sip.

Moncel also likes simple yet delicious bean and cheese burritos because they can be customized easily. Add scrambled eggs for breakfast, pulled pork and pineapple for a tropical twist, or roasted veggies for a nutrition boost. "Burritos are a great item to keep stocked in the freezer because you can take out one at a time, as needed," says Moncel. "You can reheat these in the microwave without thawing first, making them great for last-minute meals."

For snacking, you'll probably crave something substantial and comforting. Think black bean quesadillas, which take about 15 minutes to whip up, and you can freeze a whole gallon-sized bag of them to have on hand for later. "Because they're so thin, you can reheat them straight from the freezer in a skillet over low heat," says Moncel. 

Another Moncel go-to, freezer-ready mini pizzas, are a fun riff on frozen pizza bagel bites. She simply tops English muffins with marinara sauce, cheese and veggies and bakes them for 15 minutes. To defrost, just pop them back in the oven and voilà, you have a tasty pick-me-up.

After a marathon session of tending to your little one's needs, a comforting bowl of spaghetti and Italian meatballs might be your one saving grace. "Meatballs are great because you don't have to thaw the entire batch. And because they're so small they reheat and cook quickly, so they often don't need thawing first," says Moncel. "Just pop them into a pot of sauce and let them simmer until cooked through."