Postpartum Nutrition: in defense of casserole

For full transparency, when I’m cooking for clients, my first impulse is whipping out the first forty days, going straight to page 144 for the Seasonal Greens Soup recipe, and grabbing my immersion blender. I’ve even started regularly making this soup at home because I love it so much.

Casserole has not been a go-to of mine, though I know they make an appearance at least once on every postpartum meal train. In an Instagram live last week with my mentor Britta, we joked about not wanting another casserole when others are cooking for you (“Not another lasagna!”) and encouraging people to ask for the food they want. One of my tenets is encouraging clients to ask for what they want, what they need.

Aaaand I kinda felt badly—I never want to yuck someone’s yum.

Proving my worry, later that day, a friend of mine who had listened in said, “but I love lasagna!”

As someone with Italian lineage, yes, lasagna will always have its place at the table.

I digress.

My approach around nourishing folks postpartum is: nutrient-dense, biteable, one-handable, reheatable, easily digestible.*

the first forty days can sometimes feel like a postpartum food bible of sorts. It can feel pressure-y to prepare warm, nutrient-dense, mineral-rich foods that support the recovering postpartum body, while also being mindful of incorporating galactagogues—foods that promote milk production.

A cookbook dedicated to incorporating all of that feels supportive. Reliable. A friend that has your back when you’re in a pinch.

During my most recent stint of cooking for a postpartum client, I gained new perspective though—one of those experiences where I felt like I unlocked a new doula skill. A doula a-ha moment.

Hear me out:

I made a casserole.

Without a recipe.

And my clients loved it.

My non-recipe casserole started with coconut lemon energy balls. My client asked, “can you make something with coconut and lemon? I like those flavors. They sound so good right now.” “Yeah, without a doubt,” I said, while immediately heating up inside. My homeostasis ticked up a couple of notches. Of course I could look up a recipe, follow it, and deliver on the coconut lemon request. The recipe would simply be a brand new one that I hand over with my fingers crossed hoping its received well and meets desires and expectations. (The coconut lemon energy balls were indeed a hit.)

The next week, my client said, “I kinda want ground turkey, and I’ve got a ton of enchilada sauce. Can you do something with that?” “Yep!” She goes over to the pantry and pulls out a can of whole black olives and corn: “maybe with these, too?”

And then I said it: “I can brown the turkey with onion and garlic, layer the olives, corn, and sauce, and top it all off with shredded cheddar to make a turkey bake situation. . . a c a s s e r o l e of sorts. How does that sound?”

I couldn’t believe the words came out of my mouth. But they did. I committed. Went all in.

I discussed with my partner over dinner that night, talking through my idea. He said, “yeah, like a spin on chilaquiles. If you are going to use all those ingredients, you need a starch to hold it together. The enchilada sauce will have a lot of salt, so use tostadas rather than tortilla chips.”

The enchilada chilaquiles casserole was born.

Also birthed, a new element of my approach to nourishing folks postpartum in addition to coming in with the reliable go-to recipes:

use what’s in the pantry. Get creative, combine ingredients and flavors clients ask for, nurture folks with food they want to eat and are comforted by not just food they’re “supposed” to eat.

Cooking for others feels vulnerable, especially postpartum people and their families. Anyone who tells you differently is likely fibbing just a little.

I’m enjoying sitting in the seat of collaborating and co-creating what sounds good to folks in addition to having perspective on what can be beneficial to consume postpartum. It takes some of the pressure off. For everyone. There are no “suppose to’s” or “should’s.” There is “what sounds good/yummy/nourishing to you?” and “would you like some suggestions?”

And, yes, casserole is now on the menu. Or at least its an option.

*My approach is rooted in nutrition training from BADT that incorporates perspectives on food insecurity, food access, dietary preferences, and cultural consideration.