Food to Expect When You're Expecting

I'M NOT PREGNANT. But everyone else I know seems to be. Or if they're not pregnant, it's because they gave birth within the last six months.

Several months back, I got to thinking about all my soon-to-be-new-mom friends, and how tiring it must be to keep up with your normal life with a newborn. So I started thinking about providing meals to the new moms so cooking could be one less thing on their metaphorical plates.

I bought some small disposable food trays from HEB to use. I don't like to bring over glass casserole pans and force my friends to do dishes. They have enough going on! These hold enough for one meal for two people. I usually use two or three of the small trays per family, just in case. I deliver the dishes prepped but uncooked, with instructions for baking across the lid.

A couple of dishes I've delivered to the new moms in my life:

• Curry chicken, with baby carrots and new potatoes. It's the opposite of hospital food. This chicken is so juicy and tender, and the marinade is fantastic. The last time I made this, I didn't include any veggies, but I wanted to provide a well-rounded meal and I figured the sauce would be a good addition to plain potatoes.

• Chicken Florentine. This is a good all-in-one dish, since it's got protein, veggies and grains all mixed together. It's tasty, pretty healthy and it freezes well even after it's cooked, so it was a good option.

Now that I'm basically an expert (ha!) on feeding new families, here are my tips for providing meals:

• Include the ingredients and instructions on the lid or foil. Chances are, you're not the only one bringing food, so it's purely convenience. Plus, some people have food allergies or intolerances or dietary preferences, so it's nice if they know what's in their food.

• Speaking of which, ask them ahead of time if they have any allergies or foods they won't touch.

• Make it a whole meal. Just the entree is fine, but if your entree doesn't incorporate veggies or grains then your friends are stuck making side dishes to have a whole meal. Take as much work out of the equation as possible for them!

What foods would you take to friends who are expecting? If you have children, what would you have liked to receive?