Confinement Food Delivery Vs. Prepping Your Own Meal: Which Is Better?

Okay, new mum, let’s get real. You’ve just brought a tiny human into the world, and your life has officially been turned upside down. Your body is probably screaming, “What just happened?!” The last thing you think about is figuring out meal plans, grocery shopping, and cooking the food. It’s enough to make anyone want to order takeout for a month straight. But then there’s that whole “confinement” thing. There’s a reason why many cultures around the world have traditions for helping new mums rest and recover. 

Confinement food focuses on warming, healing ingredients that are supposed to help your body’s recovery while keeping your energy levels up to care for your little one. It’s a great idea in theory, but who has the energy for all that when you’re barely staying awake long enough to feed a hungry baby (and yourself)? So, here’s the famous question: do you gather the energy to cook your own confinement meals, or do you treat yourself to the convenience of confinement food delivery?

Prepping Your Own Meals

• Control Over Ingredients: When you cook your own confinement meals, you have full control over the quality and sourcing of ingredients. Some confinement food traditions involve strong flavours or herbs that may not suit everyone’s palate. When you cook, you can adjust seasoning, spice levels, and ingredient combinations to your liking. If you follow particular dietary guidelines (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.), you can tailor your meals with absolute certainty. There’s no concern about ingredients not listed on a delivery service’s menu.
• Cost Savings: You can choose more affordable options when you cook yourself. For example, buying a whole chicken to utilise for multiple recipes is often cheaper than purchasing pre-portioned cuts. Strategically planning your confinement meals allows for the intentional use of leftovers, maximising ingredients and saving you from cooking every single day. Large batches of soups or stews, for instance, can easily provide multiple meals. If you don’t require two full meals a day, prepping your own allows you to cook precisely the amount of food you need, reducing waste and saving money.
• Family Involvement: Meal preparation can be an opportunity to involve your partner, family, or friends in helping you during confinement. If you have family or friends with experience in confinement cooking, ask for their favourite recipes and guidance. This tap into their knowledge and makes them feel invested in your well-being. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Many people are eager to offer support during this time and cooking is a practical way they can contribute.

Confinement Food Delivery

• Convenience. New parenthood is a continuous ride of diaper changes, midnight feedings, and learning to function on minimal sleep. The last thing you need is another big responsibility piled on your plate. Delivery services bring hot, ready-to-eat meals straight to your door, cutting the need for grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking, and cleanup. Imagine the relief of knowing that nutritious food is handled without you lifting a finger.
• Nutritional Expertise: Confinement food traditions have been practised over generations, specifically focusing on postpartum recovery and nourishment. Reputable confinement food home delivery services often tap into this knowledge and may have in-house dietitians or work with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners. These experts deeply understand how specific foods and ingredients promote recovery. They take into account factors like:
• Promoting Milk Supply: Meals incorporate ingredients like ginger, green papaya, and fennel, which are traditionally believed to stimulate lactation.
• Wound Healing: Foods rich in protein, folate, iron, vitamin C, and zinc are prioritised to help tissue repair and support your immune system.
• Energy Replenishment: Achieving adequate caloric intake and incorporating ingredients traditionally known to combat fatigue and promote overall well-being, such as red dates, goji berries, and lean meats, are often featured.
• Variety: A good confinement food delivery service ensures a balanced diet with various flavours and textures. They would be known for their extensive and delicious menu designed with postpartum nutrition in mind. This helps fight off meal fatigue and ensures you’re getting a wide range of nutrients. Beyond that, exposure to a wide variety of food via breast milk will help to build your baby’s immune tolerance towards all kinds of food, which in turn will help to reduce the risk of developing food allergies later on. Some researchers even suggest that the wide variety of food intake by mothers while breastfeeding exclusively may potentially help to reduce the risk of developing picky eating habits in their baby too. Some services even offer the option to customise your menu for preferences or allergies. You can leave out any ingredients you prefer not to have in your confinement meal menu. 

Which Is One Better?

Be honest with yourself about how much time and energy you’ll realistically have for meal prep after having your baby. The “better” answer truly depends on your individual needs and priorities. If your top priority is maximising rest and minimising all extra tasks, confinement food delivery will likely be the clear winner. If you have strong dietary preferences, need to manage specific allergies, or find immense satisfaction in preparing your own food, then prepping your meals offers more control. That said, some confinement delivery services can cater to specific needs, so it’s worth exploring those options. Remember, you don’t have to choose just one!  

A hybrid approach can also be the perfect solution. One option is to start with confinement food delivery during the initial few weeks when your body and schedule are still adjusting. Shift gradually to prepping some of your meals as you gain energy and confidence. There’s no single “right” answer. The best choice is the one that supports your physical recovery, reduces stress, and fits within your lifestyle and resources.

Best Confinement Food Delivery in Singapore?

Taking time for postpartum recovery is essential, and how you manage your nourishment plays a major role. Let this decision be one that brings you ease, not added pressure! For mums in Singapore wanting to experience a flavourful confinement period, Tian Wei Signature offers exceptional confinement food delivery services. We offer you a new, diversified confinement menu and an experience unobtainable elsewhere. We promise to bring out your best appetite at all times. Check out our menu today!