Check out these delicious and nutritious confinement meals. There are halal and vegetarian options too.
For new mothers, the confinement period – the month right after childbirth – is crucial for rest, healing and bonding with baby. Recovery takes precedence over chores and physical activity. And confinement food becomes the most important source of nutrients to regain health and vitality. In fact, it’s a non-negotiable if you’re looking to recover well during the postpartum period.
While many mummies hire live-in confinement nannies who can whip up hearty and wholesome meals, it isn’t the only way to get your hands on confinement food in Singapore. In recent years, many service providers have developed comprehensive menus that don’t just provide balanced and nutritious meals to nourish the body, but also promote postpartum healing, boost breast milk supply, and support the overall well-being of new mothers.
And since the meals are delivered right to your doorstep, confinement food catering is a convenient option for mummies who opt out of having a nanny or caregiver postpartum.
Tips when ordering confinement meals
As confinement meals are expensive, here are some tips to help you get the most value out of your subscription.
- Book a trial meal
Taste is subjective. Before commiting to a package, be sure to order a trial meal so as to determine whether the flavours suit your palate and fit your needs.
- Check the refund or cancellation policy
Several reasons might cause you to cancel your subscription prematurely, including poor appetite or a need for a special diet. Make sure to check the refund or cancellation policy of the caterer prior to subscription.
- Add dishes to feed the rest of your family
While confinement meals are usually sized for one, some caterers provide more generous portions or can accommodate requests for extra dishes with a nominal top-up fee – which means family meals can wind up cheaper.
Popular caterers for confinement food in Singapore
Confinement meals aren’t just limited to Chinese dishes – and they don’t necessarily need to be prepared with large amounts of herbs. These days, you can also find Western fusion courses, halal options for Muslim families, and even vegetarian alternatives. Here are eight confinement food providers to check out.
*Prices are accurate at point of publishing.
1. Thomson Nutri Confinement Food
Thomson Nutri is founded by Thomson Medical Centre, which has decades of experience in childbirth and expertise in women’s and children’s health. Each recipe is thoughtfully developed in conjunction with Thomson’s in-house team of lactation consultants, traditional Chinese medicine physicians and dietitians to aid mothers on their journey to recovery. The confinement meals contain no sodium and MSG, and are low in fat – you can even find out the nutritional value of each meal by logging into your account.
Instead of regular jasmine rice, Thomson Nutri uses Japanese kinmemai rice, which is said to contain more vitamins, dietary fibre and lipopolysaccharides (an immunity booster) and less sugar and calories.
A trial meal costs $68 while package prices range from $518 (seven-day single meal) to $2,558.
Check out the menu for more information.
2. Yue Zi Le Confinement Catering
Yue Zi Le takes a fusion approach in designing its confinement menu which includes multiple western and international recipes . Their menu is pro-lactation while promoting healing for new mothers with food that is rich in the appropriate nutrients. Besides traditional Chinese confinement foods like sesame oil ginger chicken and pork trotter vinegar, they also offer dishes of other genres including Thai lemongrass fried rice and Japanese mirin pork chop.
Each meal consists of meat, vegetable soup, rice, and one litre of red date dang shen tea or osmanthus red date tea. Dessert soup is available on selected days. What is great about this provider is that it allows mums to choose their preferred dishes daily.
A trial meal costs $40; packages range from $280 (seven-day single meal) to $1,700 (28 days of lunch and dinner).
View the menu here or WhatsApp 8448 1177 for more information.
3. Tian Wei Signature
Tian Wei Signature provides a mix of both traditional and fusion cuisine. While you can find classic confinement ingredients like ginger, sesame oil, rice wine and red dates in the traditional dishes, there are Mediterranean, Western, and other Asian-inspired flavours on the menu. All their dishes are dietitian-reviewed, and have a good balance of proteins and vegetables.
They boast a repertoire of 43 different soups and 84 meat dishes so you’ll never get bored. Packages come with freebies like accident insurance for baby, sleep training consultation, swim class trial and sweet discounts on partner brands.
A trial meal starts from $35; packages for daily lunch and dinner range from $518 (seven days) to $2,558 (40 days).
View the menu here or call 6727 5599 for more information.
4. Mama J’s Confinement Food
Mama J’s is a humble home-based business that was founded in 2020. The brand doesn’t just deliver nutritious confinement food, but its bento meals also boast adorable presentations (think steamed rice pressed into bears and hearts) that are instant mood lifters.
A trial meal is at $68 while the confinement meal package for daily lunch and dinner goes for between $850 for seven days and $3,388 for 28 days. Bonus: the 28-day package comes with free bird’s nest, a lymphatic drainage massage, lactation cookies and other goodies. In addition to confinement food, Mama J’s provides meals for fertility and miscarriage recovery.
View package details here or call 9855 4993 for more information.
5. Chilli Padi Confinement
Chilli Padi started off as a restaurant in 1997 seving authentic Peranakan cuisine. When confinement meals served at the restaurant received positive response, they started to offer confinement catering to aid mums in their postpartum recovery. Dishes are prepared without preservatives, MSG, and artificial flavourings. It is also worth noting that among the caterers on this list, Chilli Padi’s packages are the friendliest on the wallet.
A trial meal is generously priced at $35; packages range between $488 and $1,728. Chill Padi also offers Full Month Gift Sets that include handmade treats like nonya kueh and fruit tartlets.
View their menu here or call 6914 9900 for more information.
6. Ummu Fazwill (Halal)
Specialising in halal confinement meals, Ummu Fazwill is started by a group of passionate cooks (also mums) who advocate healthy eating. The dishes are formulated to strengthen postnatal health, boost collagen and milk production and promote blood circulation.
They make use of fusion cooking techniques to combine traditional and modern methods, resulting in a selection of western delights and ethnic flavours from Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine. You can find delectable and unexpected dishes like Creamy Casserole Buttercorn Chicken, Beef Sabsuka and Ricotta Ravioli, and interesting desserts like Keto Blueberry Cheese Cup and many more.
Packages range from $650 for 10 days to $2,200 for 40 days, inclusive of both lunch and dinner.
View the menu here or find out more via WhatsApp at 8874 0514.
7. NouRiche (Vegetarian)
Based on TCM, NouRiche uses more than 20 herbs that have been studied and believed to be beneficial for postpartum women. While there is no fusion meal due to the focus on Chinese medicinal cooking, they offer both vegetarian and regular confinement meal menus. NouRiche’s chef Gordon Wang spent a decade working in a prestigious confinement centre in Taiwan. In addition to having good knowledge of using Chinese herbs to create tasty dishes, he is also well-versed in the nutritional needs of vegan and vegetarian mums.
The highlight of each meal is NouRiche’s herbal soup. There is a wide variety including Papaya and Peanut with Pork Rib Soup, Nourishing Cordyceps with Treadfin Fish Soup, Polygonum Black Bean Chicken Soup and many more. Mock pork ribs are used as a vegetarian option.
Prices start at $36 for a regular confinement trial meal or $46 for a vegetarian confinement trial meal. Packages are priced from $508 (7-day regular menu) and $620 (7-day vegetarian menu).
8. Maternity Angels
At Maternity Angels, confinement meals are developed in consultation with TCM practitioners, dietitians, nutritionists, confinement agencies and restaurant chefs to achieve dishes that are high in nutrition and great in taste. Mummies can expect comforting dishes like Shark Cartilage Green Papaya Fish Soup (a lactation must-have), Vinegar Pork Trotter, healthy greens and more.
What’s also great is that all meals come in sturdy, reusable packaging – simply empty the containers and return them when your next meal is delivered.
A trial meal costs $88 while packages range from $1,138 for seven days to $3,588 for 28 days.
