Easy Snacks For Breastfeeding Mothers: Breastfeeding Diet

Busy moms everywhere are looking for ideas for easy snacks. If you are a new mom a healthy diet is not just important to refuel you and get back in good shape but it is also important to help successfully breastfeed. Protein, Iron, and Calcium are key nutrients that are needed in abundance in a lactating woman.

Eating junk foods between meals is the easier way out but it leaves you feeling lethargic and affects your mood too.

Some traditional Indian snacks for breastfeeding moms include methi ke laddoo and Shatavari drink. While these are very nutritious and healthy, you may be looking for more variety of healthy snacks that are easy to prepare on a daily basis.

Here are a few easy snack options which you can assemble with ingredients lying around in your house. These are foods that promote milk production, don’t need much preparation, and are perfect to keep you energized throughout the day.

Easy Lactation Snacks For Breastfeeding Mothers

Dates and Nuts

This is such a delicious snack! All you need to do is to deseed the date and insert a piece of nut in it. This combination works best with sweeter, juicer dates varieties like Medjool, Zahidi, and Khudri. You can use any nut of your choice – almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc. I usually make a box of these and store them in the fridge for my midnight cravings. A simple and healthy snack for breastfeeding moms.

Seasonal Fruits

Mother nature provides us with its choicest collection of fruits every season. Living in a tropical climate like India we have such a huge variety to choose from. I do a weekly grocery haul and stock up with locally available seasonal fruits. Fruits are easy snacks on the go too.

Mixed Dry Fruits

Mixed dry fruits are the best lactation snacks for breastfeeding mothers. Easy to eat and store.You can make a trail mix with dry fruits of your choice. Adding toasted desiccated coconut or dried cranberries gives the trail mix an interesting twist. Coconut is a well-known galactagogue so all the more reason to incorporate some in your trail mix. Again, mixed dry fruits are easy snacks to travel with.

Jaggery & Chapati

This combination is my favorite childhood snack. Jaggery is a good source of energy for a breastfeeding mom. Crumble jaggery pieces on a chappati, roll it up and eat. To give this snack an even yummier twist you can spread a little ghee on the chapati along with the jaggery.

If you are looking for a simple Indian snack for breastfeeding moms, you have got to try this one out.

Frozen Yogurt Bark

A make ahead snack that you can prepare and store in the freezer that’s also a quick pick me up when you are tired between feeds or as a midnight snack treat.

You can make yogurt bark in many flavor combinations, my favorites are :

Strawberry frozen yogurt bark

Peanut butter and chocolate yogurt bark and

Rose and pistachio frozen yogurt bark.

Give these recipes a try. These are perfect as snacks for new moms, so healthy and so delicious.

Oats Balls

I made oat balls throughout my pregnancy and during the initial months after delivery. It is a raw and no-bake recipe, and quite easy to make. The recipe makes about 10-15 oat balls.

This is one of those easy lactation recipes you can quickly whip with a few basic ingredients. I am still dreaming of them maybe it’s time I make another batch.

Scroll down and pin this recipe to your Pinterest board for a quick reference. For more yummy energy balls recipes read here.

Apples/Pears with Peanut butter

This is a great combination of sweetness, tartness, and saltiness all at once. Another quick and easy snack that actually keeps you full. Peanut butter is loaded with protein, essential vitamins and minerals. Make sure to choose natural peanut butter with no added sugar or salt.

Hummus with Carrots

There are many easy hummus recipes online. If you are pressed for time you can try a store-bought one.

Hummus and carrot sticks are a classic combination and a much healthier alternative. Hummus is a good source of protein, iron and high in fiber.

Oats Porridge

You can make a healthy oats porridge in 5 minutes. Add in some fruit, nuts and seeds, or yummy nut butter and you have a filling breastfeeding snack.

My personal favorite oats recipe is mango oats porridge. Here are more oats porridge recipes for you that are quick and healthy.

Sweet Potato

Bake a big sweet potato and add salt, pepper, and some chaat masala. Yummy snack is ready! Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, Vit B6, Vit A, Vit C, and Manganese.

Another great way to enjoy them is to make loaded sweet potatoes. Simply bake a sweet potato, cut in half, mash the potato inside and add fillings such as beans, chopped onions and tomatoes. Drizzle some sriracha sauce or tamarind chutney and you have a super tasty and filling snack.

Sweet potatoes are super healthy food for breastfeeding moms.

Eggs

Eggs are super quick to make and a highly nutritious and filling snack. You can’t get a more easy snack for breastfeeding moms than eggs. Have them scrambled on toast or hard-boiled. Eggs provide choline, iron and Vit D all-important for lactating mothers.

I found eggs to be the most satiating food that got rid of my intense breastfeeding hunger pangs. Don’t shy away from enjoying this nutritious food.

Smoothies

You can whip up a yummy smoothie with a few available ingredients. Use any fruits and milk you like. My go-to smoothie combinations are:

• Strawberry and banana
• blueberries and banana,
• chocolate, peanut butter, and a banana
• green smoothie (spinach leaves, banana, mango, pineapple)

For more protein rich smoothies check these recipes.

As an additional twist add toasted almond flakes or pine nuts once ready. So yummy!

Looking for the best protein bars for breastfeeding, try these.

Soups

Soups are great additions to a breastfeeding diet. Not only do they hydrate but they also provide essential nutrients for your depleted body. My personal favorites are spinach soup, tomato soup and chicken and corn soup. You can try these recipes in my post on healthy soup recipes for breastfeeding mothers. They are recipes that require few ingredients, are easy to make and taste delicious.

If you are looking for ways to increase milk supply, then food is not the only way. You have to understand how breastfeeding and your body works to make milk for your baby. I highly recommend taking an online self-paced course like Milkology designed by a certified lactation consultant who knows all about supply issues and helps mothers everyday with their breastfeeding challenges.

The right guidance, nutritious food and sleep are the key to your breastfeeding success.

WHAT CAN I SNACK ON AT NIGHT WHILE BREASTFEEDING?

Another common question I see mothers posting on online forums is what to snack on at night when breastfeeding. At that time of night you may not have time to prepare a quick snack, here are some breastfeeding snacks you can keep next to your bed in case you are hungry during night feeds.

Dry fruits

Store bought snacks for breastfeeding that are also healthy

Crackers and cheese sticks

Dark chocolate bars

Energy bars

Lactation cookies

Did you like these ideas for easy breastfeeding snacks? Do share with me what you snacked on as a breastfeeding mother. Your lactation snacks ideas can help other new moms who read this post.

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