Eating nourishing and hydrating foods is essential for breastfeeding mothers. These soup recipes for breastfeeding mothers are my personal favorites. Not only do they serve the purpose of hydrating but also provide essential nourishment and nutrition to your postpartum body.
Breastfeeding makes the mother thirsty and hungry frequently. Splitting meals into tiny meals throughout the day works to control the hunger and not pack on pounds in the process. Eating healthy, nourishing foods that are not loaded with unnecessary calories helps increase milk supply and maintain your postpartum body.
Once you have incorporated a breastfeeding diet filled with home cooked meals, healthy snacks and smart additions like these soups and smoothies you are assured your postpartum weight gain will be managed and in due time you will be back to your original weight. The key here is to be realistic about your weight loss post pregnancy don’t expect the weight to come off in a few weeks, it can take months. But its best to do it through a proper diet that also helps you maintain your milk supply and doesn’t cause deficiencies.
BEST FOODS FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS
Before we get into the recipes I want to quickly touch upon the best foods for breastfeeding moms. Breastfeeding mothers need to focus on three key nutrients – protein, iron, and calcium.
Dark green leafy vegetables
Seasonal Fruits [Vit C from the fruits helps in the absorption of iron from plant foods]
Whole grains
Legumes and Lentils
Nuts and Seeds
Poultry and Fish
These foods help the breastfeeding mother to maintain adequate stores of the key nutrients. If you are a vegan or vegetarian mother make sure to check your Vit B12 levels and consult your doctor for a good Vit B12 supplement.
Do try these healthy snacks for breastfeeding moms, they taste so much better than store-bought packaged foods and help you stay fit postpartum.
Many traditions also include a chicken bone broth in a breastfeeding diet. This is highly nutritious and helps support a lactating mothers immune system. Here is a recipe of the traditional bone broth for breastfeeding mothers that is used in my family.
I have warm memories of my postpartum period enjoying these delicious and healthy soups. And I hope you find these soup recipes useful too. What foods did you enjoy as a breastfeeding mother? Leave me a comment below.
Also don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, where I put pictures of healthy meals for family and baby. Hope to see you there too!
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 :
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)
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 breastfeedingthat are also healthy
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.
If you found this blog post useful, be sure to follow me on Instagram where I share easy recipes, healthy food ideas for family and baby. Hope to see you there!
Pediatric Nutrition Consultant | FOUNDER & EDITOR AT EASYMOMMYLIFE.COM
I’m a mom to two by day and the Editor-in-Chief of Easy Mommy Life by night. This blog is where evidence-based child nutrition meets the wonderfully messy reality of everyday family life.
Here, you’ll find practical guidance on picky eating, balanced meals, healthy kid-friendly recipes, and research-backed parenting advice - all created to help modern parents make confident choices without adding more stress to their already busy lives.
