Taking care of yourself is crucial while you are breastfeeding. Everything that you eat is going directly to your baby, so it’s important that you continue to eat healthily while breastfeeding, just like during your pregnancy.
The best and most nutritious snacks for breastfeeding moms include fruits, lean protein sources, nuts and fruit.
You might not know that there are various healthy snacking options to eat during the postpartum stage of breastfeeding. There are also snacks that are specifically meant for new moms who are still learning how to eat and fuel their bodies right throughout their pregnancy and postpartum phase.
In this article, we will be talking about:
- 6 healthy snacks to eat while breastfeeding
- Some ready-to-eat healthy snacking options for moms
- A few items to avoid while breastfeeding
Table of Contents
Healthy Snacks For Breastfeeding at A Glance
| Snack Name | Benefits of Eating |
| Hard Boiled Eggs | Contains calcium, vitamin D, and proteinBenefits the oral tolerance development in feeding babies |
| Pumpkin Smoothie | It is full of beta carotene and vitamin C that helps build the immune system. Increases milk volume in mothers |
| Protein Rich Waffles | Helps maintain muscles in the mother’s bodyProvides nutrition to the baby for physical development |
| Oats | Contains beta-glucan that increases the levels of prolactin. Good source of nutrients for both mother and baby |
| Mix of Dry Fruits | Contains iron and zinc. Helps in recovery and boosts baby’s immunity |
| Fresh Fruit | It contains all kinds of nutrients. Helps in mood-lifting and makes you feel refreshed and energized |
Breastfeeding? Try These Snacks to Stay Healthy!
Here is a list of delicious and healthy snack options to help satisfy your food cravings while breastfeeding.
1. Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are an excellent source of protein, vitamins B6 and B12, and minerals like iron and zinc. In fact, 1 hard-boiled egg contains only 65 calories with 6 grams of fat (2 grams saturated).
These nutrients ensure that your baby is getting the right amount of nutrients while also providing them with a good source of energy to power through the day.
Note – If you’re not sure how much protein your baby needs each day, don’t worry! The World Health Organization recommends that babies take at least 100 grams (3 ounces) of protein per day – that’s about 4-5 eggs!
2. Pumpkin Smoothie
Pumpkin smoothie is one of the best snacks for nursing moms.
It contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, which helps with mom’s milk supply. Pumpkin also has a high antioxidant content, which can help protect your baby from free radical damage.
Easy Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or your favorite milk substitute
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (unsweetened)
- 1/3 cup frozen blueberries (or other berries)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Protein Rich Waffles
Protein waffles are a great snack to keep you going while breastfeeding. They are made with protein powder, yogurt, and oats which are good sources of protein.
You can easily make them at home or buy frozen waffles from the shop. Some popular brands that sell frozen protein waffles are Birch Benders and Kodiak.
These waffles make a great afternoon snack or breakfast, especially when you want something sweet but don’t want any added carbs or sugars.
Best Way to Eat
Just grab 1 or 2 frozen waffles, warm them in the waffle maker, spread a layer of peanut butter, and top with some banana slices. Your healthy yet delicious 5-minute snack is ready!
4. Vanilla Oats
Vanilla oats are one of the healthiest snacks for breastfed babies. They are packed with protein and good fats! They also have a variety of other nutrients, including fiber, zinc, iron, and vitamin D.
This easy recipe is high in fiber and low in sugar. It can be made with any kind of milk or a combination of milk and water. There are lots of ways to enjoy vanilla oatmeal as a healthy breakfast or snack.
Here are some ideas:
- Vanilla Oatmeal Smoothie
If you have time to make something more than just a bowl of plain oatmeal, try this recipe for a smoothie instead. It’s easy to make in the blender and tastes amazing!
How to make it?
Take a blender and combine your preferred milk, honey, and oats. Keep blending until you get a smooth texture. You can also add banana and flax seeds for added flavor.
- Overnight Vanilla Oatmeal
This recipe is great if you want something on hand when you wake up in the morning. It’s super simple to mix up before bedtime, so it can be ready when you need it!
How to make it?
Take an airtight container and add oats, preferred milk, and honey to it. Mix all the ingredients using a spatula.
After mixing, close the lid and refrigerate it overnight. Take out the container in the morning and enjoy! For added taste, add nuts and berries on top.
5. Mix of Dry Fruits
Dried fruits are a great source of fiber and antioxidants. They are also rich in vitamins A, B, and C. A handful of dry fruits like raisins, sunflower seeds, and almonds can be really tasty and nutritious at the same time.
They’re low in calories, so they won’t add much weight to your baby’s diet. They’re also packed with antioxidants, which fight inflammation and help prevent oxidative damage to your body.
6. Fresh Fruit Bowl
Fresh fruit is a great snack for breastfeeding moms. It’s high in water content, which helps keep your milk supply up. It also contains vitamins and minerals that are essential for breastfeeding moms.
Fruits like bananas, mangoes, and apples keep your and your baby’s digestion and immune system healthy.
These fruits contain high amounts of potassium, which helps in muscle contractions, blood pressure regulation, and maintaining fluid balance in the body.
The best part about this snack is that it’s so easy to prepare! Just toss some of your favorite fruit slices into a bowl, and it’s ready!
Healthy Ready-to-Eat Options
Have you ever found yourself on the go, looking for something quick, tasty, and healthy? Well, look no further because here are some best ready-to-eat snack options for nursing moms.
Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips
Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chipsare the perfect light snack to enjoy while breastfeeding. These nutritious vegetable chips are nutrient-dense superfoods: vegan, protein fueled, and an excellent source of fiber.
UpSpring Milkflow Lactation Drink
If you are looking for a snack that not only helps with hunger but also is the best option for your baby, then Milkflow’s lactation drink is the snack for you.
These easy to make drinks contain breast milk-boosting herbs Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle to help naturally promote breast milk supply.
That’s It Apple Blueberry Bars
This all-natural, healthy fruit bar is the perfect on-the-go snack for nursing mothers.
With no added sugar and no artificial flavors, this delicious blueberry bar packs in an incredible amount of antioxidants to help support your health while also keeping you full.
Bonus: What to Avoid Consuming?
When you are breastfeeding, there are no specific foods that you need to avoid. It is generally recommended that you eat whatever you like, in the amounts that you like… Unless you notice that your baby has a reaction to something. There are some foods and drinks that commonly cause issues for breastfeeding babies.
Here is a list of things that you may want to consider limiting or avoiding while breastfeeding:
Coffee
It is generally safe to drink coffee while breastfeeding, however, you may find that drinking coffee has an effect on your baby.
If your baby is showing signs of fussiness, irritability, sleep disruption, hyperactivity or restlessness, you may want to reduce or remove caffeine from your diet.
If you still want to drink coffee while breastfeeding, stick to decaffeinated coffee or try coffee alternatives like dandelion coffee.
Other great alternatives include herbal teas and smoothies.
Alcohol
Alcohol is harmful and may be dangerous for nursing mothers and their babies.
Drinking alcohol while breastfeeding has been found to alter the levels of prolactin and oxytocin, which are the two key hormones that control breast milk production.
Studies have found that after consuming alcohol, women took longer to eject the first drop of milk and produced less milk overall.
However, if you do want to drink alcohol while breastfeeding, you can usually wait a few hours after you stop drinking to breastfeed. But be aware that your milk supply will be affected. You will also want to be sure that all alcohol has been cleared from your system before breastfeeding or expressing.
It’s highly important to not drink alcohol if you are bed-sharing, as this is a SIDS risk.
Highly Processed Foods
When ingredients such as oil, sugar, or salt are added to foods and they are packaged, the result is processed foods. These foods are generally low in nutrients and high in fat, sugar, and salt.
Not only are processed foods unhealthy for you, but they are generally low in essential vitamins and nutrients.
The best way to avoid consuming these unhealthy items is to switch over to the healthy alternatives we have listed above. You can also consult your doctor and ask for other healthy snacks that you can consume.
Before You Go
A healthy diet during the breastfeeding stage is one of the best ways to keep yourself and your baby happy and healthy. Breastfeeding moms are advised to consume nutritious foods, which help maintain the health of their babies.
We hope this article was helpful for you.
Thanks for reading!
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