I had a request for healthy snacks for nursing Moms! I thought it'd be best to do a blog post on it to share a little from my experience.
I nursed Landon for 13 months. (and LOVED it!) My diet the first 8 months was very limited because Landon had a sensitive stomach so I omitted dairy and anything spicy. Around month 8, I started slowing adding them back into my diet and there were no more issues with Landon's tummy. (thank goodness!) If you're a nursing Momma or have been in the past, you know your appetite is INSANE. I thought pregnancy appetite was intenese, but it had nothing on my nursing appetite! Here are some of my recommendations for healthy, yet filling, snacks while nursing.
- Nuts. I prefer almonds, but you can do whatever you like. Peanuts, walnuts, cashews, etc. These are high in protein and calories so they'll help keep you full PLUS keep your milk supply up!
- Lara Bars. I've been obsessed with these for years. My favorite is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and I also love the other choclate ones like Chocolate Chip Brownie and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. (I'm all about chocolate!) :) If you prefer other flavors they have ones like Blueberry Muffin and Banana Bread for morning snacks. (I usually eat mine as afternoon snacks) These bars taste good and they're only made with real ingredients - nothing fake! And each bar only has like 5-6 ingredients.
- Yogurt. Another high protein item that will help you feel full and increase that milk supply with calories. I prefer Greek yogurt for extra staying power. I love getting plain vanilla Greek yogurt and adding things to it like fruit, granola, mini chocolate chips and coconut.
- Oatmeal. Ok this isn't a snack, but I ate this just about every morning while nursing. Not the oatmeal in the packs - those have too much artificial junk. I like steel cut oats or rolled oats. I add all kind of goodies to them - banana, coconut, nuts, honey, nut butter. The options are endless.
- Non-Sugary cereal. This was a staple for me after dinner every night. I started this in my pregnancy and kept it up while nursing. I was always starving after dinner about 8:00pm so I started having a small mug of cereal. Nothing sugary though. I love organic wheat squares, organic cheerios, organic bran flakes....things like that.
- Veggies with Hummus. Cut up several vegetables in the beginning of the week so you'll have them to easily grab. I LOVE this snack! And hummus is a great protein filled snack too!
- Apple, Banana, or Celery with nut butter. Such a yummy snack!! Along those lines, I would also toast a piece of Ezekiel bread, smear a nut butter on top and add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips. This can help with those sweets cravings!
- TONS OF WATER. Make sure you're drinking tons of water. It helps make milk, keeps you hydrated, and helps keep you full! Of course though, if you're hungry EAT!
Remember, when you're breastfeeding your body is taking a lot of the calories you eat, making milk, and passing it on to your baby. The key is to make sure you eat enough to keep that supply up. BUT that doesn't mean you get a freebie and can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. I recommend moderation but using common sense and listening to your body. You know what it needs - not me!
Make sure you focus on high protein snacks so they'll keep you full and have longer staying power. Plus, those snacks that are good for you, yet high in calories are a great combo for milk supply. I recommend eating 3 meals plus at least 2-3 snacks in between.
Shakeology is a GREAT meal replacement shake that gives you all the nutrients you need, is safe for breastfeeding, and TASTES GOOD. Plus, it's an easy meal to make when you're doing things one handed. :) Email me at teamshape(dot)her(at)gmail(dot)com for more info or check out www.shakeology.com/shapeher
Breastfeeding Mommas, what other snacking tips do you have? Let us know in the comments!
I nursed Landon for 13 months. (and LOVED it!) My diet the first 8 months was very limited because Landon had a sensitive stomach so I omitted dairy and anything spicy. Around month 8, I started slowing adding them back into my diet and there were no more issues with Landon's tummy. (thank goodness!) If you're a nursing Momma or have been in the past, you know your appetite is INSANE. I thought pregnancy appetite was intenese, but it had nothing on my nursing appetite! Here are some of my recommendations for healthy, yet filling, snacks while nursing.
- Nuts. I prefer almonds, but you can do whatever you like. Peanuts, walnuts, cashews, etc. These are high in protein and calories so they'll help keep you full PLUS keep your milk supply up!
- Lara Bars. I've been obsessed with these for years. My favorite is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and I also love the other choclate ones like Chocolate Chip Brownie and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. (I'm all about chocolate!) :) If you prefer other flavors they have ones like Blueberry Muffin and Banana Bread for morning snacks. (I usually eat mine as afternoon snacks) These bars taste good and they're only made with real ingredients - nothing fake! And each bar only has like 5-6 ingredients.
- Yogurt. Another high protein item that will help you feel full and increase that milk supply with calories. I prefer Greek yogurt for extra staying power. I love getting plain vanilla Greek yogurt and adding things to it like fruit, granola, mini chocolate chips and coconut.
- Oatmeal. Ok this isn't a snack, but I ate this just about every morning while nursing. Not the oatmeal in the packs - those have too much artificial junk. I like steel cut oats or rolled oats. I add all kind of goodies to them - banana, coconut, nuts, honey, nut butter. The options are endless.
- Non-Sugary cereal. This was a staple for me after dinner every night. I started this in my pregnancy and kept it up while nursing. I was always starving after dinner about 8:00pm so I started having a small mug of cereal. Nothing sugary though. I love organic wheat squares, organic cheerios, organic bran flakes....things like that.
- Veggies with Hummus. Cut up several vegetables in the beginning of the week so you'll have them to easily grab. I LOVE this snack! And hummus is a great protein filled snack too!
- Apple, Banana, or Celery with nut butter. Such a yummy snack!! Along those lines, I would also toast a piece of Ezekiel bread, smear a nut butter on top and add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips. This can help with those sweets cravings!
- TONS OF WATER. Make sure you're drinking tons of water. It helps make milk, keeps you hydrated, and helps keep you full! Of course though, if you're hungry EAT!
Remember, when you're breastfeeding your body is taking a lot of the calories you eat, making milk, and passing it on to your baby. The key is to make sure you eat enough to keep that supply up. BUT that doesn't mean you get a freebie and can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. I recommend moderation but using common sense and listening to your body. You know what it needs - not me!
Make sure you focus on high protein snacks so they'll keep you full and have longer staying power. Plus, those snacks that are good for you, yet high in calories are a great combo for milk supply. I recommend eating 3 meals plus at least 2-3 snacks in between.
Shakeology is a GREAT meal replacement shake that gives you all the nutrients you need, is safe for breastfeeding, and TASTES GOOD. Plus, it's an easy meal to make when you're doing things one handed. :) Email me at teamshape(dot)her(at)gmail(dot)com for more info or check out www.shakeology.com/shapeher
Breastfeeding Mommas, what other snacking tips do you have? Let us know in the comments!
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