Healthy Breastfeeding Snacks (From A Dietitian!)
Breastfeeding moms require healthful calories and specific nutrients to be able to produce enough breastmilk for their baby while also supporting their own health. Along with balanced meals, these healthy breastfeeding snacks can help increase calorie consumption, enhance nutrient intake, and nourish moms while they nourish their babies.
While I work as a dietitian, I’m also a second time mom and am in the thick of my second go-around at breastfeeding as well. Honestly, this second round of breastfeeding has been so much easier than with my first baby and I do think it’s due to two primary changes.
First, and most importantly, it’s my second time and I’m quite simply more comfortable with breastfeeding overall. I have my strategies, my tried and true nursing covers, and an overall calmer demeanor than I did when I was trying to learn how to breastfeed with my first baby.
Second, and almost equally as impactful on making my breastfeeding journey easier, is that I learned how to properly fuel my body to support breastmilk production.
My first time breastfeeding, I fell for a lot of marketing on products aimed at supporting breastmilk production but this second time around, I put my dietitian brain to work and focused eating MORE calories, BETTER nutrients, and eating MORE healthy breastfeeding snacks throughout my day.
Take it from a dietitian mom, you really can support your breastfeeding journey with balanced meals and intentional snacks. Want some ideas? Today we are going to talk about why snacking is important for breastfeeding and give you some easy snack ideas and recipes to enjoy today!
Healthy Breastfeeding Snacks
Why are healthy breastfeeding snacks important for moms?
When any person wants to start eating healthy or focus more on their nutrition, they tend to put all of their attention on their main meals. While this can certainly be impactful with meals being your main source of calories, often times snacks slip between the cracks and go unchanged.
When you are breastfeeding, you will not only feel hungry all the time (like… all the time), but you will also have increased calorie and micronutrient needs which can be difficult to satisfy with just your meals. This is where healthy breastfeeding snacks come in and here's why they are important”
1) Breastfeeding snacks increase calorie intake.
There are tons of products out there that claim to increase milk supply but the most important thing that you can do with your nutrition to support breastfeeding is to eat enough calories. Calories are energy, and it takes energy to make milk on top of the energy required to support your own body.
Every mom is different but most moms need an extra 300 to 650 calories per day to produce breastmilk. The issue? Sometimes those extra calories can be difficult to get in at meals alone. With busy dinner times and hungry babies, it’s not hard to fall short on calories.
Including healthy snacks in your day gives you extra eating opportunities that can help increase your calorie intake without overloading your meals.
2) Breastfeeding snacks provide important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
Similar to the calorie conversation, breastfeeding snacks also provide extra opportunities for you to get in the nutrients that your body needs more of while you are breastfeeding.
Beyond higher calorie needs, some of the specific nutrients that your body needs more of while breastfeeding include omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, choline, vitamin B6 which help with brain development for your baby.
Additionally, you will also want to focus on including nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C, and selenium, which will help your body heal after delivery, support your muscles and bones, and enhance your immunity which can protect your milk supply.
3) Breastfeeding snacks can stabilize energy and blood sugar levels.
Eating smaller, nutrient dense meals and snacks throughout your day can help manage your blood sugars and keep your energy levels stable throughout the day. This is key when you are trying to manage life with a new baby! Let snacks help you stay energized throughout your day.
4) Breastfeeding snacks can be hydrating.
While calories and nutrition is important while you are breastfeeding, hydration is just as important. Drinking enough water and other nourishing beverages is the main way to stay hydrated but you can also choose hydrating foods like fruits and vegetables to meet your hydration goals.
5) Breastfeeding snacks can take the pressure off of “perfect” mealtimes.
As we already discussed, nutrient dense snacks can help moms increase their calories, vitamin, and mineral intake by providing extra eating opportunities throughout your day.
While this is helpful on a physical front, it can also help reduce the mental load of needing to crease perfectly balanced, calorically sufficient meals when you are already feeling like you are being pulled in too many different directions.
Your body requires specific fueling for almost every season of life. Athletes fuel one way. Children fuel another way. Breastfeeding moms get to fuel in their own way and healthy breastfeeding snacks can help you fuel properly.
Toddler Snack Ideas
Looking for fuel ideas for kids? Here are a few toddler snack ideas!
What are good snacks for breastfeeding moms?
When I reach for healthy breastfeeding snacks, a few things that I focus on are: 1) The snack should be an easy snack to grab and go, 2) The snack should provide healthful calories and key nutrients, and 3) The snack should be balanced with a carbohydrate containing food and a protein containing food.
For my recommendations, I put together a quick breastfeeding snack idea list and also pulled some easy snack idea recipes that you could start including in your breastfeeding journey today. Remember, all of these recommendations can always be tailored to your needs, your baby needs, and your preferences.
Easy breastfeeding snack idea list:
Trail-mix with nuts and seeds
Nut and seed based trail mix (not the ones loaded with candy and chocolate) are one of the easiest ways to snack on plant-based protein and essential vitamins and minerals such as selenium, folate, and iodine that are all important during breastfeeding.
Nuts and seeds are also high in healthy fats which makes them a calorie dense snack thats supports breastmilk production. You can make your own trail mix at home by combining your favorite nuts and seeds or buy store-bought options like this one or this one.
Apple slices with a greek yogurt and nut butter dip
Apples are an easy grab and go fruit to snack on. To balance out your fruit, dip your apples in unflavored greek yogurt and nut butter dip.
Greek yogurt is rich in high quality protein, calcium, vitamin D, and iron and nut butter will boost the calorie content and add other vitamins and minerals.
Peanut Butter Banana toast on whole grain bread (or waffle)
While eating enough calories is important during breastfeeding, hydration is also important and a balanced peanut butter banana toast (or waffle) can help you check both boxes.
Peanut butter is full of healthy fats, calories, and other vitamins and minerals while a whole grain piece of toast offers fiber. Bananas are full of essential vitamins and minerals and are an excellent source of dietary potassium, an electrolyte that can help with hydration.
Whole grain crackers and cheese
Cheese offers a good amount of calories for a snack and is also rich in important breastfeeding nutrients like iodine, calcium, and Vitamin D. Choose pasteurized cheeses and pair them with whole grain, fiber rich crackers like these or these.
Homemade Granola Bars
Combine homemade granola with homemade trail mix and bake it into oat, nut, and seed based granola bars for an easy, on the go healthy breastfeeding snack idea.
Oats are a popular breastmilk supporting ingredient and while the scientific evidence doesn’t really support their direct link to “more milk”, oats are still rich in soluble fiber and iron which can help create a healthy and balanced snack.
Bagged or canned fish and whole grain pita bread
Bagged fish is one of my favorite, quick protein sources that is also high in omega-3 fatty acids, a nutrient that we want more of when we breastfeed. I like to choose bagged tuna or bagged salmon most often and pair it with a whole grain pita bread for high fiber carbohydrates.
Greek yogurt parfait with nuts, seeds, and fruit
Greek yogurt is always an easy snack to reach for and its full of high quality protein, vitamin D, calcium, and iodine which are nutrients we want to focus on while breastfeeding.
Top your greek yogurt with nuts and seeds for other micronutrients like selenium and vitamin B6 as well has some fruit for a dose of fiber and vitamin C. A very valanced, healthy snack to keep in your fridge!
Guacamole with whole grain chips or vegetables.
Avocado is a unique fruit because it’s loaded with healthy, omega-3 fatty acids which are typically found in fatty fish, nuts, and seeds. Smash an avocado into guacamole and enjoy it with whole grain chips or fresh, hydrating vegetables for a balanced snack.
Hardboiled eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of choline, which is one nutrient that breastfeeding moms need more of while they are nursing. Eggs also provide protein and antioxidants like lutein which can
You can easily snack on hardboiled eggs on their own, smash them into a high protein egg salad, or slice them up and serve them on toast for a hearty snack
Chia seed pudding
We tend to think of chia pudding as a breakfast options but it’s actually a fantastic recipe to meal prep and enjoy as a snack throughout your week. Remember, we need extra calories a day to support milk production so you may need to learn that larger snacks are great options!
Chia seeds are nutrient dense and offer a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. I like to mix mine with milk which adds high quality protein, iodine, and calcium then add other mix ins like nut butter, nuts, seeds, fruit, or other flavors.
Cottage cheese with fresh fruit like pineapple or nectarines
Cottage cheese is absolutely a snack that you should keep in your refrigerator at all times. It's full of protein, calcium, and iodine and pairs easily with a variety of recipes or ingredients.
For an easy balanced snack that is nutrient dense, I like to pair creamy cottage cheese with citrus or stone fruits like pineapple or nectarines that add fiber and vitamin C.
Milk and fruit smoothies
Smoothies are always a healthy snack to reach for and contain a balance of protein, fiber, antioxidants and can help you stay hydrated. If you want a recipe you can try this salted caramel date smoothie or my cottage cheese fruit smoothie.
I like to make my smoothies with milk or kefir for the liquid to cut down on carbohydrates, boost the protein, and add nutrients like calcium, iodine, vitamin D, and hydrating electrolytes. To make your smoothie more nutrient dense, mix in ingredients like nut butter, nuts, seeds, and more.
Oatmeal energy bites
Oatmeal energy bites are one of the most popular, healthy snacks to keep on hand when breastfeeding. They are incredibly easy to make (try this recipe or this recipe), can be a great source of nutrition, and can be filled with different mix ins like dried fruit, seeds, or flax seeds.
Generally, I like to fill my oatmeal energy bites with nut butter, nuts, and seeds as the protein source instead of using protein powder but you can also boost the protein content by choosing a recipe with protein powder in it.
Avocado toast with hemp seeds
Don’t keep the avocado toast only at breakfast time and instead enjoy it as a hearty snack that is full of healthy fats and calories. Spread your avocado on whole grain toast and top it with hemp seeds for a boost in fiber, protein, and micronutrients.
Walnut butter stuffed medjool dates
Of all the nuts, walnuts have the highest level of omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, a handful of walnuts (about 1/4 a cup) are an excellent source of ALA with 2.5 grams.
While you can certainly stuff medjool dates with any nut butter of your choice, I like to stuff then with walnut butter for a balance of protein, healthy fats, and other micronutrients like magnesium.
Cucumber and edamame salad
Cucumber is almost 96% water and can help you stay hydrated without needing to drink more water. I like to mix cucumber with edamame for a boost in plant-based protein then drizzle it with fresh lemon juice or soy sauce for an easy snack.
Beef jerky (or meat stick) and string cheese with crackers:
Yes, beef jerky is a processed meat but it is also incredibly convenient, protein packed, and the beef contains important nutrients like heme-iron, protein, and Vitamin B12 that are important during breastfeeding.
Pair it with string cheese and whole grain crackers for a filling snack that also gives your body fiber, calcium, and vitamin D.
Vegetables with greek yogurt ranch dip
Vegetables like cucumbers, celery, and bell peppers not only provide nutrients like fiber and vitamin C but they are also high in water and can help you stay hydrated during the day.
Pair your hydrating vegetables with a high protein greek yogurt ranch dip for a filling snack that is well balanced, hydrating, and colorful.
Pasta Salad
Pasta salad may not feel like much of a “snack” food but it is actually one of this dietitians favorite healthy breastfeeding foods to have on hand because its meal prep friendly and is ready to be enjoyed… even when you don’t feel that you have the time.
Choose a whole grain pasta for a high fiber carbohydrate, load it with hydrating vegetables and proteins like chopped cheese, grilled chicken, or even a high protein dressing and enjoy your pasta salad as a snack throughout the week.
Brazil nuts with a cheese stick
Did you know that one serving of Brazil nuts contains over 170% of your daily selenium? Brazil nuts are very nutrient dense and are a great source of many micronutrients that we tend to fall short on during the day.
Pair your handful of Brazil nuts with a cheese stick for a grab and go, easy snack that you can take with you or set beside you on a table next to your nursing recliner.
Easy Breastfeeding Snack Recipes:
Need a little more inspiration? Here are a few recipes from my website that you could prep as healthy breastfeeding snacks and enjoy throughout your week! Many of these are also family friendly and great for other hungry mouths that you may have in your home.
Nuts and Seeds Protein Granola
Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Energy Bites
Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Dip
Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip
The takeaway:
Food is fuel, and using every eating encounter as an opportunity to nourish your body is a fantastic way to benefit your health, take in more nutrition, and take the pressure off of creating “perfect” meals.
Breastfeeding moms require healthful calories and specific nutrients to be able to produce enough breastmilk for their baby while also supporting their own bodies health. Healthy breastfeeding snacks are a great way to increase calorie intake, enhance your nutrition, and can help nourish moms while they nourish their babies.
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Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a Registered Dietitian and busy toddler mom committed to bringing you delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-make recipes!