Breastfeeding mothers don’t need to be on a special diet, but since they are usually busy taking care of the baby and family and may also be working, it’s easy to forget to eat. Taking time to prepare and eat regular meals can be challenging so easy and nutritious snacks can help. You probably feel like you are hungry all the time, especially since breastfeeding mothers need an extra 300-500 calories a day above their normal nutrition needs. It’s best if the calories are from healthy and nutritious foods. Easy to eat fruit and vegetables like apples, berries, grapes, carrots, and bananas can be eaten without much prep work. Dried fruit, nuts, and yogurt are good sources of protein and fiber. Cheese cubes with whole-wheat or quinoa crackers also make for an easy fulfilling snack.
A great snack for breastfeeding mothers is the lactation bar or cookie. Lactation bars are made specifically for lactating women and are great snacks for busy moms. They are made from known herbs that promote lactation, also known as galactagogues, such as rolled oats, ground flax, brewer's yeast, and fenugreek. Since moms are often concerned about having enough milk for their babies, these bars are a great way to boost your milk supply and curb your hunger. They are easy to grab and eat on the go and come in a variety of flavors. These are great for working mothers who can pack a few of these for work and eat them while they are pumping milk. Put these in your purse or diaper bag, and go out and about with your baby with a snack on the go. Here are some of our favorite and most popular lactation bars available at the Breastfeeding Center according to our breastfeeding moms.
Bessie’s Best makes lactation cookies and granola. The cookies are made out of peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chip. They use brewer’s yeast, flax seed, and oats to help increase milk supply. They don’t contain fenugreek, so they are a good choice for mothers with fenugreek sensitivity. We have had mothers tell us that these cookies really help boost their supply! These come in a bag of 12 or a sample pack. The bars are easy for moms to wrap up and take with them on the go.
Bessie’s Best also makes granola for lactating mothers. The granola is made from rolled oats, flax seed meal, raisins, coconut, pumpkin seeds, almonds, apricots, and brewer's yeast. You can mix the granola into yogurt or in a bowl with milk for a healthy breakfast or snack.
Mrs. Patel’s Lactation Treats are fenugreek bars that come in a variety of flavors. They are locally made in San Francisco and the bars come in original, peanut butter, and chocolate to curb those chocolate cravings! Plus they also have gluten free and vegan bars. These bars come precut into squares so they are easy to wrap up and take on the go.
Oat Mama bars contain rolled oats, ground flax, brewer's yeast, and some have fenugreek to boost milk supply. They make their bars in several flavors such as apple cinnamon, peanut butter chocolate, chocolate almond coconut, creamy peanut butter chip, and nut and berry. These bars are already individually wrapped so are particularly convenient for a grab and go. These are also very popular with breastfeeding moms as we often have moms grab a few when they stop by our stores.
Consider these yummy snack ideas to bring with you to work or out and about with baby. Be sure to pack some fresh fruit, nuts, cheese and a lactation bar so you don’t go hungry during the day. Next time you need to take the edge off your rumbling tummy, stop by one of our Healthy Horizons Breastfeeding Centers and check out the different lactation bars and snacks!