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Healthy lactation recipes to increase breast milk supply for nursing moms. Recipes are refined sugar-free and made with clean ingredients – granola bars, cookies, teas, smoothies and no-bake snacks to fill you up!
When my oldest was a baby, breastfeeding felt all-consuming sometimes. I was so focused on feeding my daughter that sometimes I would forget to feed myself.
Of course that’s the opposite of what a breastfeeding body needs!
But then I discovered lactation boosting foods.
Having healthy snacks that pack a nutritional punch AND helped boost my milk production helped me so much.
Nursing mamas need an extra 300-500 calories daily to produce milk for their babies. These snacks and recipes will help make sure those extra daily calories are loaded with healthy ingredients and easy to get in your body.
These recipes are all refined sugar-free, full of lactation boosting ingredients, delicious and filling.
Just what every nursing mom needs!
FOODS THAT INCREASE MILK SUPPLY
There are a number of foods, herbs, and spices that are said to increase milk production for nursing moms. I have tried a number of them out with great results, and all of these delicious recipes include these milk-boosting ingredients.
Oats
Oats are one of the most well-known foods to increase breast milk production. They are also easy to eat, high in fiber and filling.
Nuts
Almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and lots of other nuts are filled with healthy fats and protein that your body craves when you’re making milk for your baby.
Flax Seeds
Flax seeds or flax meal contain essential fatty acids that help give your milk supply a boost.
Brewer’s Yeast
Brewer’s yeast is a commonly used supplement to increase breast milk production. Brewers yeast is a good source of iron and vitamin B. It has a slightly bitter taste, so it’s best used in slightly sweet recipes (like this one!).
Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are another superfood that can help increase milk production. They are nutrient-dense and full of omega-3 fatty acids.
Herbs
Fenugreek, fennel, and alfalfa are just a few herbs and plants that do a great job of increasing breast milk production. Milk boosting herbs can be taken in a tincture, tea, or added into foods like seasoning.
12 Healthy Lactation Recipes for Nursing Moms
Healthy lactation recipes to boost breast milk production are all refined sugar-free and many are gluten-free as well.
These granola bars are jam-packed with healthy, milk-boosting ingredients like oats, brewers yeast, flax, nuts, and coconut oil. I’ve heard from countless breastfeeding moms that these bars gave them an instant supply boost, AND they taste ahhh-mazing. So make a big batch and stick some in the freezer (they freeze wonderfully) because you’re going to be craving these daily.
If straight-up granola is more your thing, this healthy granola is full of milk boosting ingredients. With macadamia nuts and a duo of dried fruits, it’s full of flavor as well. It would be a great addition to yogurt, a smoothie bowl, or perfect as a quick snack.
I love a good no-bake recipe, especially when you’ve got a hungry babe and a ravenous breastfeeding appetite! These easy milk boosting protein bars are FULL of good-for-, supply boosting ingredients like nuts, seeds, dried fruit, flax, brewers yeast, and oats. They are meant to be stored cold, so you can keep these in the freezer for a milk-boosting snack on demand.
Also, try these pre-made packaged boobie bars.
These milk-boosting cookie bars offer a unique twist on the traditional cookie recipe by using quinoa instead of flour. They are also loaded with healthy fats (almond butter and coconut flakes) and sweetened with honey. The recipe makes enough for 32 bars, so go ahead and invite over all of your nursing friends and chow down.
Another fabulous no-bake option, these granola bars are loaded with nuts, seeds and sweetened with honey. These granola bars are equally perfect as on-the-go snacks as they are sit-on-the-couch and nurse my baby snacks.
A lactation recipe roundup would not be complete without a delicious lactation cookie recipe. This version is sweetened with coconut sugar and uses oat flour as the base, making it a healthy alternative to the many sugar-filled lactation cookie recipes.
Oatmeal is one of the best-known galactagogues, so a bowl of healthy oatmeal to start your day is a great way to amp up breast milk supply. This vegan version is packed with cinnamon, sweetened with dates, and includes flax and hemp to further boost your milk production.
No need for a crazy long list of ingredients or 15 steps, this simple no-bake recipe is tasty and works hard to increase milk supply for breastfeeding mamas. With only 7 clean ingredients, these bites are perfectly portioned little snacks for nursing moms. This is a recipe I would make a double batch of because they keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.
This quick and easy smoothie is a great way for busy breastfeeding moms to get a healthy dose of milk boosting ingredients like oats, flax and brewer’s yeast. I love a lactation smoothie because it’s so simple and still gives milk production a nice boost. This one sounds delicious too!
A green smoothie is a super healthy way to get your greens AND boost your milk production. It has kiwi, strawberry, and spinach, plus several other milk-boosting ingredients to make the most out of every sip.
There are a number of herbs that can give your milk-supply a boost and they can be made into a tea to sip daily. I love to drink this tea iced and find that it breaks up the monotony of ALL THE WATER you need to drink when you’re breastfeeding. Make a big batch of this mother’s milk tea, keep it in a pitcher in the fridge, drink 3 cups iced every day and you’ll be a milk-making machine.
You can buy all the herbs you need for this tea at Starwest Botanicals.
Or, try this already mixed version of mother’s milk tea from Earth Mama Organics.
Lactation lemonade is basically mother’s milk tea and lemonade combined. So genius! It’s a super delicious way to get the benefits of milk-boosting herbal tea, especially if herbal tea is not your thing.
Try your lactation lemonade with this organic milkmaid tea.
LACTATION SNACKS THAT ARE READY TO GO!
Sometimes you need a healthy snack but don’t want to make it yourself. There are lots of breastfeeding friendly snacks made just for nursing moms that increase milk production.
Throw one in your diaper bag so you’re ready when the nursing hunger hits.
Boobie Bars – clean ingredients packed in an easy to transport bar
Organic and Vegan Nursing Instant Coffee – decaf coffee + milk boosting herbs = nursing moms dreamy morning drink
Lactation Cookie Bites – bite sized chocolate chip cookies loaded with milk boosting ingredients
MORE RESOURCES FOR BREASTFEEDING MAMAS
Breastfeeding for Beginners: Nursing Tips for First time Moms
Must Have Products for Breastfeeding Moms
The Ultimate Breastfeeding Resource List for New Moms
