Fun Recipes for Lactation

Breastfeeding a newborn can feel all-consuming. It seems like you just finished feeding your new bundle of joy when it's time to do it again. In those early days of sleep deprivation and new parent fog, you may worry so much about ensuring your new baby has enough to eat that you forget to feed yourself. 

Of course, skipping a meal is the exact opposite of what you need when you're trying to produce enough food to keep you and your baby sustained. According to the CDC, nursing moms need an additional 300-400 calories daily versus their prepregnancy nutritional needs.

When you're already overwhelmed, consuming extra calories while meeting the nutritional goals for nursing moms can feel like another demand on your already taxed body and mind.  

Nutrition for Nursing Moms

In addition to extra calories, nursing moms should ensure they get the proper nutrition for their baby's development. Nursing moms' diets should include iodine, choline, and most importantly, DHA. 

DHA supplies nursing moms with the omega-3 fatty acids critical for a baby's brain development, immune system functioning, and blood clotting. However, when you're barely sleeping and eating, ensuring you consume enough DHA regularly can feel like an impossible task. 

Thankfully, you can get high-quality DHA to support your baby's nutritional needs with Quality of Life's Advasorb® DHA.* 

Two soft gels of Advasorb® DHA supply nursing moms with 500 mg of DHA and 50 mg of EPA, meeting the international recommendation of 300-600 mg of DHA per day for pregnant and lactating women.* 

Advasorb® DHA offers superior bioavailability to help your body absorb the necessary nutrients.* Quality of Life produces its supplements with sustainability in mind, so you can rest assured that you're protecting the planet while nourishing your baby.*

In addition to DHA for your baby's nutrition goals, other foods have long been believed to boost milk production in nursing moms. These include:

• Oats
• Barley
• Brewer's yeast
• Flaxseed
• Fennel
• Fenugreek seeds

These foods supply nursing moms and babies with the nutrients they need to keep energy levels high and allow new mothers to get the iron, potassium, omega-3s, and other critical vitamins and minerals necessary to produce milk.

Keeping yourself and your baby well-fed is one of the biggest tasks of raising a newborn. We’ve compiled some favorite recipes specially crafted to boost milk production and provide you with the nutrients you need to take care of yourself and your new addition. 

No-Bake Lactation Bites

Life with a newborn can make even the simple task of turning on an oven feel like too much work. Thankfully, these no-bake lactation bites come together quickly and supply you with the energy and milk production boost you need to keep up with your growing baby!

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats 
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• 2-3 tablespoons brewer's yeast
• 1 cup nut butter of choice
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup add-in of choice (dark chocolate chips, dried blueberries or cranberries, or nuts all work well)

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: oats, flaxseed, and brewer's yeast. Once combined, add in the nut butter, honey, and vanilla. Lastly, fold in add-ins. 

Roll mixture into balls approximately 2 tablespoons in size. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow them to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before transferring them to an airtight container. 

No-bake lactation bites will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Strawberry-Banana Lactation Smoothie

The key to an excellent lactation-boosting recipe is practicality. If a recipe is easy to make and consume, it's a winner — especially if it's packed with protein and nutrients like this strawberry-banana lactation smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup orange juice 
• ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• ½ cup frozen banana slices
• 2 tablespoons quick or rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon nut butter of choice
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds (optional)
• 2 teaspoons brewer's yeast (optional)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Truly Delicious Lactation Cookies 

If the sleep deprivation of new parenthood makes your sweet tooth extra needy, these lactation cookies are precisely the treat you need. These cookies are the perfect snack for a nursing mom, as they're full of milk-producing ingredients while still tasting delicious. Additionally, they freeze well, so you can make a double batch and freeze half. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons brewer's yeast
• 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients: oats, flour, yeast, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat butter, coconut oil, and sugar at medium speed until combined and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to butter mixture and beat until combined.

Gradually add dry ingredient mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. 

Fold in chocolate chips and optional nuts with a spoon until evenly distributed.

Scoop tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. 

Bake in prepared oven for about 12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for at least 3-5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Proper Nutrition Is Key to Healthy Breastfeeding

For nursing moms and their babies to feel their best, a new mom's diet requires protein, healthy fats, and the nutrients necessary to feed herself and her growing baby — and it needs to be convenient enough to prepare and consume with one hand.

Combining quality nutritional supplements, like Quality of Life's Advasorb® DHA with the milk-production boosting ingredients found in the recipes above will help both mom and baby to feel their best.*