Collection: Breastfeeding Snacks

The Best Snacks to Eat While Breastfeeding

Snacking can be one of the trickiest things about breastfeeding your baby. When you can’t put your bub down for long enough to make a full meal, you need snacks that are quick and easy.

The good new is that there are lots of snacks you can eat while nursing:

• Lactation cookies

• Low-sugar breakfast cereals with milk (look for cereals that are fortified with things like fibre, vitamins and protein)

• Milk drinks (alternatives like oat milk and almond milk are also high in calcium)

• Fresh fruits

• Yoghurt

• Cheese and crackers

• Vegetables with dips

These foods all contain heaps of the nutrients your body needs while it’s producing breast milk. Plus, it’s pretty easy to grab a lactation cookie or pour a bowl of cereal. That should help you stay full, which makes it easier to keep your new baby fed!

The Key Ingredients in Lactation Cookies

Lactation cookies come in lots of shapes and sizes. If you’re eating one of our sweet treats, your body will love these key ingredients:

• Oats – Oats contain high levels of a fibre called beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is thought to raise the levels of prolactin in your body. Prolactin is the hormone responsible for breastmilk production, so oats are always a great snack.

• Flaxseed – Flaxseed oil is rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is converted into fatty acids in your body and in your breast milk. Fatty acids are crucial to the healthy growth of babies.

• Brewer’s yeast – Brewer’s yeast is a special strain of yeast that’s thought to support your insulin function. Insulin has a role in how your body produces and secretes milk, so brewer’s yeast can make it that much easier to keep your bub fed and happy!

You might also see lactation cookies that have ingredients like garlic and fenugreek in them. These savoury ingredients are also believed to promote breast milk production, so they’re a great snack for lactating mums!

Staying Hydrated While You’re Breastfeeding

Did you know that your body is turning water into milk while you’re lactating? That means breastfeeding mums need to drink plenty of water.

It’s common to feel very thirsty during breastfeeding. You should be drinking at least 2 litres of fluids each day, and most of that should come from water.

But what should you do if you’re drinking plenty of water and still feeling thirsty? It’s actually possible to over-hydrate yourself on water alone. When you drink lots of water, it can lower the sodium levels in your body, which makes it difficult to hold onto the fluids you need for milk production.

The solution is hydrating breastfeeding supplements. These supplements replace the essential minerals and electrolytes that nursing mums tend to lack. Taking breastfeeding supplements is a really easy way of making sure you’re retaining the fluid your body needs to produce breast milk.