Best snacks for breastfeeding

Jul 6

For the parents who choose to breastfeed, do you find yourself hungrier than you were when you were pregnant? Do you find yourself feeling parched most days? Skin feel dry? Hair feel brittle? Dead beat tired by 6pm? Occasionally lightheaded or dizzy? I feel you, and you’re not alone. Most breastfeeding moms feel this way and for some it’s not just for the first 4-6 weeks while your milk supply is being established. It can linger for many months or come and go. Breastfeeding generally burns more calories per day than growing a baby, so your body is working very hard to produce enough milk to sustain another life.

When I was breastfeeding, I had a different experience and relationship with each one of my babies, but it was when I was breastfeeding my third that I experienced pretty much all of the above symptoms. It might have been because I was working full time running a busy home daycare and trying to nurse a highly distracted baby during that time. I also wanted to make sure I was spending quality time with not only my own kids, but also the other children in my care. When six o’clock rolled around I was often too tired to eat a well balanced meal and my night snacking wasn’t always so healthy.

My partner noticed these changes before I did, I looked ‘run down’ he said. I assumed it was just motherhood and that I wasn’t as young as I was when I had my first. He suggested that I reach out to an old high school friend of his turned fitness and nutrition coach based out of Toronto. She specialized in weight loss at the time, and although I originally thought ‘yeah it would be nice to lose those last 10 lbs’, that wasn’t my main motivation. I knew deep down that better nutrition and more fulfilling snacks would definitely help me feel energized and ready to give all the children in my care the love and attention they deserved. She had an online program that I decided to try, which included biweekly private calls with her, a meal plan and an exercise plan. I got right into the meal plan, but was easy on myself with the exercise as I was usually wearing my youngest while playing with the other kids all day. However, I noticed that as I continued with the meal plan, I had more energy during the day and could actually do one of her full workouts at the end of the day. Not only did I learn how to eat, I also learned how to snack for optimal energy while breastfeeding.

Before I get into the best snacks for breastfeeding mamas, I wanted to give you a few tips I learned throughout my 6 year breastfeeding relationship.

Snack prep

Most people think of meal prepping, but it's especially important for a breastfeeding parent to snack prep. Think one handed snacks that are easy to grab and not too messy. You don’t want to be dropping crumbs in your babe’s eyes while you’re both snacking. Try to stick to whole foods or foods in their simplest form. Whole foods will fill you up quickly. Include your partner and your village/extended family in the snack and meal prepping for the week, it’ll save everyone precious time and energy.

Nursing station

My nursing station included quick one handed non refrigerated snacks for myself (plus a few extra for the kids), a water bottle with a straw, receiving blankets, a clean milk catcher, a few diapers, wipes, a black drawstring bag with some special books, easy puzzles, new dinkies or ponies for the kids to get out and keep busy with while I nursed.

Honor your body

Listen to your body, if you’re hungry, please eat. You may not always be hungry while you’re nursing, you may notice the hunger kicks in 20 minutes later. Please take it from me, you don’t need to power through if its only 45 minutes to lunch (hello? lightheaded anyone). Your body needs the fuel to make the fuel. Stop for a minute, let the kids know that you’re hungry because the baby just had some milk and took some your energy with him, and eat your snack. If you’re hungry again by lunch time (and I gather you will be) eat again.

Okay, now on to the snacks. These are my favorite (and in my opinion) best snacks for breastfeeding (separated by season);