Breastfeeding requires a lot of extra energy – which tends to make new moms HUNGRY! Instead of grabbing something unhealthy on an impulse, consider some of these amazing breastfeeding snacks for moms!
Healthy Snacks While Breastfeeding
If there’s one thing for certain, breastfeeding can make you hungry!
It’s also easy to feel worn down while breastfeeding if you aren’t eating enough – it’s recommended to have an extra 300-500 calories a day, and when you aren’t getting that…you are definitely going to feel it.
I know that a lot of people worry about eating too much after they give birth – but really, the most important thing is for you to feel fueled and to make sure you are producing enough milk.
There are ALL sorts of old wives tales out there about what snacks you should while breastfeeding. Some of them do have some basis for saying that (see 13 Foods That Support Healthy Breast Milk Supply), but a lot of them are merely because you are eating more calories (OREO cookies, I’m looking at you).
When you are sleep deprived and just trying to remember to eat, it’s hard to make big and complex snacks.
Which means it is easy to just grab something that isn’t super healthy.
And if you are trying to lose weight after giving birth, snacks and meals that are filled with sodium, sugar, and fat aren’t the best idea (really, they aren’t the best idea for anyone).
So I thought I would put together a list of snacks that will satisfy any craving you might be having (including sweet) but are easy to just grab in a hurry.
These are good snacks for breastfeeding moms at any time of the day! I won’t claim they’ll increase your milk supply (read, but they WILL help you stay fueled and help you have more energy – which honestly isn’t going to do anything to hurt your supply!
I surveyed my Breastfeeding Mamas’ Support Tribe on Facebook for many of these snack ideas, so these are tried and true recommendations from moms all over the world.
Click here for the best breastfeeding resources – breastfeeding 101.
Table of contents
Originally posted in November 2018; updated in November 2019.
Healthy Snacks for Breastfeeding Moms
Bars
Snack bars are definitely the ultimate snack that requires very little prep work. They can pack a lot of nutrients into a small portion.
One thing to keep in mind is that these can have high sugar content, so you should definitely be looking at the nutrition facts.
Built Bars – These are my FAVORITE protein bars. They taste SO good (unlike pretty much every other kind I’ve tried), and I feel like I’m eating a treat. You can get 10% off through this link – definitely at least order the sample pack.
Larabars – these come very highly recommended from many mothers!
Orgain Protein Bars – these are another awesome brand, and they are plant-based if that’s important to you! You can get 25% off with the code CLARKS.
Kind Bars – One mom said to be careful with KIND bars because some have chicory root which can be problematic for breastfeeding.
Nature Valley Sweet ‘n Salty peanut
Nature Valley Breakfast Biscuits
RX Bars – These are my personal favorite. One mother said that the blueberry flavor was her favorite.
Quest Bars – I personally don’t love quest bars. They taste too chalky to me. But several mothers said they enjoyed these.
Trader Joe’s Nut and Chocolate Or Nut, Chocolate, and Fig Bars.
Kirkland Soft and Chewy
Caveman Bars – We love these. They are packed full of delicious flavor and nuts. They are a bit pricey though. We always buy them at Costco.
Perfect bars
Sweets
One mom said, “Dry oatmeal, peanut butter, and a couple of chocolate chips in a mug and microwave for 30 seconds or less. It tastes so good.”
Yogurt and granola – fruit parfait
Belvita Soft Bakes (the Oats and Chocolate were one mom’s favorites)
Another mom said, “I like to melt dark chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave, and I pour it over a cut up apple or whatever fruit I have on hand.”
Lactation cookies – There are all sorts of lactation treat recipes out there. I do think that if you have an okay supply, it can give you a little boost. This is a lactation cookie recipe I used that worked well and tasted good. I know a lot of people really like Milky Mama cookies, but they are a little pricey.
Rip van Wafels – I LOVE these, and they are super low in sugar. They have a protein version. It’s not as good as the original, but it’s pretty good. Get 10% off with the code CLARKS.
Chocolate graham crackers with strawberries and Greek yogurt.
Hot cocoa (for an added boost of protein, check out this peppermint hot cocoa protein powder. So yummy and packed full of protein, which is so important for breastfeeding mamas).
Kashi brand Oatmeal and Dark Chocolate cookies
Dark chocolate covered almonds
Boarshead mint chocolate hummus
Goodbites Mini Truffles (they have lots of other fun treats as well)
Fruits & Veggies
Fruits and vegetable are important to get throughout the day – five servings a day are recommended. They make for great snacks, especially if you are able to chop things up beforehand and have them ready to go.
I really like getting pre-sliced apples from Sam’s Club. Makes them so much easier to just grab and go. Here are some other ideas – many of these would pair great with some kind of dip, like hummus. If you like ranch, I’ve really liked the Bolthouse Farms brand – tasty but way less calories and fat.
Carrot sticks
Celery
Sliced bell peppers
Cutie clementines
Bananas
Cantaloupe
Grapes
Cucumbers
Blueberries
Avocado – add to toast for an extra delicious treat. Dave’s Killer Bread is one of my favorites.
Olives
Fruit pouches
Fruit cups
Fruit Leather – Stretch Island is a great brand (1/2 serving fruit in each serving)
Smoothies
I think smoothies are an awesome way to pack in a lot of nutrients in a quick and delicious way. I have smoothies nearly every day!
You can really do whatever you want for a smoothie, though there are plenty of recipes online. I typically will use protein almond milk from Silk, a banana, some protein powder, and then I will throw in some berries occasionally. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll put in some spinach or kale.
Orgain is one of the best and cleanest proteins out there. It doesn’t have the bad ingredients that you’ll find in a lot of protein powders, and they have both a grass-fed whey protein and plant-based. I also love that they had ready-made ones that are great for on the go.
You can click here and use the code CLARKS25 for 25% off your entire order.
Here are some other ideas from other moms:
Make baggies with smoothie ingredients and just blend with whatever liquid you wanted
I use Carnation Complete Breakfast powder to make a shake. I add spinach, 1 banana, 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons of flaxseed, along with the chocolate powder packet, 8oz of milk and 4 ice cubes.
Kale, tofu yogurt , berries and a banana
Banana, another fruit, protein powder, flax seed, spinach and Lactaid milk
Savory
Hummus (with veggies, pita chips, etc).
Sweet Potato Fries
Mini brown rice cups with soy sauce
English muffin with cheese or other toppings
Turkey pepperoni
Italian herb crackers
Cheese – slices, string cheese, chunks of cheese…anything you want! Great when combined with lunch meats or crackers
Summer sausage
Triscuits
Frozen edamame bowls
Lunchables
Baked Chips
Jerky – I LOVE jerky. Perky Jerky is my favorite kind.
Chickpeas – a couple of good brands are Biena and Saffron Road
Other
You could signup for one of these snack subscription boxes
Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich
Leftovers
Flavored Almonds
Hard-boiled eggs (eat on their own or can easily be made into egg salad). Here is a great hard boiled egg cooker.
Granola – lots of amazing kinds out there (Thrive Market has tons of options)
Dry Cereal
Peanut Butter
Trail Mix – people really like Archer Farms, Trader Joes, and Sprouts trail mixes
Pretzels
Ritz crackers with peanut butter
Pretzels and almond butter
Apples and cheese
Almond butter on english muffin
Rice cakes (add a nut butter of choice)
Almonds
Muffins
Popcorn (Boom Chicka Pop is a great brand that has some fun flavors)
Hopefully, this will give you some quick and easy snack ideas that will help keep you feeling fueled while you breastfeed. Be sure to comment below with YOUR favorites!
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
- 11 of the Best Ways to Lose Weight While Breastfeeding
- Does Breastfeeding Help You Lose Weight? Well, maybe not
- 25+ of the Best Breast Pumping Tips: Must Read for New Moms
- Newborn Breastfeeding: Everything You Need to Know
Katie is a Colorado-native, BYU graduated, and most importantly, wife to one and mother to three beautiful boys. She is passionate about sharing her experiences with others – especially about pregnancy, breastfeeding, cooking, and crafts. She is currently training to be a Certified Lactation Educator. She loves spending time with her family and helping others find joy in family life.
Megan says
My sister used to drink smoothies all the time when she was breastfeeding my niece.
Chelsea says
This is such a great resource! I was always so hungry when I was nursing, and it was hard to always know what was a good snack to grab!
Megan says
Breastfeeding snacks? What? The things you don’t know when you’re not a mom.
Katie says
Haha! These would make great snacks for anyone 🙂 Moms who are breastfeeding definitely get extra hungry, so it’s good to have a nice list!