Food For The Boobs

Pregnancy and birth take a lot out of you, but so does breastfeeding which is why it's so important to make sure that you're eating and drinking enough to support both yourself and baby. Learning to eat the right things and keeping myself hydrated has been a game changer for me. Through my first breastfeeding journey, I learned that I had to significantly increase my water intake so this time around I started to carry a giant water bottle around everywhere I went, making it a goal to refill it at least three times a day. A good rule to follow is after every feeding you should drink 16oz of water, 8oz for Mom and 8oz for baby. I also keep a pack of small water bottles in my car and one in the bag along with a few travel snacks like nutritional bars, crackers, pretzels, carrots paired with hummus or pan popped popcorn. 

Apart from staying hydrated, I also needed to learn which foods not only helped with milk production but also what kind of foods seemed to irritate the baby. I noticed that things like spaghetti sauce would cause an increase of reflux in both baby and me –– it's different for everyone. Navigating through meals can be hard especially if you have more than one child, like us, sometimes it can feel like you're having to cook twice as much, so I thought I'd help by offering a few of my favorite foods for my boobs that are easy to make and enjoyable. 

Breakfast 

Gluten Free Oats mixed with chia seed, flax seed, organic maple syrup and a pinch of salt. I love these on days when I'm in a hurry and don't have time to cook them over the stove. Yogurt topped with Granola and fruit, and my all-time favorite smoothie...

My breastfeeding smoothie recipe 

1 banana 
1 Cup Almond Milk 
1/4 cup Gluten Free Oats 
1 Tablespoon Almond Butter or Peanutbutter 
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
1 Tablespoon Flaxseeds  
Raw Local Honey to taste
Ice cubes *about 4
Blend and enjoy!
Lunch

My favorite lunch of all time is a loaded veggie burrito; rice, beans, avocado, and cheese but it's also important to get your leafy greens in so I usually opt for a
Loaded Salad 
1 head of butter lettuce
thinly sliced purple onion
4-5 diced strawberries
1 English cucumber sliced 
feta cheese as desired 
diced almonds
dried cranberries as desired
1 avocado diced
Dressing 
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons of sugar
3 slices of lemon

* Let sit for 15 minutes. I usually make this an hour ahead of time so the flavor of the lemon is very apparent.
Dinner 

A favorite for our whole family is salmon paired with roasted sweet potatoes & Brussels sprouts over rice and topped with avocado, we also love making burrito bowls, both these recipes are easy to make and can be prepped for the week. I usually, roast our veggies in bulk, it saves a lot of time during the week and I also love to just snack on roasted sweet potatoes.

Burrito bowl 
rice 
black beans
avocado
tomatoes 
diced seasoned chicken 
cilantro 
topped with Pico de gallo 

Comment below, I'd love to know what you're eating to aid your breastfeeding journey! 

* I am not a medical professional. This information is from my own personal experience.