Healthy Snacks For Breastfeeding Moms

Breastfeeding is nutritionally demanding and increases your needs for calories, protein, vitamins and minerals. While it is important that you eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods, eating regular meals may be difficult with your new baby. Adding healthy snacks to your diet can help you meet your nutritional needs.

High-Calcium Snacks

Lactating women need 1,000 to 1,300 mg of calcium a day. Calcium helps maintain your bone health, while promoting the bone growth of your baby. Including high-calcium snacks in your meal plan can help you meet your calcium needs. Dairy foods are the primary source of calcium in your diet and make good snack choices. A high-calcium snack may include 1 cup of calcium fortified ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup of nonfat milk, which has about 800 mg to 1300 mg of calcium. You can also try one container of yogurt with 3 graham cracker squares for about 450 mg of calcium.

High Protein Snacks

While breastfeeding, you need to eat 25 more grams of protein a day. High protein foods include milk with 8 g per cup, meats with 7 g per ounce, nuts and nut butters with about 5 g of protein per serving and cheese with about 7 g per ounce. A high-protein snack may include 2 tbsp. of nut butter with 5 whole grain cracker to provide 11 g of protein. Or, you can eat 1 ounce of low-fat cheese with an apple for 7 g of protein.

Fruit and Vegetable Snacks

Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-rich foods that provide vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, potassium and fiber. When breastfeeding, you need 1,300 mcg of vitamin A a day and 120 mg of vitamin C a day. A vitamin A-rich snack may include baby carrots with low-fat ranch dressing, a baked sweet potato with margarine or 1 cup of cubed cantaloupe. Vitamin C-rich snacks may include strips of red and green peppers with low-fat ranch dressing, a fresh orange or some fresh strawberries.

Smoothies

You need to make sure you drink plenty of fluids while breastfeeding. The Health Castle website recommends you drink something every time you nurse or pump. While water and milk make good choices to meet your fluid needs. You can also include smoothies to help you meet your fluid and increased nutrient needs. Blend 1 cup of plain yogurt with 1/2 a banana, 1 cup of strawberries and ice to make a high calcium and vitamin C-rich smoothie. Make a high-protein smoothie with 1 cup of nonfat milk, 1 tbsp. of peanut butter, 1/2 a banana and ice.