24 Healthy High Protein Snacks for Breastfeeding Moms
As a new mom, finding time to take care of yourself can be challenging. Between feeding and caring for your little one, it’s easy to neglect your own nutrition. However, as a breastfeeding mom, it’s so important to eat a balanced diet to ensure that you and your baby are getting the necessary nutrients. Adding high protein healthy breastfeeding snacks to your diet can provide you with the energy and nutrients you need while also keeping you full and satisfied. These 24 recipes are high in protein to keep you full longer, give you energy, help you regain muscle postpartum, and help increase your milk supply.
Why is Protein is Important for Breastfeeding Moms?
Protein is an essential macronutrient that plays a vital role in our overall health and well-being. During breastfeeding, your body requires extra protein to support the growth and development of your baby.
It also helps in repairing and restoring tissues that may have been damaged during childbirth.
Additionally, protein aids in producing breast milk, making it imperative that lactating mothers get enough in their breastfeeding diet. Consuming enough protein can also help you maintain a healthy weight, which a lot of us are eager to get back to after haveing a baby.
There are so many reasons that it’s essential to incorporate high protein snacks into your diet as a breastfeeding mom, so that’s why I wanted to pull all these healthy but super tasty ingredients together for you.
Choosing the Right High Protein Snacks for Breastfeeding
When it comes to choosing high protein snacks, opt for options that are easy to prepare and can be eaten with one hand. As a new mom, you may not have much time to sit down and eat a full meal, so having quick and convenient snacks on hand is essential.
When picking these snacks I made sure that at least half of them include chocolate and are sweetened in a healthy way. We often crave chocolate and/or sugar while breastfeeding and having these healthy high protein snack options on hand will help curb those cravings so much!
You can satisfy your sweet tooth with a couple protein packed energy balls instead of munching on a candy that is only going to spike your blood sugar and add empty calories into your diet.
Why a Healthy Breastfeeding Diet is So Important
Your body will make breastmilk almost no matter what. The amount you create goes up and down and the quality of your breastmilk will go up an down as well. Some of this we have control over, sometimes not so much.
RELATED: How to Make Fattier Breastmilk
So it’s a great idea to do your absolute best to provide the most nutritious high-quality fat-dense breastmilk as possible for your little one. You can do this by eating a nutrient-dense diet yourself. Your body will prioritize the nutrients in your breastmilk before the nutrients in your own body (much like it does while you are pregnant… if you don’t consume enough calcium then your body will literally pull it from your own bones to take care of your baby first!).
So you really want to be adding in lots of healthy foods with lower calories when compared to the amount of nutrients they contain = nutritionally dense, in order to make great quality breastmilk AND take care of yourself too. With proper nutrition you will have more energy and heal faster postpartum.
The Importance of Protein for Milk Supply
I’m focusing on protein filled snacks because of how much your need for protein increases while breastfeeding. It’s not quite as high as while pregnant, but it’s awfully high still.
Every cell in your body and your baby’s body is made up of protein, so it’s really important to get enough while breastfeeding. Plus it keeps you feeling full longer (which we ALL need while breastfeeding… you can get angry in 30 minutes even after a full meal when baby is eating a lot)!
Plus increased protein can increase your breastmilk supply. IF you are concerned with your milk supply, first try increasing your protein intake. There’s a good chance that will help you produce more milk quickly. If you are still concerned about your milk supply, consider taking the Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan, which teaches you how to increase your milk supply fast through your diet, even while losing the excess baby weight if that’s your goal.
Galactagogues in Your Breastfeeding Snacks
Galactagogues are substances that aid in increasing milk production in breastfeeding mothers. They work by stimulating the hormones responsible for lactation, thereby enhancing milk supply. The Milky Mama’s Postpartum Plan is a comprehensive program that teaches new moms how to incorporate a plethora of these galactagogues into their diets.
The plan demystifies the process: offering guidance on the types of foods, herbs, and nutrients that serve as natural galactagogues. It also provides so many tasty and easy-to-follow recipes and meal plans packed with lactation-boosting ingredients, ensuring that moms can effectively increase their milk supply while also maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet.
Many of these snacks below are simply high in protein and nutrient dense but whenever I found any that include galactogogues I put them on the list too! If you are interested in learning how to add more galactogugues into your diet too you can get the one week make more milk diet plan for free right now!
High Protein Snacks for Breastfeeding Moms
Crispy Cocoa Air Fryer Chickpeas
Looking for a quick & easy chocolate snack? These 3-Ingredient Crispy Cocoa Chickpeas are gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, and sugar-free! This recipe can be made quick and oil-free in the air fryer or roasted in the oven! A healthy, sweet, and protein-packed snack the whole family will love!
Easy Sourdough Discard Granola Recipe
This easy sourdough discard granola recipe captures everything that I love about granola. The sourdough granola is crunchy, nutty, a little sweet, and full of clusters.
High Protein Overnight Oats
If you’re looking for a convenient and healthy breakfast option, these tasty high protein overnight oats are the perfect choice! With 38 grams of protein, these oats will keep you full and energized all morning. Choose from 5 different flavors!
RELATED: More Overnight Oat Recipes to Increase Milk Supply
Chili Lime Roasted Pepitas
Salty, spicy, and tangy, these chili lime pepitas can be a great healthy snack or a crunchy topping over your salads.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
These vegan peanut butter cups are oh so good. Not gonna lie, they melt in your mouth as well as in your hands. Just think of the melted chocolate on your fingers as part of the indulgent experience. This easy, 3 ingredient plant-based dessert is high in protein and deliciousness. To top it all off, peanut butter is an amazing source of vitamin B-6 and magnesium as well.
Peanut Butter Date Bars
These easy, 4-ingredient chocolate peanut butter vegan date bars are a delightful plant-based treat. They make for an amazing addition to your breakfast or a healthy on-the-go snack! These vegan date bars are made with dates (obviously), so they are super creamy and sweet as can be! Dates are an amazing source of fiber that helps everything move as freely and smoothly through your gorgeous bod as it should.
Chocolate Protein Pudding
This chocolate protein pudding has more ingredients than some other recipes. But it also tastes WAY better. There’s no way that combining protein powder with one or two other ingredients is going to create something that actually tastes like pudding, but this recipe does!
No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
These crunchy no-bake peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are quick, easy to make and incredibly delicious! Plus they are vegan and gluten-free! With just ONE bowl and just FIVE ingredients, you will have a healthy and tasty treat in a matter of minutes (with NO oven needed)!
Chocolate Chia Pudding
This chocolate chia pudding recipe will curb all your cravings and fill you up. It has a great texture and feels like dessert.
Death By Chocolate Energy Balls
There are so many energy ball recipes that I love but these are one of my favorites. The death by chocolate energy balls are super rich and satisfying, and I ate so many while breastfeeding!
Chocolate Date Energy Bites
These chocolate date energy balls are designed specifically for breastfeeding moms to help you increase milk supply, curb cravings, and to help you get fit again after childbirth.
Protein Lactation Energy Bites
This recipe contains lactation protein powder, which helps you make even more milk. Protein powder lactation energy bites are a much healthier way to pump up your milk supply than sugar filled lactation cookies.
Protein Lactation Smoothie
This protein Lactation Smoothie is made with the same lactation protein powder as the recipes above. It is loaded with so many nutrients that it can replace your postnatal vitamin!
Almond Butter Breastfeeding Smoothie
This Almond butter breastfeeding smoothie tastes like dessert. One way to stay on a healthy breastfeeding diet without giving into angry cravings is to make sure that your nutrient dense meals taste like dessert sometimes. It’s amazing how healthy and yummy some of these recipes are.
Pumpkin Protein Breastfeeding Smoothie
This pumpkin protein breastfeeding smoothie is perfect to make any time of year but my favorite in the fall.
Apple Pie Protein Bar Recipe
Apple pie protein bars give you all the warm fall flavors and spices, in a tasty and healthy homemade protein bar! Filled with apple chunks, oat flour, protein powder, and a dash of maple syrup, these protein bars are super easy and extra delicious! Each bar gives you 8 grams of protein, making it a healthy bar using no refined sugar.
Frozen Yogurt, Raspberry and Oatmeal Bars
Frozen Yogurt, Raspberry and Oatmeal Bars are a healthy and easy treat for the whole family! These bites are made with a layer of oatmeal and almonds covered with Greek yogurt infused with a touch of maple syrup and lemon and topped with freeze-dried raspberry powder for a succulent bite at all times of the day!
Protein Mug Cake
You’ll never believe this is actually healthy. This 5-minute chocolate mug cake is cooked in the microwave and packed with a whopping 10 grams of plant-protein (without adding protein powder). Plus, it’s healthy enough to eat for breakfast or a hearty snack, and decadent enough to enjoy for an elegant after-dinner dessert.
Greek Yogurt and Peanut Butter Protein Bowl
This easy and delicious Greek yogurt and peanut butter bowl with whey protein is an amazing low carb breakfast or snack idea. Protein packed and ready in a minute, this filling dish makes for the perfect pre or post workout high protein snack as well!
Healthy Oatmeal Lactation Cookies
Most lactation cookies are loaded with sugar and empty calories and while they WILL help you make more milk, they really aren’t good for you. But these oatmeal lactation cookies are!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
This yummy oatmeal pumpkin cookie recipe is the best healthy pumpkin cookie recipe around.
Cottage Cheese Toast
If you’re looking for a fun breakfast, lunch, or snack, then I think you’ll love these cottage cheese toast ideas! With both savory and sweet options, this is a simple recipe that takes just 5 minutes to come together.
High Protein Green Goddess Cottage Cheese Dip
High Protein Green Goddess Cottage Cheese Yogurt Dip – a delicious healthy dip. This recipe is insanely easy to make. Thanks to the cottage cheese and greek yogurt this dip is so creamy and packed with nutrients. This dip tastes delicious paired with fresh chopped veggies or crackers.
Oat Free No Bake Granola Bars
These 3-ingredient no-bake granola bars are so easy to make! This recipe for healthy homemade granola bars is oat-free, gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! These chewy bars make a great grab-and-go breakfast or kid-friendly snack! They’re sugar-free and naturally sweet, plus packed with protein and nut-free!
