The Best Lactation Snacks You Can Buy
Written by Andrea Tran RN, BSN, MA, IBCLC
Breastfeeding moms are busy people. They are also hungry people. That’s not surprising. It takes a lot of calories to grow a person! But what a feeling of satisfaction you get when you look at your baby. How empowering is it to know that you can take credit for every cell in their little body? Of course, you are probably hungry the whole time you are looking into their eyes, wanting to eat any sweet snack available.
Snacking is a part of breastfeeding life. It keeps your blood sugar stable, your energy up, and satisfies your nutrient needs, which are higher during lactation.
Snacks are also an important part of a nursing mom’s daily food intake. Ready to eat snacks that are nutritious are a time-saving necessity. Snacks that are a yummy treat are the bonus all milk making moms deserve.
What to look for in a packaged lactation snack:
The good news is that there are many lactation snacks to choose from. There are so many that it can be overwhelming. I’m going to make it easy for you. Here is a list of the best lactation snacks to buy.
Ingredients That Help Boost Milk Production
Oatmeal – Moms have relied on oatmeal to help them have a good milk supply for years. In addition to it being an excellent base for snacks, oatmeal can be a meal in itself. This hearty grain can also be added to smoothies and even meatloaf.
Brewer’s yeast is another traditional milk producing ingredient that can be added to many recipes.
Flaxseed is a superfood that supports milk production. It also has those all-important omega-3 fatty acids. It is another multi-tasking ingredient that can be added to just about any dish you are preparing.
Protein is also really important for breastfeeding mothers, but hard to find in packaged snacks. Most packaged snacks are higher in carbs, sugar and calories, but lacking in protein. That is why we can’t wait for these lactation protein bars to come out!
Lactation Snack Checklist When Shopping:
- You want to choose snack foods that have ingredients that support a good milk supply.
- Individually packaged lactation snacks make it easy to keep them in your purse and baby bag.
- Look for snacks that have protein and fiber.
The Best Lactation Snack Bars
Snack bars have become a mainstay in our diet. They are convenient, and there are abundant choices. In a pinch, they can even serve as a meal replacement.
These are some of my favorite lactation snack bars.
Booby Bars are made with those milk boosting favorites, oats, and flaxseed. They also contain an herb blend that includes organic moringa leaf and organic Shatavari root. These are herbals that moms often use to help increase their milk production. Each bar has 4 gm each of protein and fiber and is 240 calories. (I can’t wait for these protein bars to be on the market! They offer more protein and less calories!)
Booby Bars are available in three different flavors. This milk boosting lactation bar was featured on Shark Tank and was created by a woman who is an RN and an IBCLC. And let’s be honest, the name is fun to say!
Sweetie Pie Lactation Bars contain the popular milk-making herb, Fenugreek. You can choose from either Oats and Almonds or Chocolate, Oats and Almonds. They advertise that they are made from only clean ingredients and have 6 gm of protein and 4 gm of fiber and are 220 calories.
Milkmakers make lactation bars with oats, almonds, and flaxseed. These are perfect for mamas who don’t want any herbs in their bars.
You can choose from two varieties: chocolate chip or mixed berry. The great thing about these bars is that they are free of dairy, soy, eggs, and gluten. They are 200 calories and have 6 gm of protein and 4 gm of fiber.
Top-Rated Lactation Cookies
Who doesn’t love a good cookie? There are so many choices available for these tasty lactation treats.
Milkmakers Lactation Cookie Bites has a 4.5-star rating on Amazon from almost 2000 reviews. They have a variety of flavors to choose from. Each box contains ten convenient bags that you can put in your purse or diaper bag.
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
- Oatmeal raisin
- Chocolate salted caramel
- Sampler pack of all three.
MilkBliss lactation cookies have the popular three milk production enhancing ingredients, oats, flaxseed, and brewer’s yeast. Each cookie is 140 calories, has 2 gm of protein, and 1 gm of fiber. There are 12 cookies in a bag.
- Peanut Butter
- Wild Blueberry
- Dark Chocolate Chip
- Variety Pack
Mommy Knows Best Lactation Cookies come in some unique varieties. These cookies are larger than most, but if you check the label, you will see that a serving is half a cookie.
- Oatmeal Rainbow Candy cookies
- Oatmeal White Chocolate
- Chocolate Salted Caramel
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
Lactation Snack Food Mixes
If you have the time to do some baking, you will have a few more lactation snack options.
Mommy Knows Best has mixes for both cookies and brownies.
- Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin
- Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip
- Oatmeal Chocolate Salted Caramel
- Oatmeal Chocolate Rainbow Candy
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
- Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
The Fertile Goddess Company oatmeal chocolate chip lactation cookie mix is certified organic.
Milkful has great box of bars in various flavors with all-natural ingredients.
Mommyz Love Oatmeal Blueberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is both organic and Kosher.
Other Lactation Snacks to Buy
These aren’t specific to breastfeeding moms. They are just great non-perishable snacks that are easy to grab and go.
- Justin’s Nut Butter Packets
- Turkey Jerky
- Chickpea snacks
- Trail mix snack packs
Snacking as a breastfeeding mama is really important to proper nourishment and energy levels, so choosing high-quality, milk-boosting snacks is key. We also highly suggest this protein lactation powder, which you can mix in water or milk and take on the go too!