If you thought pregnancy hunger was intense, the pangs you’ll feel while breastfeeding is no comparison. We’ve rounded up easy ideas for snacks to eat while breastfeeding to help keep your hunger at bay.
Staying nourished and hydrated while nursing is essential to help encourage postpartum recovery, maintain your milk supply, and keep your energy up. That’s why having a go-to list of nutrient-dense, healthy, and – most importantly – easy breastfeeding snacks is critical.
Breastfeeding nutrition basics
Some essential factors to consider when eating for breastfeeding include calorie intake, nutrients required, etc.
Get familiar with breastfeeding nutrition requirements for new moms and know that you should add about 200-500 extra calories daily to support milk production. That’s about one or two nutrient-dense snacks.
To keep stay feeling nourished and full, make sure that every snack you eat contains the following:
- Healthy fats (avocado, nut butter, ground flax seed, nuts, dairy, chia seeds, etc.)
- High-quality protein (turkey, dairy, hummus, nut butter, eggs, etc.)
- Complex carbohydrates (oats, whole-grain bread, beans, fruit, etc.)
Snacks to eat while breastfeeding
All snacks you’ll find on the below list are easy to make (or buy!) and will help keep you feeling fueled as you nurse your baby.
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Pro tip: order packaged, shelf-stable snacks before the baby comes so you are fully stocked and prepared after birth. You can also use many of these snacks for pregnancy and early labor!
One-handed breastfeeding snacks
1. Turkey and cheese wrap
A slice of deli turkey wrapped around a piece of cheese (or two) – simple and delicious.
2. A low-sugar protein bar
We find ourselves grabbing brands like RX Bar, Boobie Bar, or Mama Bar.
3. Lactation energy bites
These bites, balls, or cookies can be made at home with a few simple ingredients, or you can purchase them pre-made like these chocolate lactation bites from Majka.
4. Avocado toast topped with ground flax
We love hearty bread such as Ezekiel topped with avocado and ground flax seeds to boost healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
5. Hummus and cucumber tortilla wrap
Take a high-quality wrap (think Lavash) and smear it with hummus and a few cucumber slices. Add a little salt and pepper, too!
6. Protein shake or smoothie
Many proteins on the market are filled with filler ingredients. We love Kos – specifically the chocolate peanut butter flavor – in water or blended into a smoothie with spinach and banana.
Homemade breastfeeding snacks
7. Dark chocolate nut butter balls
These are easy to make at home with ingredients you probably already have. Check out one of our favorite recipes for chocolate nut butter balls.
8. Chia seed pudding
Take 1/4 cup of coconut milk, water, or dairy-free milk and mix in one tablespoon of chia seeds. Shake well and let it sit overnight—top with fruit, nuts, or granola and a drizzle of maple syrup.
9. Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola
The key with this breastfeeding snack is to ensure you eat full-fat, no-sugar-added Greek yogurt and top it with your fruit of choice. Many “fruit-inside” yogurts contain extra unnecessary sugars.
Enhance your parfait and use a Tanker Topper Muesli to pack extra milk-friendly nutrients. This blend was created especially for breastfeeding parents.
10. Hummus and turkey toast
Take a dollop of hummus and smear it on Ezekiel bread, then top with a slice or two of deli turkey. This snack packs the protein needed for breastfeeding.
11. Oatmeal with peanut butter
Oatmeal doesn’t have to be boring! Take simple rolled oats (great for lactation) and make delicious oatmeal by adding vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, peanut butter, and fresh bananas.
12. Hard-boiled eggs
Did you know that egg yolks contain at least seven essential nutrients, including iron and calcium? Yup! Plus, they’re so quick and easy to make.
Storebought breastfeeding snack ideas
13. Purely Elizabeth oatmeal cups
These superfood oatmeal cups are quick, easy, and packed with high-quality ingredients to support breastfeeding.
14. Boobie Bar snack bars
Great for when you need a quick snack and want to support your milk supply, Boobie Bars can help you feel nourished and less “hangry” than before.
15. Aloha protein shakes
If you’re on the go or it’s the middle of the night, Aloha protein shakes are a great option when you need a little extra something to feel nourished.
16. Franjo’s Kitchen Muesli Topper
This Tanker Topper Muesli by Franjo’s Kitchen is packed with organic buckwheat, currants, dates, walnuts, brewer’s yeast, oats, and flaxseed meal – ingredients known for supporting a healthy milk supply.
17. Daily Harvest bites
These nutrient-dense bites are delicious and filling. Plus, you can get them delivered to your door, thanks to Daily Harvest – our top company picks for postpartum meal delivery.
Read next: The Best Postpartum Meal Delivery Services
18. Frozen protein waffles
Move over, Eggo. Thanks to brands like Birch Benders and Kodiak, you can get protein-packed waffles straight from the freezer. Layer with nut butter and bananas for a perfect quick snack.
19. Majka lactation bites
Do you love the idea of lactation bites but don’t want to make them yourself? Majka makes them for you with their pre-made No-Bake Lactation Cookies.
Save 10% on Majka with our exclusive discount code
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Nighttime snacks while breastfeeding
You’ll notice that some of these snacks require refrigeration or utensils, but they’re easy enough to make in under one minute.
We’ve carefully selected these snacks to ensure you receive fats, carbohydrates, and protein, all essential nutrients for postpartum recovery and breastmilk production. Plus, they’re chosen for encouraging rest, too.
20. Healthy trail mix
Trail mix can be an easy option to keep next to your bed to nosh on while feeding, especially if it’s loaded with walnuts, pistachios, and cashews. According to the Sleep Foundation, nuts contain melatonin and essential sleep-promoting minerals like magnesium.
21. Majka lactation bites
We’ve already mentioned these above, but they’re worth sharing again. The pre-made lactation bites from Majka are nutrient-dense and will help you feel nourished and satiated while nursing.
22. Cottage cheese and berries
Like Greek yogurt, choose the full-fat variety to get the most nutrients and flavor. We love Good Culture cottage cheese.
23. Greek yogurt and nut butter
This fat-packed snack is perfect for middle-of-night snacking to help encourage your body to go back to sleep once the baby is finished nursing.
24. String cheese with pretzels
Quick, easy, and can be eaten with one hand when you’re exhausted and limited in energy.
25. Banana with peanut butter
A quick carbohydrates boost paired with peanut butter will help you stay awake and hopefully fall back asleep. Make sure to buy peanut butter with only peanuts listed on the ingredients like this brand.
26. Superfat nut butter packet
Packed with healthy fats, protein, and fiber, these Superfat packets are perfect for the hungry breastfeeding mom. It’s also easy to eat with one hand, too!
27. Rice cakes with hummus or avocado
While it’s not the most exciting, you can get a quick dose of healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates with this breastfeeding snack at night.
Shop our favorite breastfeeding snacks
More resources on breastfeeding nutrition
These are good snacks ideas but on the whole, pretty unhelpful for middle of the night hunger pangs while nursing. Unless you have a servant, or a partner who will get up and prepare something for you, I don’t think eating a hummus and cucumber wrap or avocado toast is going to happen. I was looking for more ideas for nutritious muffins or cookies or crackers – things you can leave by your bed when you go to sleep and grab easily in the middle of the nursing session.
Hi Katherine! Some of the suggestions from the article that might fit your needs are lactation energy bites from Majka, low-sugar protein bars, a protein shake (many are premade and nutritious), dark chocolate nut butter balls (ask someone to make these for you ahead of time!), Chia seed pudding (again, easy to make ahead of time), Daily Harvest bites, Boobie snack bars, frozen protein waffles, string cheese and pretzels, and Superfat nut butter packets. We hope you find any of these suitable! If not, feel free to check out our Postpartum Nutrition Guide for actual step-by-step recipes.
The nighttime ones you listed are cold, used with utensils…??? Not that easy for nighttime. I have a bag of shelled pistachios I can shove into my mouth in the middle of the night and not leave bed/ baby.
Hi Beth,
These snacks were specifically chosen due to their nutritional components and food pairings that help promote rest and support a healthy milk supply. They’re all easily made in a minute or less. If you want something easier, we’ve added two other no-prep options, like the Majka lactation bites (or you could make your own and eat later!) and a healthy trail mix. 🙂