Foods to Promote Milk Production
My blog post last week discussed the benefits of breastfeeding and which foods to include and avoid in your diet. Today I’ll share some specific foods that may help to promote milk production along with recipes including these foods.
Eating a balanced diet is most important when it comes to adequate milk supply, but adding a few specific foods, which are called galactagogues, to your diet may actually improve breast milk supply. Though none of these foods are backed by scientific evidence, many moms swear by regular consumption of certain foods while breastfeeding. Examples of galactagogues include:
Barley
Oats
Fennel
Alfalfa sprouts
Garlic
Ginger
Fenugreek seeds
Flaxseeds
Brewer’s yeast
Blackstrap molasses
Almonds
No single food on this list will magically increase your supply of breastmilk, but including several of these along with a well-balanced diet can help ensure a good milk supply.
How to eat these foods
The best way to eat the foods listed above is to incorporate them into your healthy eating plan.
Breakfast
Breakfast is a great way to incorporate many of these potential milk supply-boosting foods:
Oatmeal with sliced almonds, ground flaxseed, and berries
Or try any of my baked or overnight oatmeal recipes!
Make muffins with ground flaxseed and brewer’s yeast, such as these banana lactation muffins
Make a smoothie with oats, ground flaxseed, and brewer’s yeast
Lunch and dinner
Lunches and dinners are a great time to add garlic and ginger to your meal, both of which can help boost milk supply.
This salmon salad includes fenugreek in the dressing
This soup includes garlic, turmeric, and whole grains
Add curry to meals which includes fenugreek, such as this curry chicken salad
Fenugreek is also included in this grilled chicken recipe
Add alfalfa sprouts to sandwiches or stir-fries
Snacks
Breastfeeding moms need close to an additional 500 calories per day, so snacking is essential. Here are some snack ideas that can be meal prepped before baby is even born:
As stated above, these foods may or may not help increase your milk supply, but the good news is that they are all healthy foods that are beneficial to include in your diet anyway. Try adding a few of the foods listed above to your already balanced diet to ensure a healthy milk supply.
