We know that it can be easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to feeding ourselves and our families. When you are contending with picky eaters, time constraints, and sleep deprivation, meal planning and food prep can often feel overwhelming. The BVTMB team along with our sponsor, Healthy Living, is here to provide some fresh perspective and inspiration in the kitchen! From meal ideas to how to feed those picky eaters, we are excited to talk about all things food these next few weeks in our “Growing Up Gourmet, Beyond the PB&J” series.

Yummy Easy Snacks For Breasfeeding Mamas

Regardless if you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, just gave birth or have been breast feeding for over a year, it can be really difficult to eat healthy snacks that are good for you and your baby’s body.

When I had my daughter over four months ago, I was so focused on caring for her and making sure every one of her needs was met, I completely forgot about myself. Hormones right after birth are hard enough, add on not enough sleep, food, or water and I was flirting with disaster. A friend of mine who is a doctor came to visit a week or so after Caroline’s birth and she helped me create essentially a nursing station around my couch (where I was spending all of my time). She encouraged me every morning to put healthy easy snacks and plenty of water within arm’s reach so that I didn’t have to go out of my way to eat or drink. It was a simple idea, but for me made a world of difference. It was like a lifeline.

Now that Caroline is getting older and we are more mobile there are new challenges to eating. I’m trying to lose those extra pregnancy pounds, I’m playing with an extremely active little girl who sleeps much less than she used to, and I’m trying to balance baby, home, life etc. The one thing I have found absolutely essential is finding yummy snacks that are easy, can be made into portions that I can bring with me anywhere we go and are filling, because breast feeding makes me hungry! I am not a breast feeding expert, and every baby is different. Your baby may have different reactions to foods you eat than mine does (like green bell peppers makes Caroline gassy, but strawberries seem to have no effect) but below are some foods that I have found really helpful in my journey as a breast feeding mom. An added plus is that I have been doing Weight Watchers and all of these foods fit nicely into the plan and I’ve been seeing a huge difference on the scale, in how my clothes fit, and my overall energy level.

All of these foods are easy to portion out into ziplock bags or plastic/glass containers, can be prepared/divided out either in advance,so that they are easy to grab when you are running out the door, or prepared in the moment, so that you don’t have to spend a ton of time when you have a fussy baby on your hands, and are yummy!

• Nuts and Seeds (almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, etc)
• Granola or granola bars, I eat two different kinds for breakfast.
• Trail mix, I like the Hannaford brand for $2.99 that comes prepackaged
• Veggies, Carrot and Celery sticks are really easy and are delicious dipped in peanut butter or hummus.
• Fresh Fruit, right now is the perfect time to get affordable yummy fruit. We use fruit as a snack but we also use them as a side at dinner because it’s quick and does not require cooking. In my fridge right now we have cherries, blueberries, raspberry, watermelon, apples and cantaloupe. Yum!
• Dried fruit
• Avocados, sliced up or made into guacamole. I really enjoy mashing up avocados and put in bell peppers (not green because they upset my babe’s tummy), lemon and garlic powder and eating it with veggies or a small pile of pita chips. Avocados are also a really yummy addition to salad.
• Hard boiled eggs
• Yogurt, adding fruit, granola or maple syrup can be a delicious way to jazz up the snack.
• Rice Cakes with either almond butter, peanut butter or even honey.
• Toast with peanut butter and sliced banana
• Whole grain cereal and milk, doesn’t just need to be for breakfast!
• Cheddar cheese, I personally don’t really like many milk products but I love cheddar cheese, I eat it almost every day alone or with crackers.
• Black been and cheddar cheese quesadilla on lavash bread baked in the oven for five minutes, so simple but a yummy and filling lunch or snack.
• Water and lots of it!

What are some of your favorite or go to snacks throughout the day?