Six easy on-the-go snacks to crush breastfeeding cravings

Breastfeeding cravings are preggo cravings’ evil step-sister. They’re intense. They’re constant. They’ll drive you insane if you aren’t prepared for them.

Most hospitals leave new moms unprepared for these cravings or how to handle them. When we were discharged from the hospital last week after having our fifth kiddo, we received a ton of information (IMPORTANT information) on purple crying, looking for signs of post-partum depression, and a slew of other topics, but NOTHING about nutrition for new moms.

In my five years of nutrition coaching, I’ve helped dozens of new moms navigate these changes and how to handle them. Almost every one of them wanted to “get their bodies back” and start dieting immediately. They didn’t understand how cutting calories would affect their breast milk or their recovery process.

Because of this, I’ve decided to dedicate the next several blog posts to post-natal nutrition and breastfeeding. These tips can be used by anyone, but will be especially helpful for moms who’ve chosen to breastfeed.

Here are a few snacks you can grab on the go or easily eat with one hand while the other holds the baby. Don’t worry if you drop a little food on the baby’s head. It happens to the best of us!

Tuna, crackers, vegetables

Not only is tuna easy to prepare, but it’s full of nutrients! It contains both EPA and DHA which are vital for the baby plus vitamin D, selenium, and of course protein. Whole grain crackers help with lactation and vegetables are rich in vitamins and fiber which your post-natal body will need in order to help it…evacuate properly.

Mini-charcuterie board

You can really make this your own by throwing together what’s in the fridge. My stapes are crackers, cheese, and grapes. If we have lunch meat or olives, I’ll toss that on as well. These boards don’t require cooking, they won’t ever go cold (because they already are!), and they’re easy to grab while handling other matters.

Yogurt with fruit and a protein bar

While breastfeeding, I’d choose a 2% fat or whole fat yogurt with little to no added sugar, your fruit of choice (I prefer blueberries), and a protein bar with a 1:1 ratio of carbs to protein (if there are 5g of net carbs, there should be 5g of protein). This will help you stay full, it’s easy to eat with one hand, and it’s full of protein and healthy fats!

Sliced vegetables with hummus/dip

Snacking on crispy vegetables can help you not only get in your greens for the day, but can help with your oral fixation around crispy/salty treats. Pair them with a nice hummus, spinach, or other dip of choice, and you have a medium calorie delicacy for a snack.

Bagged salad mix with cottage cheese

I could eat this every day. The fiber in the salad mix will help things…move properly in your body and you can easily get 4 or 5 servings of vegetables in one bang!

Nutrient dense shake

This is probably the easiest and most nutrient-dense option. I try to avoid shakes with artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, but that’s a personal choice. I also look for a shake with several blends not just protein. The one I drink has a digestive blend and adaptogen blend to help feed your body probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, and other vital nutrients. Having all of that included in the shake keeps me from having to add in other supplements to fill in the gaps in my nutrition.