What I Eat in a Day: Breastfeeding - The Diligent Homemaker

Of course everyone wants to do the best that they can for their baby’s health, and breastfeeding is a key part of ensuring that your child has the best possible start! It sure does make you hungry though.. I decided to compile a list of what I eat in a day while exclusively breastfeeding, so that you can get some ideas and inspiration for nutritious, protein rich meals while breastfeeding.

Eating a highly nutritious diet is extremely important to me in this phase of life. I’m not just feeding myself, after all. Pregnancy is a valuable time to focus on nutrition and getting enough calories, but the time after pregnancy while breastfeeding is also extremely important! If you are currently pregnant, you should also check out this post: What I eat in a day in the Third Trimester.

Specifically, I’ve chosen to focus on protein, whole foods, and sufficient calories.

So, this is a sampling of what I eat in a day while exclusively breastfeeding. Some days I eat more, and some days I probably eat a bit less, but this is a good snap shot of how I plan out my meals during this season of life.

Although I don’t typically track macros and calories, I aim for approximately 3000 calories and 100+ grams of protein daily. For reference, I pump and freeze some extra milk as well. This may seem like a lot of calories for some, but I’ve found that I definitely need at least this amount to keep feeling my best! Certainly do what is correct for your body, and take this as inspiration for some healthy meals and snacks!

a glass of milk next to a plate with scrambled eggs, a peeled and halved orange, and some frozen mixed berries

Breakfast

2 Eggs scrambled in grass-fed butter, 1 cup whole milk, 1 mandarin orange, and 1/2 cup mixed frozen berries

400 calories 21 Grams protein

I have eggs and fruit for breakfast almost every morning. Its easy, quick, and has lots of good protein and micronutrients.

a bowl of cottage cheese and a plate with a cranberry orange scone

Snack #1

1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese and a Cranberry Orange Scone made with fresh milled wheat

420 calories and 19 Grams protein

Spreading meals and snacks throughout the day is a major challenge for me. Usually I end up feeling too busy to eat or simply not eating enough early on in the day, then having to eat a lot of calories in the evening.

To combat this, it’s important to have easy snacks made ahead of time that you can pull out of the pantry or refrigerator and don’t take too much prep work. It also helps to have a snack that you eat every day, say for 1 week. You can mix things up if you want to of course, but it really helps to have your mid-morning snack planned out for the whole week so that you don’t need to think about it! Make up a batch of these delicious and healthy cranberry orange scones to have on hand every day next week for an easy snack.

a whole wheat tortilla next to shredded spaghetti squash and meat with black beans

Lunch

Black beans and grass-fed ground beef, sour cream, spaghetti squash, and a tortilla make from fresh milled whole wheat.

450 Calories, 28 Grams Protein

Leftovers from the night before are usually what I have for lunch the next day. In this case, it was some delicious roasted spaghetti squash with taco meat and a homemade tortilla! Score.

granola in a cream colored bowl with milk and a scoop of peanut butter

Snack #2

1/2 Cup Honey Granola, 2 Tbsp. Organic Peanut butter, 1 Cup Whole Milk

700 Calories and 30 Grams Protein

High calorie? Yes. Delicious and satisfying? Yes.

Granola is absolutely the way to go while breastfeeding. Not only are oats help for an abundant milk supply, but it is full of calories and healthy fats to keep you going during those long days and nights. This honey granola recipe is my go-to.

a plate on a wooden table with chopped sweet potatoes, roasted chicken breast, and a pile of sauerkraut

Dinner

Roasted chicken breast from a pasture raised chicken, roasted sweet potato, and homemade sauerkraut

400 Calories and 32 Grams Protein

This dinner is so delicious and balanced. It’s full of protein from the chicken, complex carbs from the sweet potato, and a bit healthy fat from the avocado oil used for roasting as well! The homemade sauerkraut adds some good probiotics as well.

Snack #3

One Slice Sourdough Apple Pie:

470 calories 5 G protein

I’d like to say that I rarely partake in dessert… but that would definitely be a lie. I tend to have a dessert of some kind on most days, so I try to at least make it something homemade with real ingredients! A slice of sourdough apple pie hits the spot every time.

Bonus Midnight Snack!

Perfect Bar: I love these bars.. they’re definitely a special treat because of how expensive they are, but they have tons of protein and taste like a huge bar of peanut butter and honey.

340 calories 17 G protein

Nights can be long while you have a new baby, and breastfeeding makes you really really hungry. Although I try to space my meals out evenly throughout the day, I usually don’t do very well and am especially hungry in the evenings and nights. A protein bar or granola bar is a great one handed snack to keep at your bedside table just in case.

Save it for later!

Well that’s it! 3180 calories and 152 grams of protein later.

I hope you’ve enjoyed some of this meal inspiration for breastfeeding, or really for any time of life when you’re focusing on protein, whole foods, and balanced meals. You can check out some of my latest posts down below: