5 Yummy, Nourishing Recipes for Breastfeeding Mamas
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by
Photos Courtesy Of Eat to Feed: 80 Nourishing Recipes for Breastfeeding Moms
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but once we saw the stunning, lilac cover of Eat to Feed: 80 Nourishing Recipes for Breastfeeding Moms we were almost instantly converted. Of course, we were also pleasantly surprised to find that the brand-new cookbook (released just this week) was not only absolutely beautiful page after page, but also filled with the most thorough recipe guide for breastfeeding mamas that we’ve run across to date.
Written by the founders of Oat Mama (makers of pregnancy and postpartum teas, lactation bars, and more), the book provides plenty of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas that are as tasty as they are nourishing. Each recipe is packed with a variety of breastfeeding power ingredients—like coconut, almond milk, flaxseeds, chickpeas, peanut butter, sweet potato, etc.—to support mamas and the babies they’re nursing.
Check out 5 of our favorite recipes from the book—perfect for the kitchen novice to the more seasoned chef—below. And, to get the other 75 stellar recipes, scoop up Eat to Feed here.
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This breakfast porridge was love at first sight—and taste. Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, turns a deep purple color with a picture-worthy glossy sheen when cooked. Its deep hue comes from an abundance of antioxidants. Adding chia seeds to this exotic superfood is a nutrient-boosting twist on a beloved Indonesian dish. For a quick breakfast prep, cook the rice the night before and store it, covered, in the fridge. Then, simply warm it back up on the stove in the morning with an extra glug of coconut milk and top with your favorites for an easy, yet luxurious meal.
POWER INGREDIENTS: Black Rice, Chia Seeds, Coconut.SERVES 2 TO 4
1 cup uncooked black rice
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Place all the ingredients plus 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium-size pot. Whisk together until there are no clumps of coconut milk and the chia seeds and rice are evenly distributed.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then cover the pot with a lid and lower the heat to low.
3. Simmer over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is softened, about 1 hour, giving a brief stir once or twice throughout to prevent sticking.
4. Enjoy warm with your favorite toppings. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Suggested toppings: Fresh banana slices or caramelized banana, sliced almonds, fresh or toasted coconut flakes, chunks of fresh mango, hemp seeds, splash of coconut cream, or drizzle with warm almond butter.
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Cold, crisp salads have their place at the table, without a doubt, but have you tried making a salad with roasted vegetables instead of raw? It’s a game-changer. Yes, this is a long list of ingredients, but the dish itself is not difficult or time-consuming to prepare, and the result is so worth it. We promise. Cooking the vegetables in a single layer encourages caramelization and brings out their natural sweetness. This dish presents beautifully and is ideal for feeding a large group or entertaining. All the elements travel well and can be enjoyed warm or cold, so you can feel good about taking this dish to a potluck or making any of the components ahead of time.
POWER INGREDIENTS: Garlic, Chickpeas, Cumin, Pumpkin Seeds.SERVES 6
GARLIC TAHINI SAUCE:
1/3 cup tahini
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced into a paste
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilCHICKPEAS:
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cuminSUMMER VEGETABLES:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small zucchini, peeled and chopped into 1- to 11/2-inch pieces
1 yellow squash, peeled and chopped into 1- to 11/2-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and stemmed, chopped into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 large orange bell pepper, seeded and stemmed, chopped into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes
20 garlic cloves (about 1 head)
1/2 red onion, chopped roughly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 handfuls baby arugula1. Prepare the garlic tahini sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients plus 3 tablespoons of water in a blender and blend until smooth. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.
2. Prepare the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 450°F.
3. In a small bowl, combine the chickpeas, olive oil, salt, turmeric, and cumin and gently stir until well coated.
4. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Roast in the oven, periodically shaking the cookie sheet to release any steam, until the chickpeas are brown and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Prepare the vegetables: Move the oven rack to the top third of the oven. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, all the vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast on the top third of the oven until cooked through and the edges have started to brown, 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the vegetables do not stick.
6. While the vegetables roast, toast the pumpkin seeds in a large, dry sauté pan over medium heat until they have begun to release their oil, are fragrant, and are just starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
7. Remove the roasted veggies from the oven and return them to their large bowl. Mix in the toasted pumpkin seeds and chickpeas and spread onto a large serving platter. Top with the arugula and drizzle with half of the garlic tahini sauce. Serve hot or at room temperature with the remaining sauce on the side.
Variation: Try replacing the summer squash and tomatoes with autumn and winter veggies, such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or butternut squash. Replace the pumpkin seeds with toasted pine nuts.
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Adding peanut butter to your stew may sound unusual at first, but trust us on this one. Peanut stew has been celebrated in western African countries for centuries, and for good reason. Made in one pot with humble ingredients, consisting of a rich, comforting broth of peanuts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and spices, our version of this beloved dish is like a warm hug. Feel free to swap out the fresh spinach with baby kale or up the spice factor with hot sauce of your choice. This stew can be enjoyed as is or served over brown rice for an even heartier meal.
POWER INGREDIENTS: Coconut, Sweet Potatoes, Garlic, Chickpeas, Spinach.SERVES 6 TO 8
2 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil
3 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 cups spinach, rinsed wellTOPPINGS:
Chopped peanuts
Microgreens
Fresh cilantro1. In a large soup pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook until a sweet potato cube is tender when poked with a fork and the onion and garlic are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the curry, turmeric, salt, and tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Add the coconut milk, chickpeas, and stock and give it a good stir. Cover the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it comes to a low boil.
4. Stir in the peanut butter and roasted peanuts and lower the heat to medium-low. Let the stew cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
6. Top with chopped peanuts, microgreens, and cilantro. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
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A whole-grain snack that is full of fiber, popcorn has gotten a bad rap as junk food. Prepared from scratch on the stovetop, without all the salt and artificial butter, popcorn is actually a very wholesome snack that delivers an impressive dose of antioxidants and can even aid in digestion. We thought we’d improve on popcorn’s benefits by upping the protein content, and flavor, with a coating of creamy peanut butter, coconut sugar, and flax. So, kick up your feet, and enjoy your nighttime pumping session with a movie and a big bowl of power popcorn.
POWER INGREDIENTS: Coconut Oil, Peanut Butter, Flaxseeds.SERVES 4
2 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/3 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons natural creamy peanut
butter
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a medium-size saucepan with a lid. When the oil is heated through, add the popcorn kernels.
2. Swirl the kernels in the oil, watching closely, just until they begin to pop, then quickly cover with a lid. Lightly shake the covered pot back and forth over the heat.
3. When the popping has slowed to one pop every few seconds, pour the popcorn into a large bowl and set aside.
4. In the same saucepan, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons of coconut oil with the peanut butter and coconut sugar and heat the mixture over low heat, stirring gently, for about 30 seconds, or until melted and well blended.
5. Pour the warm peanut butter mixture over the popcorn and mix until the popcorn is evenly coated.
6. Sprinkle with the salt and ground flax to taste and mix to evenly distribute.
7. Enjoy warm, or place it in the freezer for a few minutes to dry and cool before serving.
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After visiting our local ice-cream parlor and trying—and loving—its honeycomb flavor, it got us thinking. If honey and ice cream are an amazing combo, and sesame and honey are, too, then what are we waiting for? Let’s get this tahini and honey milk shake party started. And boy, it does not disappoint. The brewer’s yeast and salt provide the right balance of savory with the sweet notes of honey and nuttiness of tahini. It leaves you wanting more; we’ll just leave it at that.
POWER INGREDIENTS: Almond Milk, Tahini, Brewer's Yeast.SERVES 2
1 cup vanilla gelato or ice cream (dairy or dairy-free both work well)
1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup tahini
3 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons debittered brewer’s yeast
Scant 1/4 teaspoon kosher saltPlace all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 15 seconds. Pour into two tall glasses and serve immediately.
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Hmm, all of these recipes contain ingredients from the top 8 food allergy groups. Would be nice to have some for moms & babys with food allergies. Something to think about in the future.