Becoming a new mom is one of the most rewarding experiences, but it can be stressful to balance this new lifestyle. You’ve spent your entire pregnancy fueling your body with the right foods to nourish your little one. Even after pregnancy, fueling your body with the nutrients it needs is essential. Having easy and healthy postpartum snacks at your disposal can help!
Caring for a newborn is tough work—no wonder you’re always exhausted! Adjusting to this new lifestyle while maintaining a healthy, nourishing diet can be challenging. Keeping healthy snacks on hand that are easy to grab or prepare is beneficial. Having these snacks nearby can make the transition into motherhood easier and maybe even decrease your constant exhaustion!
Easy Postpartum Snacks
Following your child’s birth, consuming a nourishing diet can help replenish the nutrient stores used up during pregnancy. Here are some quick and easy postpartum snacks that can help you do that:
Folate
Folate, or folic acid, is a micronutrient that should be prioritized after birth. This nutrient aids in producing new body cells and can help build protein for growth. While breastfeeding, consuming 500 mg of folate or folic acid daily is recommended. Choose snacks such as bananas, cut-up cantaloupe, or peanuts to ensure you’re getting adequate folate. All of these snacks are quick, easy, and packed with folate!1,2
Calcium
Another nutrient that should be prioritized after birth is calcium. Calcium helps keep bones and teeth strong.3 An easy and healthy postpartum snack packed with calcium is yogurt, like Siggi’s Skyr Yogurt. If you are lactose intolerant, don’t worry. Plenty of yogurt substitutes are made from cashews, coconuts, or even almonds!
Iron
Iron is vital to prioritize after birth because it helps to carry oxygen through the bloodstream. This nutrient’s requirements are increased in postpartum women, and anemia may result over time if adequate amounts are not consumed. Iron comes in two forms: heme iron or non-heme iron. Non-heme iron is found in animal products, and heme iron is found in plant products. A great snack option that includes iron is pumpkin seeds! Also, dried fruit options with no added sugar, like Mariani Dried Dates, are an easy snack that can provide your body with iron!4,5
Protein
After birth, sufficient protein consumption is necessary. Protein can help your body recover from childbirth. An easy postpartum snack that can provide your body with protein is a banana with peanut butter drizzled on top! Peanut butter is high in both protein and healthy fats. You can even spice this snack by adding a sprinkle of cinnamon or a drizzle of honey!6,7
Fluids
We’ve talked a lot about snacks, but we can’t forget our fluid intake! Getting adequate amounts of water can assist in carrying nutrients throughout the body and can help eliminate toxins. Drinking plenty of fluids can help your body return to its pre-pregnancy state more quickly! Water is a great option in this case, but even products like Nature Factor Organic Coconut Water can promote hydration!8
Quick and Easy Recipes
We’ve discussed several postpartum snack options that may suit your busy life. But let’s look at a few recipes that combine all these necessary nutrients into one and more. These can be an excellent option whenever you find yourself with some additional time on your hands.
Smoothie Bowl
Smoothie bowls are packed with nutrients and can be made in just a few minutes! As discussed earlier, folate, iron, calcium, protein, and fluids are all essential to consider post-pregnancy. The following smoothie bowl recipe is quick, simple, filling, and packed with the vitamins and minerals your body needs!
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen banana
- ½ cup of almond milk
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter
- 1 scoop of protein powder (Orgain Organic Unsweetened Protein Powder is a great option)
- ½ cup of yogurt (Siggi’s Skyr Yogurt is a great choice)
- A handful of spinach (frozen or fresh)
- 2-3 dates (make sure to remove the pits!)
Directions:
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender, blend, and enjoy—it’s that simple!
This recipe can be enjoyed in a glass or as a smoothie bowl with toppings. You could top your smoothie bowl with unsweetened dried fruit, fresh fruit, pumpkin seeds, almonds, or even chia seeds—endless possibilities!
Homemade Trail Mix
Trail mix can be a terrific postpartum snack option whenever you make it yourself! This recipe is easily customizable and packed with nutrients! Making your trail mix can sound time-consuming, but it is super simple!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of almonds
- 1 cup of cashews
- 1 cup of peanuts
- 1 cup of walnuts
- ½ cup of dried banana chips (It’s Delish Dried Banana Chips are a great option)
- ½ cup of dried cherries
- ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup of sunflower seeds
- ½ cup of dark chocolate chips (Artisan Kettle Organic Dark Chocolate Chips are a great choice)
- Optional: 1 tsp of cinnamon
Directions:
- Gather all ingredients and add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Using a wooden spoon, combine the ingredients until evenly mixed, and enjoy!
Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Loading up the fridge pre-baby with a ton of perishable items isn’t always the best idea. That’s where dried fruit comes in. Dried fruit is a GREAT go-to snack, especially for higher-fiber choices like apricots, cranberries, or figs. Always be sure you’re stocking up on the unsweetened kind. And if you have time, here’s a quick and easy dried fruit cookie recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 banana (mashed)
- ¼ cup protein powder
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup almond butter
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup dried unsweetened cranberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
- Mash bananas in a bowl with a fork.
- Add protein powder and mix well.
- Mix in the oats, almond butter, cinnamon, and dried cranberries.
- Roll into balls.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Press down gently with a fork to flatten.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, and enjoy!
Peanut Butter Toast
It is as easy as it sounds. Toast the bread slices, spread the peanut butter, and have a great snack! Nut butter is an easy and healthy snack to help you bounce back after a baby. It’s the perfect mix of protein and healthy fats and is super satisfying/filling. Spread nut butter on whatever you can eat with one hand, and if you’re feeling fancy, add some honey or chopped-up fruit.
Bounce Back After Baby Energy Bites
If you’re feeling ambitious, combine the last two postpartum snack recipes into just about any variety/flavor of no-bake power/energy balls. Take some nut butter and dried fruit and roll up with whatever else you feel like adding (oats, chocolate chips, honey, coconut oil, flaxseed, cocoa, you name it!), then chill or freeze. This makes an easy snack much healthier than most packaged energy bites.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats (quick or traditional)
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 2 tbsp raw honey
- ¼ cup dried apple bites
Directions:
- Combine oats, ground flaxseed, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Mix well.
- Add almond butter, honey, and dried apples.
- Mix well again.
- Roll the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball—wet hands before rolling to prevent sticking.
- Place the bites on a plate and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm.
- Then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Enjoy!
Ways to Make Snacking Easier
Now that we’ve established healthy snack options and nutrients to prioritize after pregnancy, let’s discuss how to make snacking easier. Adjusting to your baby’s sleep schedule or completing any tasks within the first few weeks after birth may be challenging. One of the biggest ways to fit snacks into your daily routine is to plan.
Planning your meals is the best way to make healthy postpartum snacks as accessible as possible. First, it may be a good idea to list your favorite nutrient-dense snacks. Based on this list, you can then plan out when you will enjoy these snacks throughout your day and your baby’s day.
Establishing a routine after birth can be challenging. Preparing postpartum snacks that are simple, healthy, and nourishing can ease the issues that may arise when trying to get back to your body’s pre-pregnancy state. Just as crucial as nutrition was during your pregnancy, it is even more important now that your little one is here!
