Nutty Oatmeal for New Mom's #recipe

For every new mom, we make a few packs of wholesome oatmeal to take to their first postpartum appointment. Why?

Well, because oatmeal is an awesome whole crain that lowers cholesterol. It is a super food, so while you may or may not be breastfeeding, it is just really healthy to incorporate into your every day routine.

Add in spices, nuts, seeds and a bit of sweetness...it's the perfect breakfast for a new mom who may have been up all night cluster feeding a growing newborn, tending to older children, trying to remember to sleep.

And, oh yeah...eat to fuel her body. Being a mom is exhausting, so if we can help by bringing breakfast...by all means we will!

1/2 cup oats
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp flaxseed
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp hemp seed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp walnuts

Add boiling water or steamed milk (or almond milk if you are dairy free), and let stand for 2-5minutes. Mix together...and enjoy!

xoxo
Shannon

Lactation Granola Bars #recipe

This Spring when prepping food for a postpartum client, I developed a recipe for a delicious lactation granola bar. After testing out a few versions, I finally settled on one that I was really happy with and one that my clients really enjoy.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together...

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut oil (no substitutes here!)

When those are combined, you can opt to add 1 cup of chocolate chips (dark for added health benefits) or you can move on to adding the dry ingredients.

Add to your saucepan....

 2.5 cups oats
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Mix together well and then pour into a 9"x11" pan. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until firm, about an hour or two. When they are firm and you are ready to cut them, let them sit out for 10-15 minutes to make cutting them into bars a bit easier.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container, or freeze in a bag. Enjoy these cold, as they will get a bit melty when they're sitting out for a bit.

Toddler approved! These bars also make a great after school snack, or a hearty brain-boosting breakfast on rushed mornings.

Stuffed Mushrooms for Breastfeeding Moms

This recipe is nutrient packed for breastfeeding moms, and it probably one of the yummiest, heartiest and healthiest dinners that I made all winter. I have two variations of it: dinner with large portobello caps, and appetizer with minis!

Mushrooms and spinach are fantastic for breastmilk supply, and bacon....well....it's bacon. It should be in everything.

4 large portobello mushroom caps
3 slices of bacon, chopped
2 cups of spinach, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-2 cups of goat cheesse
shredded cheese for topping

Preheat your oven to 400F

Chop your bacon into small pieces, then brown in a hot skillet. Remove and drain away the excess grease, then return to the pan. Add in your chopped garlic and spinach, cooking just long enough to heat up and wilt the spinach.

Remove and mix well with your goat cheese, then fill your mushroom caps. Top with  shredded cheese and place the caps on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes at 400F, then broil for 2-3 minutes to make the cheese nice and bubbly.

These stuffed mushrooms are amazing and hearty. We each had two for our dinner one night in February, and it was definitely enough to fill us up, without feeling guilt about what we ate.

To make mini versions, simply fill mini portobello mushroom caps with a half tablespoon of your filling, top with a little bit of cheese and bake for 5 minutes, until tender.

Apple Cinnamon Oat Bread #recipe

This is a super easy and yummy bread recipe that will support breastfeeding moms, and is great for the whole family! Warm up a slice in the toaster and smother with butter or honey...mmmm! So good!

The recipe works best on the French setting for your bread maker. Select your crust color preference, and then add to your baking pan

1 cup + 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cooking oil (I use canola)
6oz applesauce (I used homemade applesauce, 6 cubes of baby food puree)
3 cups flour
5 tsp flax seed
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oats

Now you need to add the yeast to your bread pan. Make a small well in the centre, and add 1tsp of quick rise yeast. Make sure that the yeast doesn't touch any of the wet ingredients!

Press start and watch the dough get kneaded. I usually monitor this process fairly closely to ensure that the dough ball forms properly. If your dough isn't coming together and seems to be fairly dry, just add a bit of water (one teaspoon or drizzle at a time) until it does. Similarly, if it is too wet, sprinkle flour on the top of your dough ball until it tightens up.

At the end of the baking cycle, unplug your bread maker and prop the lid up with an oven mit to let the steam out. Allow your bread to cool for a few minutes in the bread maker, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Best enjoyed fresh, but certainly can be frozen (sliced or whole). If you are enjoying it fresh, once it has cooled completely, pop your loaf into a plastic bag and lightly tie it up to prevent the loaf from drying out.

Yield: one 1.5 lb loaf of delicious bread!

Cranberry Walnut Lactation Muffin Recipe for Breastfeeding Moms

Have a baby on the way and not really sure where to start with stocking your freezer? Most often we turn to casseroles, but a lot can be said for stocking your freezer with healthy snacks, and ones that support breastfeeding if you know that is something you want to do.

Granola Bars
Muffins
Cookies
Waffles
Pancakes

These are all things that I make for my postpartum doula clients, as one basic recipe can stretch into a load of different, yummy varieties!

Preheat oven to 400F

2.5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp flax seed
5 tbsp ground oats
1/2 cup melted butter
1.5 cups milk
2 beaten eggs

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl, adding more milk as necessary to thin the batter. Once mixed, add in two big handfuls of dried cranberries, one big handful of chopped walnuts and 2tsp cinnamon.

Line your muffin tin with paper cups, then add batter to the cups so they are about 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 18 minutes, then allow to cool slightly in the pan. Remove and transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely.

Toss them into freezer bags and store in the freezer! They make a perfect breakfast or snack, and the cinnamon, flax, oats, nuts and cranberries all support lactation!

Carrot Ginger #juice #recipe for Breastfeeding Moms

Proper nutrition when you are breastfeeding is super important, and something that I have been doing alot of research on to help out my postpartum doula clients.

Breastfeeding didn't exactly go as planned for me, so I wanted to make sure that I had a load of knowledge in my doula toolkit...what to eat, how to create a comfortable environment, touch base with local lactation consultants etc.

One way to get amazing lactation boosting nutrients is to juice, and juicing is something that I have become pretty proficient at over the past year, so it is something that I really love to be able to provide my clients with. A fresh juice, delivered to your door? Pretty awesome.

Now, when I'm making juice for my doula clients, I usually like to make a big batch, then transfer it into a sealed pitcher that they can put in the fridge. Fresh made juices can keep 24-48 hours once chilled (max. 72 hrs)

7 apples (cored)
5 large carrots (rinsed)
3 pears (cored)
3" ginger (peeled)
1 lemon (rind removed, white pith left on)

Yes, that's a lot of produce but it will yield about 50oz of that beautiful vibrant orange juice that you see above! Since all of the ingredients are firm, the order that you push everything through your juicer doesn't really matter.

Once you've juiced everything (you may have to take a break to transfer some into your pitcher, then resume juicing), swirl it together in your pitcher then seal it up, and refrigerate.

If you're not fond of the ginger flavor, add another lemon. Lemons and apples naturally cut strong flavors when juicing, and both are great lactation boosters.

Cherry Berry Carrot Apple Flax Waffle Recipe

Last fall, I noticed that one thing was consistent with my son's lunches: the containers of applesauce+veggies were coming home. He ate it the first day, even picked out more varieties at the grocery store, and then....they came home.

So, waste not...want not! I developed a recipe that incorporates them and gets some added goodness from ground flax.

Preheat your waffle iron so it is nice and hot when you need to drop your batter.

2 cups flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
5 tbsp ground flax

Once you have blended your dry ingredients together, mix in your wet ingredients.

1 1/2 cups milk
2 beaten eggs
1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup cherry berry carrot applesauce

Mix well and ensure all of your dry ingredients are combined into the batter.

I like using an ice cream scoop to drop my batter. This makes the waffles a little smaller, which is perfect for school lunches and small hands. Let cook for 4.5-5mins

And here's a bonus...all of the ingredients are lactation boosting and breastfeeding friendly! Make a batch and pop them in the freezer, then when you're in a pinch for breakfast for yourself or your kids, reheat in the toaster!

Gingerbread Oatmeal for Breastfeeding Moms #recipe

While this recipe has been specifically built to support breastfeeding moms and breastmilk supply, don't be fooled. It is certainly a recipe that the entire family can enjoy, and one that makes a meal bowl of oatmeal that will have you thinking of freshly baked gingerbread cookies.

1/2 cup oats
1 tbsp flax seed
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine well in a bowl, and then add boiling water or hot milk (or almond milk if you're staying away from dairy). Let stand for two minutes, and then enjoy!