Your guide to protein shakes while breastfeeding is here. Protein shakes offer a lot for breastfeeding mamas, including enough protein to meet nutritional needs, and an easy way to get more than just protein in one snack or meal. Protein shakes are helpful tools for new moms to keep up a healthy milk supply, increae milk production, and maintain a healthy diet that is so good for both mama and baby. Protein shakes are also used as a convenient way to get in extra protein, while also helping with weight loss. Protein is a powerful tool for burning fat and increasing milk volume. In our breastfeeding nutrition mastercourse, we go into more detail on exactly how powerful protein is for milk volume. Let's get into your guide on lactation protein powder, and everything you need to know about protein shakes as a breastfeeding mom by answering some common questions.
You might be wondering, what is a lactation shake?
Lactation shakes are growing in popularity because they are a super tasty and efficient way to increase your milk supply. Depending on how you make them, they are also a great way to manage your weight loss after baby in a natural, healthy way. They offer extra grams of high quality protein, taste amazing, clean ingredients, and usually include essential nutrients. A lactation protein shake is simply a protein powder mixed with water, milk or blended as a smoothie. Lactation protein powders usually include milk-boosting ingredients (Milk Dust offers a propietary, patent-pending lactation blend!), in addition to the protein and superfoods. Not all protein supplements offer additional ingredients for lactation, so those are not conisidered lactation protein shakes, unless you add the lactation ingredients in yourself.
What are the different kinds of lactation shakes?
There are many different kinds of lactation shakes on the market, most of them are plant-based proteins with pea protein, brown rice protein, or other vegan protein sources. Many new moms are looking for lactation protein shakes free of dairy products because many newborns are sensitive to dairy or whey protein powder. Whey and casein proteins are derived from animals, which can sometimes cause issues with babys' tummies. Vegan protein shakes are often the best protein powder options, but it is important to ensure they are clean and tested for heavy metals. A lactation shake will also have a lactation-boosting component to it, which differentiates it from traditional meal replacement shakes.
Milk Dust in particular is one of the best protein shakes for new mums because it offers complete and essential amino acids. it is free of artificial sweeteners, full of natural ingredients, and a safe protein powder full of a patent-pending formula of herbs and ingredients proven to increase the production of breast milk. It is also filled with Folate (methylated), and vitamin B12, which is essential to increasing energy levels. Milk Dust is tested for heavy metals, made here in the US, with one of the best ingredients list on the market for any breastfeeding mama. The best way to drink Milk Dust is to mix with your favorite milk, or blend up in one of our amazing smoothie recipes! Grab the free recipe book right now.
How do lactation shakes help with weight loss?
The key to using your lactation shake to help with weight loss is to make sure you have an awesome protein base, like Milk Dust, as well as fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. This is an amazing combination because it combines filling fiber with satiating protein. Fiber is bulky and takes up space in your stomach and intestines. You can only eat so much cauliflower or broccoli without getting stuffed or gassy. Protein is very satiating because it takes a long time to digest, as well as being difficult to break down. It costs more calories to break down protein, so you are actually burning more calories by consuming protein. Milk Dust uses pea protein, which offers a complete amino acid profile, in addtion to lactation-boosting protein from chia seeds, flax seeds and brown rice protein.
In addition to being full of fiber and protein, lactation shakes are nutritional powerhouses if you add in fresh or frozen fruits and veggies.
Lactation shakes give your body the nutrients it needs to function properly. Without these nutrients, your body will signal its needs through cravings, mainly sugar cravings. By providing proper nutrition to your body while breastfeeding, you are eliminating the need for cravings, as your body is able to replenish nutrient stores. Your body needs these nutrients to heal, and nourish another human being. This is where many of the cravings breastfeeding mamas experience kick in. Their body wants to make sure both mama and baby have what they need.
Lactation smoothies also combat sugar cravings, because they are sweet!
Lactation smoothies are an awesome way to taste something rich, creamy and sweet, which helps tremendously with sugar cravings. Actually eating something sweet really helps eliminate sugar cravings. The key is to eat something sweet that is nutritious. There are so many options for lactation shakes to taste like brownies, milk shakes, peanut butter cups and vanilla bean frappucinos. Nothing is more satisfying as a new mom, then being able to eat something that tastes like dessert, that is also going to help you with milk supply and weight loss.
Try these galactagogues for the perfect lactation shake:
In order to make your lactation shake super strength for your milk supply, you want to add galactagogues, or milk-boosting ingredients to your shake. Milk Dust of course offers a unique lactation blend consisting of fenugreek, fennel, brewer's yeast, milk thistle and red raspberry leaf. All of these have been shown to increase milk supply. These are some of the most potent ingredients that aren't easy to manually add to shakes.
Some additional herbs and milk-boosting ingredients include:- Flax seeds (also in Milk Dust)
- Chia seeds (also in Milk Dust)
- Pumpkin seeds (also in Milk Dust)
- Oatmeal - can blend up really well in any shake!
- Brewer's Yeast - (also in Milk Dust, and can taste icky in shakes, so go lightly!)
These ingredients are going to be essential to making the perfect lactation shake. Without them, it isn't considered a lactation shake. What else makes the perfect lactation shake?
The Essentials To Creating The Perfect Lactation Smoothie That Boosts Milk Supply Fast + Helps With Weight Loss:
Frozen Veggies and/or Fruit:
Frozen veggies or frozen fruit are going to make your lactation smoothie creamy, cool and thicker. You also get a shake, or ice cream-like texture with frozen fruit and veggies. What are some good frozen fruits and veggies? Here are our top choices:
- Frozen banana
- Frozen cauliflower (rice blends better, and you can't taste the cauliflower!)
- Frozen zucchini (can't taste zucchini)
- Frozen avocado (blends super well with Milk Dust, and very creamy)
- Frozen mango (also blends very creamy!)
- Frozen berries of all kinds
- Frozen pineapple, peaches, kiwi and other fruits
If you want your lactation smoothie to be particularly low in carbs, and higher in protein, choose a frozen veggie as your base. This will keep the sugar as low as possible.
Fresh Fruits + Spinach:
Adding in fresh fruits and spinach makes a wonderful lactation shake because you are getting more flavor. By adding in the fresh flavors, you get more sweetness. Some of the flavoring is lost in freezing fruits, so having some fresh berries, apples, oranges, avocado and other fruits on had is a really good idea. Spinach is the fresh veggie that loses a lot of its taste in smoothies, but still blends well and adds bulk. Fresh fruits and spinach help you get a bigger smoothie, that is more satisfying.
A Good Milk Choice:
Your milk choice makes a big difference in how your lactation smoothie will blend. Almond milk tends to be the most popular, and it blends well, but not as creamy as a full-fat milk like coconut milk or half-and-half. Milk Dust is dairy-free, but if you aren't sensitive to dairy, combining a couple tablespoons of half-and-half with a lighter milk, like almond milk, adds a rich, creamy texture that resembles ice cream. If you are dairy free, adding a few tablespoons of coconut cream makes an amazing smoothie that is full of healthy fats and nutrients. Milk Dust in particular thickens to a creamy texture when blended with a fattier source like avocado, cream, coconut cream or even an almond milk creamer. Here are some different milk choices you can try:
- Almond milk
- Cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Coconut cream
- Oat milk
- Non-fat milk
- Non-fat half-and-half (creamier without the fat)
- Whole milk
Depending on the consistency you want, the more fat the milk has, the creamier the consistency of the shake. Combining a lighter milk like almond milk, with just a little bit of coconut cream or regular cream is a great middle ground to still have a light shake with a decadent taste.
A Protein Source:
Adding protein is essential to make your lactation shake satisfying and satiation, and protein is an essential macro nutrient for postpartum mamas. It is actually passed through breast milk to baby, and does wonders for a growing baby. Milk Dust is a plant-based protein source. No soy, dairy, hemp or animal proteins. It consists of a complete amino profile from peas, and also has organic brown rice protein, chia seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. The protein from this blend covers additional nutrient needs that are important to postpartum mamas. Without a protein source in a lactation shake, the fruits, veggies and milk will not blend as well. The powders really help thicken and mix the ingredients together. In the absence of a good, nutrient-dense and clean protein powder, there isn't much protein in your shake. This leaves a major macro nutrient out of your diet.
These are your main essentials to create your perfect lactation shake. The fun aspect of the lactation shakes is the ability to change and have fun with your ingredients. Most of the time, you will find your go-to flavors and ingredients that work well for busy days and weeks. There are many options to make your lactation shakes into desserts, for those times when sugar cravings really hit hard.
Milk Dust specifically helps with sugar cravings, satiation, nourishment and milk supply because it combines specific ingredients, superfoods and galactagogues. It was specifically created to ensure postpartum, breastfeeding mamas are getting the nutrients they need to support breastfeeding and let go of stored fat.
