Are you on the hunt for some dinner ideas for breastfeeding moms that ideally, aren’t too time-consuming? Then you’ve come to the right place. When you’re actively nursing your baby, you need to keep up your consumption of nutritionally dense and healthy foods. Based on how active you are, you may need to consume about an extra 500 calories a day. While that might seem like a lot of work, it actually isn’t.
Your body does not need any special fancy foods to keep up its milk production in most cases.
The only trouble is that taking care of a tiny human can take up a huge chunk of your day, and whipping up healthy, home-cooked meals can sometimes seem more difficult than it actually is.
Read on to discover some of the best dinner recipes to add to your breastfeeding meal plan that take very little kitchen time, and provide enough fuel and nourishment for you and your baby!
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So What’s a Good Dinner for Breastfeeding Moms?
There are certain foods that can help breastfeeding mothers more than others. They might offer more calories, or have a certain nutritive component, or might help stimulate lactation. Adding more of these foods that increase milk supply to your meals is a smart thing to do.
Best Foods for a Breastfeeding Mom
Here is a quick list of foods that offer a powerhouse of nutrients, energy and increase breastmilk supply to include in your breastfeeding dinner recipes:
- Oatmeal (read all about the benefits of oatmeal for breastfeeding!)
- Lentils and beans
- Quinoa
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
- Garlic
- Sweet potatoes
- Kale
- Carrots
- Bone Broth (read more about bone broth while breastfeeding here)
- Fennel
- Avocados
- Flax seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Dark meat chicken
- Shrimp
- Grass fed beef
Read more about foods that boost milk supply here.
Remember as you search for recipes to look for ones that contain these foods above, but also do not contain foods to avoid while breastfeeding that can irritate your baby.
Handpicked Breastfeeding Dinner Recipes
As a breastfeeding mom, you’ll need to focus on not just eating, but eating right, and while that might be easy to achieve during the day, dinners can be a bit stressful.
At is the end of the day, you are tired, and just want to relax and the idea of spending another 30 minutes in the kitchen to make dinner isn’t something you love, and that’s exactly why we’ve come up with a quick list of some of the best dinner ideas for breastfeeding moms.
Best Types of Easy Dinners
- Freezer meals – basically a frozen meal you put in the crock pot. Check out these breastfeeding freezer meal recipes.
- Sheet pan meals are super easy – just chop, season and bake
- Instant pot meals – require little hands on cooking
- Slow cooker/ crock pot meals – have dinner ready without stress. Try these breastfeeding soup recipes for easy week night meals.
- One pot meals – everything get cooked in one pot, so little fuss and clean up.
Want breastfeeding recipes for every meal? Check out these lactation recipes for making more breast milk.
EASY Lactation Dinner Recipes
This list below contains breastfeeding friendly recipes that are super easy to make, take little prep time, and are chock full of the healthy nutrients you need to keep yourself going! Plus they are all family friendly too!
Chicken soup for breastfeeding
A warm and comforting chicken lactation soup recipe loaded with nutrition that helps with milk supply perfect for breastfeeding moms. Super easy to make in the slow cooker or instant pot.
Fenugreek Chicken Thighs Recipe
Easy to make grilled fenugreek chicken thighs recipe perfect for breastfeeding moms wanting to boost milk supply.
One Pan Southwest Chicken & Quinoa Recipe
Packed with the goodness of quinoa and chicken, this one-pan meal is perfect when you want to dig into a nice, filling meal that doesn’t take too long to prepare.
Bonus points if you can throw in some more chopped veggies! What’s more, it is gluten-free too!
Superfoods: Quinoa and chicken, with their high protein content!
Tip: Throw in some sliced mushrooms and spinach to turn up the nutrient value! Top with a squeeze of lemon juice for some extra flavor!
Balsamic Chicken Thighs Sheet Pan Meal
With quick marination and just a few minutes of prep work, you can get this delicious and super healthy meal ready.
Plus, since it is a sheet pan meal, there’s very little to clean up after you’re done.
Superfoods: Chicken thighs and garlic are both excellent when it comes to boosting milk supply.
Tip: Swap the baby potatoes for sweet potatoes to give this meal more milk boosting power!
Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Nothing beats the feeling of digging into a bowl of comforting beef soup, and this Instant Pot version might just become your next favorite. It is super nourishing, is packed full of flavor and doesn’t take too long to prepare too.
Superfoods: Pearl barley, since it is loaded with fiber, which can help keep constipation at bay!
Tip: Leave out the tomatoes if you are breastfeeding a baby with acid reflux.
Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
An authentic Indian chicken curry with coconut milk that makes the perfect healthy dinner. The fenugreek and coconut milk in this recipe gives you a nice boost in breast milk supply.
Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
And here’s yet another sheet pan meal that’s worth a shot! Quick and delicious, they are a total hit among everyone in the family! You can do so much with the leftovers (if any) too!
Superfoods: Chicken and veggies, since they provide the perfect balance of protein, carbs and other nutrients.
Tip: Don’t have chicken? Try making this with beef or shrimp instead and it’ll turn out just as delicious.
Vegan Butter Chicken (Indian Butter Chickpeas)
This delicious and comforting meal is dairy free and gluten free and full of flavor. It's a great vegetarian spin on the classic Indian dish.
Superfoods: The chickpeas and coconut milk in this make for milk making goodness.
Tip: Chop and prep veggies that you frequently need on weekends, bag and freeze them. Then, all you need to do is empty a bag whenever you need to!
Chicken Taco Rice
This Mexican inspired recipe is yet another flavorful recipe that the entire family will love. You can also add in some more veggies to make it healthier!
Superfoods: Brown rice, since it has been found to help improve breast milk production in lactating mothers.
Tip: You can make this in a big batch, freeze the leftovers and then use them as a taco filing another day!
Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
This one’s my all time favorite when I’m on the hunt for dinner ideas for breastfeeding moms. It is incredibly simple and has those nice rustic flavors that make you feel oh-so-good! And of course, it is super duper healthy too!
Superfoods: The spinach in this recipe is a huge win, since it contains phytoestrogens and other nutrients that support lactation.
Tip: Swap the small potatoes for sweet potatoes, which have more fiber and vitamin C.
Easy Southwestern Quinoa Salad Recipe
No crazy steps or multiple pans and bowls. This easy one pan recipe is definitely worth a try, especially if you’ve been trying to consciously eat healthy and still keep your taste buds happy!
Superfoods: Quinoa, since it is an excellent natural source of magnesium, which in turn, helps boost the absorption of calcium in the body- a crucial nutrient needed during breastfeeding.
Tip: Sneak in some greens like kale or spinach into the mix. The intense flavors will mask their taste!
Sweet Potato Curry Recipe
And of course, you can never go wrong with a simple curry recipe right? This sweet potato curry is super yum and the definition of comfort food. Plus, it is kid-approved too!
Superfoods: Coconut cream and milk are great for breastfeeding moms, and have been found to help increase milk supply.
Tip: Add in some sliced mushrooms to make your dinner bowl even more healthy!
Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos | Whole30 & Paleo
This Paleo/Whole30 slow cooker flank steak recipe is keto, dairy free, and quick and easy to make! With just a few ingredients, you can have a delicious taco dinner ready with almost zero time in the kitchen. A great meal to get in extra protein!
One more idea – try sushi while breastfeeding for dinner!
Ready for dessert? Check out these lactation desserts you can make or buy!
More Breastfeeding Resources
Here at Birth Eat Love our goal is to make healthy eating easier for busy Moms during postpartum and breastfeeding.
Homemade breastfeeding snack recipes – this ebook has some great recipes that are low in sugar and dairy free for boosting milk supply.
Wondering what foods you can eat that will help increase your milk supply? This post has 11 real foods that you can eat today to make more milk and includes recipes, supplements and product suggestions.
Do you have a colicky or super fussy breastfed baby? There are some foods you may be eating that could be making your baby uncomfortable. Read about a few foods to avoid while breastfeeding here.
Looking for breastfeeding recipes that can help support your milk production? Here are 9 breastfeeding soups that you can make in the slow cooker or instant pot.
Interested in making freezer meals so you can have easy dinners? Check out this freezer meal ebook that has 12 recipes specifically designed to support breastfeeding and postpartum recovery.
Tired of trying to decide what to eat while breastfeeding? Reduce the thinking and stressing about meal time with this simple breastfeeding meal plan.
Trying to find a way to cope with the summer heat? Look no further with These refreshing iced teas
