milk maker cookies and nutrition for breastfeeding moms

My sweet friend Chelsea and her husband just welcomed another beautiful baby girl into their family!  Congrats to the whole clan!

After I had Noah, one of my closest friends sent me “milk maker” cookies.  This company is adorable, check out their logo…

too funny!

too funny!

These cookies tasted wonderful and were a quick snack; easy to eat with one hand while trying to care for a newborn!  They contain flax, brewer’s yeast and oats.  These ingredients are claimed to boost milk supply.

While I love the idea of using functional foods to boost milk production unfortunately, I learned in my CLC training that there is not enough scientific proof they actually work :(

But I say, who cares!  Eat those cookies girls…you deserve them!  I can only imagine the amount of calories burned during labor!

What has been proven to improve a mother’s milk supply is consuming adequate calories, which can be hard to do when you’ve got a new baby!  Making milk takes a lot of energy, upwards of 500 extra calories per day!  Women need to replenish their energy stores as to not become nutritionally depleted.

Breastfeeding Mommies, remember to:

-Consume 3 meals and at least 2 snacks per day

-Balance meals/snacks with fruits, veggies, grains, protein and healthy fats

-Continue taking your prenatal vitamins

-Drink to satisfy thirst

-Rest as much as possible!!! (Easier said than done!)

Oh yeah, and don’t forget to enjoy a cookie…

Here is my recipe for milk  maker cookies!

milk maker cookies ~flax, brewers yeast and oats~

Milk Maker Cookies

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brewers yeast (not bakers yeast!)

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 egg

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

-In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

-In a seperate bowl, cream together coconut oil, egg and vanilla extract.

-Combine dry and wet ingredients and stir in oats and chocolate chips.

-Using a teaspoon, evenly drop cookie dough on lined cookie sheets.

-Bake for 12-15 minutes.

-Serve to your favorite Momma!

milk maker cookies ~flax, brewers yeast and oats!~

www.beginwithinnutrition.com

lemon cilantro hummus

I am up to my ears in cilantro!  It is growing so fast and we can’t eat it fast enough!  I wish I could say the same is true for the rest of our veggies but something has been munching on the beans, red leaf lettuce and kale :(

I’ve been adding cilantro to salads, juices and soups but today I decided to throw it in hummus instead.  Hummus is so easy to make at home!  Not to mention it’s a lot cheaper!  Traditional hummus uses tahini, which is ground sesame seeds.  To most, sesame seeds are just “decoration” on bagels but they carry a lot of nutritional benefits.

sesame

Sesame seeds are believed to be one of the oldest foods dating back to prehistoric times.  Egyptians used sesame as medicine around 1500 B.C. and the oil was considered sacred.  Sesame seeds were first introduced to the United States in the 17th century.  They contain fiber, monounsaturated fats, minerals (iron and calcium) and a  lot of protein including the amino acids methionine and tryptophan.

However, the superstar of sesame seeds are lignans, an antioxidant that inhibits cholesterol to be manufactured in the liver as well as reducing the absorption of cholesterol from the diet.  This is good news for those who have high cholesterol!

Also, in Chinese medicine sesame seeds are believed to increase milk production in breastfeeding mothers.

Sesame seeds can be added to salads, granola, baked goods or in the form of tahini which is great in hummus and salad dressing.

cilantro lemon hummus1

Lemon Cilantro Hummus

1 can chickpeas

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

1/4 cup liquid from canned chickpeas

1/4 cup olive oil

juice from one lemon

3 heaping tablespoons tahini

1 large garlic clove

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro lemon hummus

-Reserve 1/4 cup of liquid from canned chickpeas.

-Drain and rinse chickpeas and place in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients.

-Blend until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides.

-Add salt and pepper to taste.

cilantro lemon hummus2

Somebody really like wearing it…I mean eating it!

www.beginwithinnutrition.com