This healthy lactation smoothie is the perfect energy-boosting snack for expecting and postpartum mamas. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make, you can even prep the ingredients ahead of time, and I have 8 different smoothie flavor options for you!
Medically reviewed and co-written by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Lactation Smoothie
Staying hydrated and energized is no small feat during pregnancy and postpartum. Between taking care of your body during pregnancy and then the constant demands of taking care of a newborn, your nutrition needs are high. That’s why this lactation smoothie is a lifesaver.
This lactation smoothie is packed full of nutrients, including calcium, fiber, potassium, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s the perfect smoothie to keep you feeling satiated and hydrated, while supporting your digestive system and keeping constipation struggles at bay. Plus, it contains ingredients like flax seeds, brewer’s yeast, and oats that can help with your milk supply.
I also love that you can whip up this lactation smoothie in under 5 minutes, making it a quick and simple way to help get your recommended intake of nutrients for the day. This lactation smoothie can be an easy addition to part of your breakfast, lunch, or dinner when you don’t feel like you have the time or energy to cook a large meal.
If you are looking for more easy and healthy recipes to support you while breastfeeding, then be sure to check out these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies, my favorite Lactation Brownies, or this entire guide on the Best Foods to Eat While Breastfeeding. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Reasons to Love this Easy Lactation Smoothie
- great source of vitamins and minerals
- energy boosting
- helps to satisfy hunger
- may help with breast milk supply
- quick to make for part of your breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack
- customizable – swap out different fruits or veggies as needed
- can be made dairy and gluten-free
- ingredients can be prepared in advance
- perfect one-handed snack for busy moms
Ingredients of Base Lactation Smoothie
- Spinach: fresh works best – rich in fiber and many nutrients, including vitamins A, C, K, iron, folate, and potassium.
- Peaches: frozen works best – it provides vitamin C, fiber, potassium, folate, and antioxidants.
- Banana: makes this smoothie wonderfully creamy and provides fiber, vitamins, and potassium, use frozen if you can, but fresh will also work.
- Milk: you can make this smoothie using any milk you prefer – regular or any plant-based milk such as almond, coconut, oat or soy.
- Honey: adding a sweetener is optional, but adding honey is a great way to sweeten smoothies naturally; you can also use maple syrup, agave nectar, or 2 pitted dates.
- Flax Seeds: rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, flax seeds support digestion. Use ground flax seeds, as our bodies have a hard time digesting whole flax seeds. You can also sub out the flax seeds for chia seeds if you prefer.
- Brewers Yeast: one of the ingredients that can help with lactation, ground brewer’s yeast can be bought at any health food store or online. You only need a small quantity in recipes, so a package lasts a while.
- Oats: rolled oats or steel-cut oats are best, as they have a more neutral flavor and a softer texture, which makes them easier to blend.
Tip: For a gluten-free smoothie, make sure you are using certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free brewer’s yeast. Most brewer’s yeast is a byproduct of the beer brewing process and contains gluten from the barley used to make beer. There are some brands of brewer’s yeast created using sugar beets and are certified gluten-free.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender.
- Blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
- Pour into a glass and enjoy. I suggest using a stainless steel travel mug so the smoothie stays cold longer, as you may get interrupted by your little one while trying to finish your smoothie.
Ingredients that May Increase Milk Supply
Certain foods may help support your milk supply, though there is limited scientific evidence to prove this due to a lack of studies, despite these foods being used by women for centuries to help with lactation. You may want to add these to your diet to see if they help, but in moderation. Always consult your provider with any questions.
Oats: Oats contain fiber, iron, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients that nursing mothers need. Beta-glucan is a special type of fiber that can increase the hormone prolactin, which allows the breasts to make milk. Oats are also high in iron, which not getting enough of can have a negative impact on breastfeeding.
Ground Flax Seeds: Flax seeds contain phytoestrogens that can help increase milk production. They also contain calcium, magnesium, and zinc needed for breastfeeding. Use ground flax seeds for easier digestion and to get the most benefits out of them.
Brewer’s Yeast: Brewer’s yeast contains protein, B vitamins, iron, and chromium, which are all needed to support lactation. Don’t confuse it with nutritional yeast, which is a very different product!
Tools Needed
Nutritional Benefits of Lactation Smoothie
Smoothies can be packed with tons of nutrients important for mama and her growing baby, but it’s usually best to make them yourself rather than going to a smoothie bar where they are oversized and packed with too much sugar. Here are a few reasons to sip on your smoothie:
- Folate for baby’s brain development and prevention of neural tube defects and growth of the placenta
- Calcium for baby’s bone development
- Fiber to help keep mom’s digestive system regular and prevent constipation and hemorrhoids
- Iron to help deliver oxygen to your baby and build up baby’s iron stores
- Protein to help support the growth and development of your baby
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids for baby’s brain development
- Potassium helps maintain fluid balance in cells
- Choline for baby’s brain development and preventing neural tube defects
- Vitamin A helps form healthy skin and eyesight and bone development
- Vitamin C to help support mom’s immune system
Frequently Asked Questions
Lactation smoothies are a great way to get nutrient-rich foods into your routine quickly when you don’t feel like cooking or eating bigger meals. They can help with milk production, hydration, and digestion, as well as nutrition for both you and your baby.
No, you do not have to add in the brewer’s yeast. Adding in brewer’s yeast is optional, but it is one of the ingredients that can help with lactation support. So by leaving it out, you are not getting those benefits. You may want to sub a little more oats to replace the amount of brewer’s yeast if you leave it out.
Additional Smoothie Recipes
Never get bored with these 8 additional lactation smoothies ideas! Using the base pregnancy smoothie recipe below, you can easily create other smoothie flavors with just a few easy ingredient substitutions.
- Kale Yay: substitute the spinach for 1 cup of loosely packed, fresh or frozen kale
- Mango-licious: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen mango chunks
- Strawberry Blast: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen strawberries (shown above)
- Tropical Oasis: substitute the peaches with 1/2 cup frozen pineapple and 1/2 cup frozen mango and add in 2 tbsp shredded coconut flakes
- Blueberry Maven: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: substitute the peaches with 1 frozen banana (there will be 2 bananas total) and add in 1 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp peanut butter (shown above)
- Mix-it-Up Berry: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
- Probiotic Power House: substitute in milk with 1/2 cup of kefir or yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk
Recipe Tips
- Use a good quality, high-powered blender for the best smoothie consistency
- If your smoothie turns out too thin, then add in some ice. If your smoothie is too thick, add more milk.
- Prep ahead for the week by combining all ingredients except for milk in reusable freezer bags
- Using frozen fruit is helpful to get your smoothie to a creamy consistency – but if you need to use fresh fruit, simply toss in a handful of ice cubes to make your smoothie thick and chilled
- For more protein, you can add in 1 scoop of your preferred protein powder, or add in 1 tablespoon of your favorite nut butter.
- 1 cup spinach, loosely packed
- 1 cup frozen peaches
- 1 ripe banana, frozen works best
- 1 cup milk, regular or any plant-based milk
- 1-2 tbsp honey, agave nectar or maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tbsp rolled (old-fashioned) oats
- 1 tsp brewer’s yeast
- 1 tsp ground flax seeds
- Kale Yay: substitute the spinach for 1 cup of loosely packed, fresh or frozen kale
- Mango-licious: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen mango chunks
- Strawberry Blast: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen strawberries (shown above)
- Tropical Oasis: substitute the peaches with 1/2 cup frozen pineapple and 1/2 cup frozen mango and add in 2 tbsp shredded coconut flakes
- Blueberry Maven: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: substitute the peaches with 1 frozen banana (there will be 2 bananas total) and add in 1 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp peanut butter (shown above)
- Mix-it-Up Berry: substitute the peaches with 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
- Probiotic Power House: substitute in milk with 1/2 cup of kefir or yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk