Snack Ideas for New Moms…And others whose schedules are dominated by forces outside themselves

Exactly two months ago I gave birth to a beautiful, perfect, and wonderful baby boy…which means that two months and one day ago was the last day that I had full control over my daily schedule.  Since then, I have added another certification to my title and am no longer just a CCN (Certified Clinical Nutritionist) but am also a CMC (Certified Milk Cow) on constant duty for my little bundle of joy.   Since I continue to be his only source of nourishment, it’s just as important to take care of myself and eat the way I did when I was pregnant but I must admit it’s harder to do that when the baby is outside your tummy!  Our days are filled with conversations like, “Hold on a second honey, Mommy needs to finish eating this deviled egg or you’re  not going to have enough cholesterol in your milk to help you form healthy brain connections so just stop crying and think about that for a minute”.

I know my situation is unique to me but I figured there were many of you out there with equally demanding schedules who may not always get the opportunity to sit down and eat a full meal and instead rely on several snacks throughout the day.  To keep blood sugar levels stable and promote optimum body composition, it’s important to eat often and include healthy fat and/or protein in every snack.  Here are some quick ideas:

• Hard boiled eggs
• Deviled eggs made with homemade mayo using healthy oil or Vegenaise Grapeseed mayo (I usually hard boil 6 eggs at a time and make up a batch of these all at once since they take time to prepare)
• Raw, whole milk cheese and crackers
• Nut butter and apple slices
• Tuna salad and crackers.  Buy yellowfin or skipjack (also known as “chunk light”) tuna as opposed to albacore to reduce mercury content.  These varieties have about 1/3 the mercury content of albacore, but they do still contain some mercury so limit this snack to once per week.
• Egg salad and crackers
• Berries and fresh whipping cream
• Raw nuts (for easier digestion, soak overnight and dry in a low-temp oven or dehydrator)
• Smoked salmon, with or without crackers
• Hummus and celery or carrot sticks
• Olives
• Beef jerky, preferably from grassfed cows or at least cows raised on organic feed such as Golden Valley Natural Certified Organic Beef Jerky, 3-Ounce Pouches (Pack of
• Yogurt – buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with honey, stevia, xylitol, and/or fruit
• Fruit smoothie made with coconut milk, yogurt, kefir, goats milk, or raw milk
• Kombucha (doesn’t contain protein or fat, but is really excellent as a light refreshment)
• Protein shakes – you can buy plain protein and blend this into a smoothie or buy a flavored protein that mixes quickly with water and tastes good.  My favorite is Essential Meal by Marilyn Farms.  I generally don’t recommend soy protein shakes for pregnant or nursing women because of the effect the plant estrogens can have on the baby – in my opinion, soy intake overall should be limited to one serving or less per week when babies are involved.

I hope these help you!  If you have other snacks that work well for your busy schedule, please share them in the Comments section – I’m always looking for new ideas and I know my baby would appreciate some variety in his milk flavors!