Breastfeeding Grocery List

Eating a healthy diet while breastfeeding is just as important as during pregnancy. Friends may also tell you that breast milk has a way of meeting baby’s nutritional needs, even when you are not eating perfectly. However, when you don’t get the nutrients that baby needs, your body draws from its own stores or reserves.

Therefore, you should continue to take a prenatal or a multivitamin while breastfeeding, and talk to your doctor about supplements for calcium, Vitamin D, and DHA, if your multivitamin does not have the AAP recommended values for breastfeeding women (calcium = 1000 mg, vitamin D = 600 IU or micrograms, DHA = 200-300 mg per day).

Here is a breastfeeding grocery list that can jump-start a healthy breastfeeding diet. The most nutrient-packed choices are listed at the top of each food group.

Colorful vegetables (select a few and mix them up each week)

sweet potatoes
bell peppers
broccoli
avocados
winter squash
tomatoes
artichokes
carrots
cauliflower
beets
green peas
asparagus
Brussels sprouts
summer squash
parsley

Dark green, leafy vegetables

spinach
kale
Swiss chard or collard greens

Colorful fruits(select a few)

blueberries
blackberries
raspberries
strawberries
cantaloupe
kiwi
papaya
mango
bananas
oranges
grapefruit
apples
cherries
pineapple
watermelon

Dried Fruits

apricots
dates
raisins
figs

* Eating apricots and dates can increase prolactin, which is the hormone that tells your body to produce milk.

Whole grains

quinoa
fortified cereal (Total, All-Bran)
oatmeal
100% whole wheat bread
whole wheat tortillas or pitas
whole grain or protein-fortified pasta
brown rice
whole grain crackers
baked chips

Beans

lentils
soybeans/edamame
chickpeas/garbanzo
black beans
pinto beans*
kidney beans*

Lean meats and proteins (remove the skin and fat before cooking)

beef (95-98% fat free)
pork
chicken breast
lamb
tofu*

Dairy products (you don’t need whole fats for rich breast milk)

low fat Greek yogurt
low-fat milk, with vitamin D and DHA
soy or almond milk (with calcium; almond milk works well if dairy makes baby fussy)
cottage cheese
string cheese
cream cheese

Fish and seafood *Mayo Clinic list

*Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA)

wild salmon*
anchovies*
herring* (Atlantic)
sardines*
trout
shrimp (wild North American)
pollock
canned light tuna (SafeCatch Wild Tuna is mercury-tested)
canned salmon (SafeCatch Wild Salmon is mercury-tested)

Eggs

eggs fortified with omega-3 acids

Nuts, Seeds, and Popcorn

walnuts*
almonds
pumpkin seeds*
sunflower seeds
ground flax seeds*
popcorn
peanut butter (natural)

Beverages

calcium-fortified orange juice
100% fruit juice
vegetable juices
sparkling water

Baking and Condiments

whole wheat flour
organic ketchup
all fruit, low sugar preserves

Fun

Pink Drink at Starbucks (women are lighting up the Internet claiming this drink increases milk supply with coconut milk, strawberries, and Starbucks’ Strawberry Acai Refresher; has light caffeine)
Green juice blend from Jamba Juice, or your local smoothie shop
Mother’s Milk Herbal Tea (A natural way to boost breast milk production for nursing mothers)

Elimination Diet Grocery List

If baby is perpetually uncomfortable with food sensitivities to your diet, you may want to go cold turkey (literally) and try an elimination diet. An elimination diet consists of the least allergenic foods in each of the major food groups.

turkey
lamb
potatoes
sweet potatoes
rice
rice pasta
pears
zucchini
yellow squash

If baby seems to be doing better, gradually add the following healthy foods:

apples
bananas
avocado
asparagus
carrots
rolled oats
yogurt
kefir
chicken
wild salmon

Essential Nutrients for Baby and Mom

Wild salmon and a fresh salad

Vitamin A (helps develop a baby’s heart, eyes, and immune system): Sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, meats and eggs.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin enables the body to use carbohydrates as energy): Fish, pork, seeds, nuts and bread.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin helps break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates): Cheese, almonds, nuts, red meat, oily fish and eggs.
Vitamin B6 (helps produce protein for new cells, form new red blood cells, and boost immunity): Seeds, nuts, fish, poultry, pork, bananas and dried fruit.
Vitamin B12 (healthy brain and nervous function, produces red blood cells, helps body convert carbs to energy): Shellfish, liver, oily fish, crab and shrimp.
Vitamin C (immune system, helps to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals): oranges, kiwi, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and cauliflower
Vitamin D (needed for health and to maintain strong bones): Fish liver oil, low-mercury oily fish, some mushrooms and fortified foods (milk, OJ).
Choline (impacts liver function, healthy brain development, muscle movement, your nervous system and metabolism): Eggs, fish and peanuts.
Folate (healthy development of a baby’s brain and spinal cord): Beans, lentils, leafy greens, asparagus, fortified cereals and avocados.
Calcium (build strong bones and teeth): Milk, yogurt, cheese, leafy greens (spinach), broccoli and legumes.
Iron (makes hemoglobin that carries oxygen to your organs and tissues, prevents iron-deficiency anemia): Red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, beans, green vegetables and dried fruit.
Copper (Together with iron, it enables the body to form red blood cells): Shellfish, whole grains, nuts, beans, organ meats and potatoes.
Zinc (needed for the body’s defensive/immune system to properly work): Oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts and dairy.
Selenium (helps your body make special proteins, called antioxidant enzymes, that help prevent cell damage): Brazil nuts, seafood, fish, whole wheat and seeds.
Iodine (helps the body’s thyroid gland make hormones): Dried seaweed, cod, milk and iodized salt.
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA for development of the brain and nervous system): wild salmon and fortified eggs, milk

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