This overnight oatmeal with chia seeds will bring a lot of nutrients to your body and will also help with the quality of milk. You can further enrich this recipe by adding a well known lactation boosting ingredient mentioned below. And did I mention that it tastes simply delicious?

It might be hard sometimes to be a nursing mom, we all know that. With all the concerns you have in mind, the last thing you need to worry about is what to cook next; and whether you are getting all the essential nutrition that you and your little one needs.

You probably discovered by now that there is a link between nutrition and milk supply. The foods you eat can affect the quantity and quality of breast milk.

While it’s crucial to keep breastfeeding your little one, it is also extremely important to pay attention to what you eat.

Nutritious meals and snacks during the day are one of the best ways to be sure that your baby has a constant milk supply. These nutrients will also support you as a breastfeeding parent since your body needs more energy and fuel in this period.

This overnight Oats recipe contains several ingredients to increase the milk supply. In addition to this, the lactation boosting overnight oatmeal is very easy to prepare (you just mix some ingredients and leave them in the refrigerator all night long) and tastes divine. The best thing is that the recipe can be tailored to suit your taste and needs.

Benefits of overnight oatmeal

  • You will get a great amount of fibers and healthy fats.
  • It can be prepared in advance and doesn’t take much to mix the ingredients, leaving you enough time to spend with your little one and even do something nice for you. Because you certainly deserve this!
  • You can add brewers yeast to boost the lactation, aside from oatmeal and coconut milk which are already know for this characteristic. This type of yeast is used for making bread, beer or wine and is different from nutritional yeast. Like all the yeasts, it contains a high amount of vitamin B. Only one teaspoon added to the overnight oatmeal will do the work and help you increase the milk supply.
  • Due to the high amount of fiber, oats are a great food to include in your post-pregnancy diet. Frequent consumption will bring a lot of energy because this cereal is a complex carbohydrate which is digested slowly. Eating enough fibers can keep you away from diabetes.
  • Coconut milk contains good saturated fats, perfect for having a rich and creamy milk for your baby. Also, one of the fats from coconuts (called Monolaurin) is said to support the growth of brain cells. It would then be advisable to introduce coconut milk to your diet so your little one will benefit from it.
  • Chia seeds are a great source of essential fats, calcium, protein and iron. Each one of these nutrients is essential for breastfeeding moms.
  • Apricots can also nourish your body since they contain certain chemicals with the ability of balancing the hormone levels. While they are low in calories, apricots have a lot of antioxidants which can protect you against diabetes or heart disease. High in water, these fruits contribute to the good hydration of your body.
  • Including blueberries in your overnight oatmeal is always an excellent idea. Labeled as a superfood, these goodies contain so many antioxidants that the other fruits could be jealous. They are great for keeping the cholesterol levels to a desired value, lowering blood pressure, reduce muscle damage and keep you fit and healthy.

All that being said, I hope you decided to give this recipe a try.

How to prepare the overnight oatmeal?

  • A jar or glass recipient where you will combine all the ingredients. These jars are specially great and they are made of quality glass.
  • A tablespoon or small spatula to mix everything
  • You may use quick oats, rolled oats, whatever you have at hand.
  • Chia seeds. They have the ability of absorbing the liquid and will turn everything into a kind of pudding. we love these organic non gmo certified chia seeds.
  • Coconut milk. I actually used a coconut based drink, not canned milk. The one from the can contains a lot of fat and chia seeds don’t have enough liquid to expand.
  • Coconut sugar. It has a delicious taste and gives a caramel-like flavor to the oatmeal.
  • They are sweet and a bit crunchy, having just a perfect texture. Besides from topping the jars with blueberries, I like to mix a few inside too. When running into one of them, my taste buds feel like they’re having a nice surprise.
  • Apricots have a bit sour touch which pairs perfectly with the sweetness of blueberries.

 

Substitutions for the recipe

Did I tell you that this recipe is amazing? I guess I did, several times. And here is another reason why: you may replace some of the ingredients with ones that you really enjoy.

  • For example, if you don’t like coconut milk, go for cow or goat milk. In case you want a vegan alternative, any of the following will fit in: almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, spelt milk, etc.
  • Chia seeds can be replaced with flax seeds. They also contain omega-3 and other good fats. And they have the ability of absorbing any liquid, just like chia seeds. One option would be to use half quantity chia seeds, half flax seeds.
  • You may add any fruit you prefer or you have at hand, it isn’t mandatory to use blueberries and apricots. Strawberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, apples… any of them will fit in perfectly.
  • I like to add a bit of coconut sugar for the caramel taste, but feel free to use any sweetener you like: brown sugar, honey, stevia, maple syrup.

 

Extra add-ins for the overnight oatmeal

Another way to adjust the recipe to meet your preferences is to add some ingredients you love.

The first category would be flavors. Go for:

  • Vanilla
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg

You may add some crunchiness to the overnight oat with nuts and seeds:

  • Hemp seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Crushed almonds
  • Chopped cashews
  • Pecans

 

Another great add-in would be half of scoop of protein powder. If you do so, pay attention to the sweetener you use if the powder is already sweetened. I highly recommend milk dust protien powder as it is specifically made for breastfeeding moms to promote milk supply and healthy weight loss. I should mention that it is made of clean ingredients so you d on’t have to worry about what’s going into your body.

Add brewers yeast to boost lactation. One teaspoon of it is enough.

In case you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure that this fact is specified on the pack of oats you buy. Also, stay away from spelt milk.

 

Storage

Another good news about the recipe is that it keeps very well in the fridge for up to 6 days. So you can prepare all the quantity at once, split it into six portions and you will have breakfast at hand for almost a week. Make the base (oats, chia seeds, milk) the same for all of them and alternate the fruits and add-ins so you don’t feel the same taste every day.

Lactation Boost Overnight Oatmeal with Chia Seeds Recipe

Prep time: 5 miingnutes

Resting time: 8-10 hours

 

Ingredients (serves 1)

  • ½ cup oats (old fashioned or quick oats)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • ¾ cup coconut milk
  • 2 tsp coconut sugar
  • 3 tbsp blueberries, divided
  • 1 apricot, chopped

 

Directions

  1. Add the oats, chia seeds, coconut sugar and one tablespoon blueberries to a mason jar or a glass container. Mix until well combined.
  2. Pour the milk and stir again so everything is wet.
  3. Cover with a lid and place the jar in the fridge overnight. In this time the chia seeds will expand and, together with the oats, will absorb the liquid and the mixture will reach a pudding consistency.
  4. In the morning, give another stir and add more sweetener if you think it’s necessary.
  5. Top with the remaining blueberries and chopped apricot. If you want, you may sprinkle some extra coconut sugar.
  6. The overnight oatmeal is ready to enjoy!

Sharing is caring!