Protein Shakes To Lose Weight While Breastfeeding

Protein shakes are an amazing tool for weight loss while breastfeeding because they offer essential nutrients and protein, and they are very quick and easy for new mamas to make. We have some amazing recipes for protein shakes and smoothies in our free ebook you have to grab. 

According to the American Society of Nutrition, During lactation, a woman must eat an adequate amount of protein in order to maintain her own muscle mass, while also providing adequate nutrition to the infant through breast milk.

Protein is essential for breastfeeding and postpartum, and protein shakes can be a great method to ensure you are getting enough protein while breastfeeding. Protein shakes are a resource breastfeeding mamas can use to ensure they are getting adequate protein every day for breastfeeding. Research states that lactating mothers need about 15-25 grams extra of protein per day. Most protein shakes, like Milk Dust, have somewhere between 10-20 grams. Milk Dust offers 16 grams per serving, which makes it very simple to get your extra protein in just one quick scoop. 

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Protein is full of nutrients that are essential to breast milk production, and the protein flows through to breast milk for the new baby. Various studies show that an increase in protein intake of around 20g per day resulted in an increase of milk volume. Protein can be a key nutrient when wanting to increase your milk supply for going back to work, or establishing a good freezer stash. Milk Dust combines protein, with lactation herbs and other essential nutrients, which makes it a full spectrum lactation booster! 

Protein shakes are safe for breastfeeding if the ingredients are high-quality and non-GMO. It is important to avoid artificial sweeteners and ingredients that could cause an allergy in baby. Corn, Soy and Gluten can all be irritants for newborns, so finding a good brand that is concious of these issues makes the protein powder even safer. 

It is always important to check with your doctor if you have any concerns with an increased intake of protein. Vegan and plant-based proteins contain pea proteins and seed proteins, so make sure you have no allergies to seeds or legumes. 

Can I Drink A Protein Shake While Breastfeeding

Milk Dust is a vegan, allergy-friendly protein made here in the US. This ensures the ingredients are high-quality. It is also third-party tested for heavy metals, which is really important when looking for a safe protein powder while breastfeeding. 

Protein really helps with weight loss while breastfeeding because it promotes an increased milk volume, and it promotes lean muscle mass which burns more calories and drives metabolism. Protein is also thermogenic, meaning it burns more calories to digest than other macronutrients. It also aids in feeling full. Protein helps you feel more satisfied, which can also reduce sugar cravings. This makes weight loss and healthy eating just a little bit easier while hungry and breastfeeding. 

A major road block in weight loss while breastfeeding is hunger. Many mamas find themselves starving all the time. Many new moms reach for quick fixes like snacks, crackers, and lactation cookies to keep hunger down. Choosing protein-rich snacks is key to combatting the nagging hunger. Milk Dust also has bars that are super easy to pack, delicious, milk-boosting and low sugar! Having these high-protein snacks on hand, as well as quick and easy protein shakes are a game-changer when it comes to reducing hunger. 

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How to use protein shakes for weight loss while breastfeeding:  Protein shakes are such a great tool for weight loss during lactation.

They are easy to blend together, or shake with milk or water, full of nutrients that are essential for lactation and taste amazing! 

Most mamas choose to replace breakfast with a shake, but you can also replace lunch or even dessert. Protein shakes can make a great, sweet dessert to help replace the typical bowl of ice cream. 

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Milk Dust blends really well with a lot! Try it with milk and ice cubes for a fast shake, or throw in some oatmeal and frozen berries for a full smoothie. Many mamas love it mixed in their coffee for a lactation latte. 

The key is to find a way to drink it that you love, then replace a meal with your shake. Follow that up with eating a very nutrient-dense diet, and you will start seeing some results on the scale, without losing any ounces. 

Try our 10-day sugar detox plan, where you have recipes and an eating plan that is free to try and get you started on your weight loss. One of the most common questions I get as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is how to choose the best protein powder for a breastfeeding mom. Whether or not you’re a new mom, it can be so hard knowing what to eat, what to avoid, and whether or not you need extra calories.

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This blog post will share the best protein powders for breastfeeding, the nutritional needs for new moms, and many other common questions about breastfeeding and nutrition for moms in general.

Disclaimer: While all recommendations in this blog post are considered to be safe protein powders (according to national dietary guidelines), pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should consult with their doctor and/or a lactation consultant before including protein supplements in their daily routine.

As you may know, breastfeeding has many nutritional benefits that will promote your child’s health and growth. However, it also takes a toll on the mother’s nutritional stores and energy.

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Just like when you are pregnant and you need to focus on eating a nutrient-dense diet, you also need to eat a healthy diet to promote milk production. This means eating enough protein and other essential vitamins and minerals to ensure you are providing yourself and the baby enough nutrients for you to sustain breast milk supply.

Not to mention, when you are breastfeeding, cravings and hunger are at an all-time high. And this is where protein powder comes in.

However, not all protein powders are created equal, so in this blog post I will be sharing my top picks based on the nutrition label and ingredients.

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Protein boosts your metabolism, aids in recovery after the birth process, strengthens connective tissues, reduces hunger levels, provides extra calories in your daily diet, curbs sugar cravings, boosts energy levels, lowers blood pressure and improves the quality of breast milk.

During lactation or breastfeeding, you must eat an adequate amount of protein in order to maintain your own muscle mass, while also providing enough nutrition to the infant through breast milk.

The current Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for protein suggest that healthy lactating women should consume an Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) of 1.52 grams of protein per kilogram. This comes out to be approximately 17 grams of extra protein per day during the first six months of breastfeeding.

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For the most part, protein powder is very safe for breastfeeding moms. Making sure you are reading the nutrition label and choosing the right one is where it can get a little tricky. This is because what you eat can get transferred through the milk to your baby. Therefore, making sure you are choosing a protein powder without artificial sweeteners and other additives, like heavy metals, is important.

Even though protein powder can be a good option to increase protein intake, it is not recommended that protein shakes become a meal replacement in a regular diet.

These specific breastfeeding protein powders are said to increase milk supply because of the added ingredients that have been shown to help increase supply, like fenugreek.

What's The Best Protein Shake For Breastfeeding Moms?

However, to answer the question as to whether or not protein powder increases milk supply, the short answer is no, not directly.

A mom’s milk supply increases with overall adequate caloric intake, proper nutrition coming from a healthy diet and drinking lots of water. A protein powder can help increase protein and caloric intake in an easy, convenient way, but protein powder in itself does not increase milk supply.

At the end of the day, drinking extra water and making sure you are eating enough nutrients is one of the best ways to increase and sustain your milk supply.

Strawberry Protein Smoothie

Protein powders are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), just like all other supplements. This means there is no strict set of rules or guidelines about what’s in them.

While the FDA does get involved when there is a complaint, it is mostly the manufacturer’s job to properly evaluate their products and be transparent with their labeling, which doesn’t always happen.

Getting a third-party certification means that an independent organization, that is not involved in the product, has reviewed the manufacturing process and determined that the final product complies with specific standards for safety, quality or performance.

Are Protein Shakes Safe While Breastfeeding? [2022]

Natural ingredients and whole foods helps reduce artificial ingredients. Vitamins such asvitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B12, a vitamin B complex including folate, are very helpful for new moms and are found in many protein powders specifically for new moms. Important minerals for breastfeeding moms include:iron, calcium, and potassium. Most protein powders likely have some combination of these three minerals.

Whey protein is made from cow’s milk meaning it is a complete protein and has all 9 essential amino acids.