Oat Milk While Breastfeeding
Oat milk is full of great nutrients, but many new moms wonder, “Does oat milk help milk supply?” Oats in a variety of forms have been used to help moms increase milk supply. In fact, many lactation experts suggest oats when mothers aren’t producing enough milk.
This article explains what oat milk is, its health benefits, how it aids in milk production, and what recipes you can use to introduce more oat milk into your diet. The final section of this article provides you with information about other foods that may help you increase your milk supply.
What is Oat Milk?
Oat milk is a non-dairy milk that has been used by vegans and lactose-intolerant individuals for a long time. With the increased interest in non-dairy milk, oat milk’s popularity has grown. Many people love it because it has a creamier texture than nut milk, making it a truly delicious replacement for regular dairy products.
Oat milk is made when steel-cut oats or whole groats are soaked in water and blended. This mixture is then strained with cheesecloth or a specially designed nut milk bag. The resulting liquid retains many of oatmeal’s nutrients and flavor. When blended well, significant portions of the oats may pass through the cloth as well, providing a great source of nutrients and fiber.
Oats & Oat Milk Health Benefits
Before we get to the question does oat milk help milk supply, let’s talk about its health benefits.
Oats and oat milk have many health benefits:
- Great source of vitamins A, B2, B12 and D
- Good source of riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron
- Good source of fiber and protein
- Offers a healthy alternative to dairy for those with dietary restrictions
- May lower blood cholesterol because of soluble fiber content
- Helps strengthen bones when fortified with calcium and vitamin D
Oat Milk and Breastfeeding
Oatmeal and oat milk have been used for generations to help breastfeeding moms struggling to produce enough milk. The nutrients in oat milk are helpful to breastfeeding moms in a variety of ways.
The calcium in oat milk can help with milk production. Because breastfeeding women need more calcium, it’s important to find healthy sources of calcium to support bone health and milk production.
The iron in oat milk provides many benefits. It can help combat maternal anemia, give breastfeeding moms energy, and help your body replace blood lost during pregnancy and birth. Iron may also provide immune support, which is important when you’re in the postpartum phase.
Finally, the beta-glucans, phytochemicals, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates in oat milk can all help with the quality and quantity of milk produced. These are just a few of the ways that oat milk can help milk supply.
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Is Oat Milk Good for Breastfeeding Moms?
Oat milk is a healthy, safe, and natural way to boost your milk production. It is lower in fat than cow’s milk and provides many of the same health benefits. Overall, oat milk is good for breastfeeding moms.
However, added sugars in some oat milk brands can be a major drawback. Many brands now offer unsweetened oat milk options. It’s important to read the labels of any purchased oat milk to ensure there are no added sugars, preservatives, or other harmful ingredients.
Additionally, you should always make sure your oat milk is fresh. If your oat milk is open too long in the fridge, it can grow harmful bacteria. Drinking bacteria-laden oat milk would be counterproductive in your breastfeeding efforts.
Does Oat Milk Increase Milk Supply?
Oat milk can increase your milk supply. Many lactation consultants recommend oat products to women struggling with milk supply issues.
However, eating oatmeal alone can get tiring. Oat milk offers more options for moms to get the nutrients they need from oat products. It can be added to your cereal, coffee, smoothies, and used in a variety of recipes.
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How to Make Oat Milk
Although you can buy oat milk premade in stores, it is easy to make from home.
Add one cup of dry rolled oats and four cups of water to a high-speed blender. Blend the mixture for 30-45 seconds, until fully blended.
Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth to strain out remaining chunks of oatmeal. Alternatively, you can use a clean t-shirt or towel for straining.
To add flavor to your oat milk, add additional ingredients to the blender before mixing. Fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and other ingredients are all great for adding flavor to your oat milk. If you plan to drink most of your oat milk plain, adding flavoring can make it a more enjoyable experience.
Best Oat Milk Brands
When you’re breastfeeding, you don’t often have time to make your own oat milk (even though it’s a fairly easy recipe). Store bought oat milk can provide a great alternative to homemade. Below are six of the best oat milk products available.
Thrive Market Organic Original Unsweetened Oat Beverage
This oat milk only has water and organic oats. There are no sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives.
Oatly! Organic Oat Milk (Low Fat)
This oat milk uses gluten-free oats. It is completely GMO and the low fat version doesn’t include grape seed oil (which can be inflammatory).
Moola’s Organic Unsweetened Coconut Oatmilk
Although this brand is light on fiber and protein compared to other brands, it has other great nutritional benefits. It was one of the few zero-sugar oat milk options.
Elmhurst Unsweetened Milked Oats
This oat milk only uses filtered water, whole grain oats, and salt (for preservation). It is non-GMO and low sugar. Elmhurst’s Barista Edition milk doesn’t include industrial seed oils, unlike many other barista edition oat milks.
Planet Oat Oatmilk Original Unsweetened
Although this oat milk isn’t organic, it’s low in fat and has lower sugar than other alternatives.
Halsa Blueberry Oatgurt Drink
This drinkable yogurt has lots of fiber and protein. It’s non-GMO and doesn’t have any gums or oils. Although it has more sugar, it is naturally occurring sugar that comes from the added fruit.
5 Oat Milk Recipes for Breastfeeding Moms
If you’re not sure how to introduce more oat milk into your diet, these recipes can give you a little boost of inspiration.
Oat Milk Smoothies
Ingredients:
Oat milk, frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables, and added flavoring.
Instructions:
First, put oat milk in the blender, no higher than the halfway point. Then add frozen ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, frozen juice, or ice. Add any freshly sliced produce and flavoring like peanut butter, vanilla, or cinnamon. Blend the mixture together until smooth.
Flavor Inspiration:
Try this recipe in strawberry banana, tropical fruit, or peanut butter banana.
Alternative Options:
You can add cooked brown rice for added nutrition. This is good for moms who don’t have much time to sit and eat between caring for their newborn.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
1/3 cup rolled oats, 1/3 cup oat milk, 1 tablespoon of softened peanut butter, ½ teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of brewer’s yeast, 1 teaspoon of flaxseed, and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips.
Instructions:
Mix the oats, brewer’s yeast, and flax seed in a bowl. Once mixed together, add softened peanut butter, vanilla, honey and milk. Stir these together, then cover the mixture and place it in the fridge overnight. When ready to eat, stir in the chocolate chips and enjoy.
Alternative Options:
If you prefer a thinner consistency, you can add more oat milk.
Berry Oat Milk Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats, ¾ cup oat milk, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of ground flax seed, 1 teaspoon of chia seeds, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and ¼ cup of fresh or frozen berries.
Instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients with the vanilla and stir until fully mixed. Stir in the milk and top the mixture with berries. Cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight. When ready to eat, stir and enjoy.
Flavor Inspiration:
Try this recipe in blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, or strawberry. Alternatively, you can use fruit like peach, mango, or banana.
Fancy Breakfast Oatmeal
Ingredients:
½ cup of old fashioned oatmeal, 1 teaspoon of brewer’s yeast, 1 teaspoon of molasses, and 1 cup of oat milk.
Instructions:
Gently boil the oat milk in a saucepan, then stir in the other ingredients. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 7 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and allow it to stand for 2 minutes. Serve warm.
Flavor Inspiration:
Add toppings like fruit or chocolate chips. The mixture can be thinned and cooled with additional oat milk.
Alternative Options:
You can substitute the molasses with honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or agave.
Ingredients, instructions, flavor inspiration, alternative options
Oat Milk Latte
Ingredients:
Coffee, oat milk, and flavoring (optional).
Instructions:
For a hot oat milk latte, add warm oat milk to brewed coffee. Froth or blend the mixture together and serve hot.
For a cold oat milk latte, mix cold oat milk with chilled coffee. Add flavoring syrup and/or cinnamon to this half milk, half coffee mixture.
Alternative Options:
You may use decaf if you’re avoiding caffeine.
More Foods that Increase Milk Supply
There are lots of other foods that can increase your milk supply:
- Whole grains: nutritious whole grains like oatmeal, barley, and brown rice can provide you with a boost in milk production.
- Dark green vegetables: lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli and other green vegetables are rich in calcium and phytoestrogens.
- Fennel and fennel seed: the plant estrogens in fennel and fennel seed may help moms produce more milk.
- Garlic: although the odor often goes into the breast milk, some infants like the changed taste. The nutrients in garlic can help increase milk supply. However, you should make sure your child is not sensitive to the changed taste in breast milk.
- Chickpeas: the high protein content of chickpeas is helpful in milk production. They can be added to pasta or salad or crushed to make hummus.
- Sesame seeds: the calcium and estrogen in sesame seeds has been known to help with milk production.
- Almonds: while other nuts are also good for milk production, almonds have more protein and calcium. Drinking almond milk or eating almonds can make your breastmilk creamier and sweeter.
- Brewer’s yeast: this ingredient is rich in B vitamins, iron, protein, chromium, selenium and other nutrients that help with milk production. It can help with both mood and energy. Brewer’s yeast is included in a couple of the ingredients in the previous section.
Does Oat Milk Help Milk Supply – Conclusion
Oat milk is good for your body’s milk production. Because it is such a versatile ingredient, it is easy to introduce into your diet. Whether you make oat milk at home or buy it premade at the store, oat milk can give your body the boost it needs to make more milk.
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