Guest Post: Postpartum Snack Ideas

Guest Post by Joy of Vim and Vigor 

I know from my own experiences (six births with one being 7 months ago), that birthing a baby is a beautiful time.  A time to slow down and focus on that little life God has so graciously bestowed you.  The l-o-n-g wait is finally over!  In my home, I try my darndest to protect that time, for I know how quickly it is gone.  

:: Taking time to establish a nursing relationship, different from all the rest.

:: Allowing my body to rest after the miracle and marathon of birth.

:: Making an effort to remember that creativity at this time is not in what I produce in crafting or the making of elaborate meals, but in telling a creative story to my children aloud while the baby nurses;  it’s in humming soft lullabies to my wee babe; it’s in showing my children how to respect a baby as a little person and love them in that way.

This demands energy us mama’s can be seriously lacking in.  Being it from lack of sleep, producing milk, or just lacking the time to eat nutritiously.  I learned (thankfully after 15 years of this parenting gig I’ve learned a thing or two)….that if I don’t take care of mama, not much else is going to get done either. 

Here’s some quick, nutritious and delicious ideas to keep you hoppin’  anytime—if you are pregnant, a new mama, or been a mama for years these recipes will help keep you runnin like a top!

The most wonderful thing about smoothies is their versatility.  Got liquid?  Got frozen fruit?  Got a little sweetener?  You’ve got smoothie.  Also, superfoods and greens can easily be added for an extra nutrient boost, effortlessly.  I love to add flax seeds, hempseeds, chia seeds, a tad of spirulina, bee pollen, kale or romaine…..really, the sky is the limit.  I’ve found I can make up a giant blender full of smoothie, and put it in my water jug and sip it over the entire morning, or whenever I’m in the mood.  Keeps me full of good nutrition, my energy up, as well as my metabolism burnin’.

Very, Berry Smoothie:  (Pictured above)

• Kefir, or any yogurt, milk or nut milk as the base
• Frozen banana chunks
• Goji berries
• Hemp seeds
• Frozen strawberries and blueberries
• Raw honey and vanilla
• Oatstraw-for added calcium (maybe around 1 and 1/2 teaspoons….please research this for your own families needs, so you can be the judge of how much you use…)

Earth balls are another easy treat that can be whipped up in your food processor, and kept for weeks in an air-tight container.  You’ll just have to hide them from the kids, or they’ll be gone in a day!  These are packed with energizing, nutrient dense foods that will help keep you going and going on going. 

Earth balls (Mix all ingredients up in your food processor):

• 1 cup pitted organic dates
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1- 1/2 cups more dates
• 1/4 cup more cashews
• 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons agave nectar (or use raw honey or maple syrup here)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon spirulina

Mix together in food processor, roll into balls (the kids can help with this!), and roll in unsweetened coconut flakes.  Yum!

 These buckwheat crispy granola bars are very easy, and will stay fresh for quite a while.  Of course, we eat them up pretty quickly around here. Buckwheat groats, when sprouted and dried, have a wonderful little crunch to them.  They are also completely gluten and wheat free, for those being careful of these.  We love them in all sorts of ways, but these bars are one of our favorites.  We make a big pan like this, and I freeze extra for later in the week.  Again, munching on these is a tasty way to get your vitamins in and keep junk out.  Maybe throw a few organic chocolate chips in it to add a little extra sweetness to it. Hey, mamas need their chocolate…..at least, this mama does!  We earn it with all those late night feedings! 

Crispy Buckwheat Bars:

• Approximately 4 cups sprouted and dried buckwheat groats (I go in depth with how to sprout wheat berries here, and the process is basically the same other than to rinse more thoroughly and the sprouting time may vary just a bit. It is very simple to do.
•  1/4-1/2 cup nut butter
• 1/4-1/2 cup of tahini-(or you can just double your nut butter.)
• 3/4 cup of golden or brown flax seed (You can grind some too, if you like–leaving it whole will act as a stiff broom cleaning out your colon!)
•  1 and 1/2 cups of raw honey–helps bind everything together and sweeten things up.
• 1/2 cup of dried cherries or any dried fruit such as raisins, dates or apricots
• 1/2 cup organic chocolate chips

When the consistency seems right-(add more honey or nut butter if too dry), I press it into a 9 x 13 pan, and stick it in the fridge to harden a bit.  Then, they are ready any time you get a craving for one! (Cravings aren’t just during pregnancy, we all know that!)

***Flax, chia and hemp seeds I purchase on amazon.com, when they have them on the subscribe and save program.  Also, the buckwheat groats can be purchased at your nearest whole foods in the bulk bins, or online as well. I purchase my spirulina and oatstraw from bulkherbstore.com.

I do like to make a “snack basket” for myself for those late night munchies, while I’m nursing.  I had bananas, apples, nut butter (almond is a favorite), lara bars, organic granola bars, and homemade fruit roll-ups in mine.  Easy to grab, easy to eat.

Remember mama, your work is important!  You are raising up little souls that will last for eternity!  You need the proper fuel in your body, to perform the work God is equipping you to do.  I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family and I do. 

I am a 33 year old homeschooling mama to 6 kiddos (ages 7 mo. to 15 years…yikes…I know.  I have a loving husband who looks past the disarray in the house to kiss me over the counters cluttered with flour from my latest healthy recipe being concocted, which is being done while holding a baby on one hip, working on letters with another–and chatting with my oldest girls.  Life is good! I also love to add more animals to our hobby farm, sew clothes for my little ones, seek out new adventures that Christ has for us, and generously slather my baby with smooches–oh yes, and blog, too.  Blogging on all this and more, can be found at http://www.vimandvigor.typepad.com