Milkful

To say this was an emotional time for me would be the understatement of the year! It rocked my world.

After watching several close friends experience the very same thing, and learning how common struggles with breastfeeding actually were, I wanted to do something about it. Many people told me to bake lactation cookies, (and while I certainly love myself a good cookie!) I also didn’t feel great about snacking on cookies throughout the day to maintain my milk supply. 

And so my ah-ha moment occurred… “Why isn’t there a wholesome, delicious and effective lactation snack on the market for mommies that don’t want to sit around eating cookies all day?!”

As a passionate food lover, health-conscious mommy and recent culinary school grad, I got to work in the kitchen. 

I love how organically Milkful was formed. How did you come up with the recipes for the delicious lactation bars?
Dina: I worked for months on recipe development to create a lactation bar that tasted great, was loaded with milk-boosting galactagogues, was well-balanced with high amounts of protein, and fiber- all while keeping sugar as LOW as possible. Throughout the process I consulted with Board Certified Lactation Consultants and Registered Dietitians to further “bless” the recipes, and ensure we were accomplishing all we set out to do with these Milkful bars.

Let’s break this down. What is in these bars that helps ones milk supply?
Dina: Milkful bars are a wholesome, convenient, energy-packing snack for mommies- especially nursing mommies. Milkful bars are loaded with natural ingredients that not only create a healthy/convenient/well balanced snack, they can help BOOST milk supply. Galatagogues, which are the milk inducing rock stars, are the active ingredients in Milkful bars. We use rolled oats, brewers yeast, flax seeds/flax seed meal, black sesame seeds, nuts (almonds/walnuts/peanuts) and fenugreek.

Rolled Oats – Eaten by nursing moms worldwide to boost breast milk supply. Rolled oats are a nutritional powerhouse, providing your diet with whole grains, fiber, healthy vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Plus, oats are high in iron! And iron-deficiency anemia, which is common in new moms, can mess with your milk supply.

Brewer’s Yeast – A traditional herbal remedy used to stimulate and increase the production of breast milk and is a rich source of the B-vitamins and amino acids essential for nursing moms and their babies. In addition to helping with breast milk production, it is also believed to help combat fatigue and fight off the baby blues. Great source of B vitamins, chromium (helps control blood sugar levels), and probiotics.

Flax Seeds and Flax Seed Meal – Flax seeds provide an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, phytoestrogens and fiber. Omega-3’s are necessary for brain development and pass from mother to baby through breast milk. Phytoestrogens have been shown to influence milk production which is why we pack our bars full! And fiber, fiber, fiber….well you know fiber is a girl’s best friend. 

Black Sesame Seeds – High in calcium and estrogen-like plant properties, black sesame seeds are also believed to help nursing mothers make more breast milk. Not only that, sesame seeds are packed with calcium, fiber, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese.

Nuts – Nuts have long been considered to be galactagogues- in addition to being great for you! Packed with protein, fiber and essential fats, nuts are a purposeful addition to each of our bars.
Almonds- Many nursing mothers eat almonds or drink almond milk to increase the creaminess, sweetness and amount of their breast milk. Almonds aren’t just packed with protein; they’re a great source of calcium which is a huge plus for all the dairy-free moms out there! 
Walnuts- Their superior antioxidant content means walnuts are useful in the fight against cancer. They’re also a good source of mono-unsaturated, heart-friendly fats and omega- 3’s, and studies show they help to lower the bad form of cholesterol (LDL).
Peanuts- Peanuts are abundant in the vitamins niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, choline, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E and rich in minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese and selenium.

Fenugreek – Our Chocolate Banana Nut and Maple Walnut flavors contain Fenugreek. Fenugreek contains diosgenin, which is responsible for helping to increase the amount of milk that is produced by the breasts.
Fenugreek seeds are also rich in vitamins and minerals which improves the quality of milk which can help keep baby healthy! Vitamins and minerals include: iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, copper, zinc, manganese and magnesium, thiamin, folic acid, riboflavin, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), niacin, and vitamins A and C. And, Fenugreek contains a number of powerful phytonutrients, including choline, trigonelline, yamogenin, gitogenin, diosgenin, tigogenin and neotigogens.
*Consult your doctor before taking fenugreek if you have an underactive or overactive thyroid. Fenugreek can alter the levels of your thyroid hormones.