Lactation Support Granola

This Granola recipe is a great quick breakfast, or snack. It is also really versatile, as you can also add in extra ingredients to suit your own tastes. Puffed rice cereal, chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, and dried berries, are all delicious additions.

The porridge oats, coconut, apricots and seeds are the key ingredients that can help to boost your milk supply.


Ingredients

150g porridge oats
40g melted coconut oil
45g honey (you can use maple syrup or agave if vegan)
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
50g mixed seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower)
50g walnut pieces
40g flaked almonds
50g shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
1 eating apple pureed (see notes)

A few dried soft apricots, milk or yoghurt to serve

Method

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees
Melt you coconut oil and honey together in a small saucepan
Put all of your granola ingredients in to a large bowl
Mix until all of the ingredients are coated in the honey and coconut oil
Spread out on to a large baking tray
Bake for 35 mins, turning the mixture every 5 minutes to ensure it is evenly browned
Leave to cool, (It will crisp up whilst cooling) and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks
When ready to eat add a few chopped apricots, and either milk, or your favourite yoghurt

*Notes - to puree the apple, simply peel and chop the apple, then add to a small saucepan, or microwave safe bowl, and simmer, or cook in short bursts until soft. Drain off excess water and mash with the back of a fork.

Lactation benefits

Oats - beta-glucan is found in oats: Beta-glucan is a type of fibre that's thought to raise the levels of the breastfeeding hormone prolactin. Higher prolactin levels can have a positive effect on breast milk

Coconut - are packed full of fats and nutrients, and can help to produce rich breastmilk, thanks to the lauric and capric acids found in coconut. These acids often are responsible for breastmilk's antimicrobial properties, providing an essential boost to your baby’s immune system.

Flaxseeds and seeds - The oils in flaxseeds, sesame, and pumpkin seeds contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that is semi-converted into fatty acids, along with phytoestrogens that can help to establish a healthy milk supply.

Apricots - are full of vitamin C, and can help keep you and your baby's immune system strong. Their natural sweetness can also promote prolactin production to keep the milk flowing.

Our Milk's Up Breastfeeding tea is a herbal blend designed to naturally support mothers while nursing.

Milk's Up contains fennel, nettle, fenugreek seeds, lemon verbena and aniseed . These are all herbs which have been used for millennia to support lactation, but they also taste delicious! Fennel and fenugreek have the strongest links to increasing milk supply in research.