5 of my favorite snacks for new parents

Whether you’re newly postpartum or the parent of an ornery toddler, it’s hard to find the time to feed yourself. I see it again and again, once “caretaker” mode kicks in, your needs don’t just drop in priority, they fall off the list altogether. But here’s the thing, by investing a little time and energy into yourself, you’ll be able to give so much more to the little people in your life.

Let’s talk about an easy way to do that, snacks! Instead of reaching for a bag of chips, make one of the below options to store in your fridge or freezer. Not only are they more filling (& blood sugar stabilizing), but they also offer a nutrient dense punch to the system.

Here are 5 of my favorite snacks for new moms:

1. Gut gummies: High quality bovine gelatin + organic single ingredient fruit juice = happy gut and taste buds. These have been making the rounds on web for good reason, they are a filling snack full of gut health promoting ingredients. There’s a ton of recipes out there, but my favorite comes from Pilates & Papaya on Instagram here.

2. Energy balls: Oatmeal, dates, nut butters, protein powder, and more.. “energy balls” are a great snack for new moms. You can make them with all sorts of nutrient dense ingredients, then just store in the freezer. Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

• Oatmeal Cashew Butter Energy Bites – The Defined Dish
• 5-Minute Protein Peanut Butter Energy Bites | Ambitious Kitchen
• Healthy Brownie Batter Energy Balls Recipe – Fed & Fit
• No Bake Key Lime Pie Bites Recipe

3. Protein muffins: I love anything that turns a treat into a health food and muffins are one of the easiest to transform. Opting for nutrient dense white flour alternatives, healthy fats in lieu of veggie oil, and adding protein powder makes muffins a go-to recommendation. My favorite recipe is from the Defined Dish – Paleo Protein Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips – The Defined Dish. I’ve messed around with the ingredients a ton, added pumpkin, different flours, etc. and they usually turn out alright . Here are a few other options for good measure:

• Healthy Pumpkin Muffins – 100 Days of Real Food ← add protein powder
• Healthy Gluten Free Banana Muffins (dairy free!) | Ambitious Kitchen ← add protein powder

4. Smoothies: Who doesn’t love a thick and creamy smoothie these days? It’s such an easy way to pack in nutrients while satisfying that urge for a “treat”. The trick with smoothies however is to always make sure there’s a protein and fat represented (e.g. nut butter, protein powder, collagen, seeds, avocado), otherwise it’s just going to spike your blood sugar. Another pro tip, don’t chug your smoothies, always sip slowly and hold in your mouth for a moment (pretend to chew). This engages your digestive system allowing you to avoid that uncomfortable bloat many people get from smoothies. Here are a couple of recipes for inspiration:

• Green Protein Smoothie Freezer Packs
• Peach Almond Smoothie – The Defined Dish – Recipes (add protein powder to this one)
• Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe – Fed & Fit

5. Chia pudding: Another winner that can be prepped ahead of time is chia pudding. It has similar benefits to a smoothie but offers a different consistency. Again, depending on what you’re making it with, I love to bulk up the nutrition with extra protein, nuts, seeds, etc. Here are a couple of recipes to get you started:

• Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe – Fed & Fit
• Mason Jar Chia Seed Pudding
• Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding Recipe w/ Coconut Milk – Fed & Fit
• Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

I hope these suggestions serve as inspiration for all your snacking dreams. Tag me on Insta stories if you decide to make any of these, I’d love to know what you think.