Time to tuck into the tasty stuff. Here are 4 quick, easy and delicious recipes to help you stay energised while breastfeeding or pumping, and keep your supply in good knick.

There are a tonne of myths around breastfeeding and diet. We’ve shared a longer guide on breastfeeding nutrition here. But for now? Let’s dive into some simple recipes that will boost your milk and enrich that flow, for the good of you and your little one.

Oats have long been used to boost mamas’ milk supply, thanks to the iron that’s found in this wholegrain. Mix this recipe up in the evening and you’ll have breakfast ready and waiting when you get up. Or put it together first thing for a nourishing snack throughout the day.

You’ll need:

½ cup oats

1 cup milk (or water, or a plant-based alternative)

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp ground flax seed and/or chia seed

What to do:

Mix all the ingredients together and leave them in a bowl in the fridge overnight or for a few hours throughout the day. When you’re ready to tuck in, add some fresh fruit and nuts and an extra dash of milk or yoghurt on top.

Cram a few more oats in during the day, with this easy-peasy smoothie. Yoghurt, kefir or a pro-biotic plant-based yoghurt will give you a much-needed boost of calcium and protein.

You’ll need:

1 fresh banana

A handful of frozen blueberries or blackberries or both 

1 tbsp oats

1 tbsp greek yoghurt or kefir (or plant-based alternative)

1 tsp vanilla essence or honey (or 1 medjool date)

200ml milk (or plant-based alternative)

What to do:

Whizz all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy while feeding your baby.

Bursting with vitamin-rich greens and a good dose of lactation-boosting garlic, this is a nourishing soup for the soul. Make enough to freeze and bring it out when you need a quick pick-me-up.

You’ll need:

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

1 onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed

Olive oil or coconut oil

Salt and pepper

Stock or bouillon powder

100g spinach

Zest of one lemon

Handful of pumpkin seeds (If using)

What to do:

1. Heat a splash of oil in a soup pan. Add the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Add the broccoli florets and enough water to cover the lot. Add some stock, again to taste and bring it to the boil, before turning it down to a simmer to cook the broccoli.
3. Once the broccoli is soft, add the lemon zest, then the spinach and mix it in until it wilts. Add some more water if needed, depending on how thick you like your soup.
4. Let the whole lot cool before whizzing it up with a hand blender.
5. Reheat it when you’re ready to eat, then ladle the soup into a bowl.
6. If you would like an extra healthy topping then lightly dry fry pumpkin seeds in a shallow pan and add them to the top.

• Almond butter balls

Almonds are full of good fats and protein and are rumoured to make your milk richer and creamier. Give yourself and your baby a treat by making a big batch of these moreish energy balls.

You’ll need:

2 cups oats

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup almond nut butter

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips or dried fruit

What to do:

1. Mix the oats, flaxseed and cinnamon in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Separately, mix the nut butter and honey or maple syrup until they are well combined. A short blast in the microwave can help to soften them just enough to mix. Add in the vanilla essence.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir them until they’re well mixed.
4. Scoop out a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll it into balls. Place them on a tray lined with greaseproof paper and pop them in the fridge until they’re firm enough to store in an airtight box.