Sample Meal Plan
The meal plan below is for 1 week and includes meat and dairy. There is an attached shopping list that will get you everything you need for the whole week. This is intended for AFTER the first 6 weeks, as it contains of cold foods, raw foods, and requires cooking and preparing food, which you shouldn’t be doing yourself in the very early days! These foods are nourishing and supportive for after the initial healing process.
Sunday
Breakfast Frittata with spinach, goat cheese and tomatoes
Lunch BLT salads with hard-boiled egg and avocado
Dinner Salmon, cauliflower and sweet potatoes
Monday
Breakfast Plain Greek yogurt with flax, blueberries and honey
Lunch Beet, spinach and goat cheese salad with balsamic dressing
Dinner Shepherd’s pie
Tuesday
Breakfast Frittata leftovers
Lunch Shepherd’s pie leftovers
Dinner Large entrée salad with shrimp and avocado, creamy lemon dressing
Wednesday
Breakfast 2-3 hard-boiled eggs, fresh pineapple
Lunch Tuna salad with avocado and tomato on a tortilla
Dinner Egg roll in a bowl
Thursday
Breakfast Plain Greek yogurt with flax, blueberries and honey
Lunch Egg roll in a bowl leftovers
Dinner Chicken wings and side salad
Friday
Breakfast Breakfast burritos
Lunch Salad or leftovers
Dinner Pot roast with carrots and potatoes
Saturday
Breakfast Bacon and scrambled eggs with salsa and avocado
Lunch Leftover pot roast
Dinner White chicken crock pot chili
Shopping List
Produce
spinach (1 large bag)
pineapple (1)
sweet potatoes (2 large)
white potatoes (3 lbs)
cauliflower (1 head)
bananas (3-6)
blueberries (1 pint)
beets (precooked if available)
onions (2 large)
garlic (jarred or whole cloves)
purple cabbage (1 medium)
avocados (4)
lemons (2)
romaine lettuce (1 bag of hearts)
grape tomatoes (2 pints)
slicing tomato (1)
cucumber (1)
scallions (1 bunch)
carrots (1 medium bag)
Dry Goods
honey (raw, unfiltered)
sea salt/pink salt
ground flaxseed
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
avocado or coconut oil
tuna (2 cans)
mayonnaise of choice
soy sauce or coconut aminos
white rice of choice
chicken broth (2 1/2 cups)
canned green chiles (12 oz)
white beans (1 15 oz can)
chickpeas (1 15 oz can)
Dairy/Cold Section
plain Greek yogurt (1 large tub, full fat)
eggs (2 dozen)
goat cheese (1 large log)
cream cheese (1 8 oz block)
milk (2 cups)
butter (1 stick)
Siete brand tortillas (or tortillas of choice)
Meat/Fish
frozen shrimp (1 bag)
ground beef (1 lb)
ground lamb (1 lb)
ground pork (1 lb)
beef roast (2-4 lbs) bacon (1 lb)
chicken wings (2 lbs)
chicken breasts (1.5 lbs)
Frozen Foods
peas and carrots mix (1 bag)
corn (1 small bag)
Snack Ideas (optional)
raw cashews
banana muffins (homemade)
dark chocolate
fresh fruit (oranges, apples, berries)
Nut butter of choice
pistachios
cheese
turkey roll-ups
Shepherd’s Pie
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups frozen mixed carrots and peas
Topping:
2 lbs white potatoes of choice
2 oz cream cheese
1 cup milk
4 tbsp butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Peel and halve potatoes. Place them in a pot, cover with cold water and place on the stove on high heat. Once boiling, pierce periodically with a fork to check them. They’re done when a fork easily pierces all the way through the thickest chunk. Once done, drain and return to pot. Add the rest of the topping ingredients and mash to desired consistency. If you want them thinner, add more milk or broth.
While the potatoes cook, prepare the other ingredients.
Sautée onion in a large skillet for a few minutes until translucent. Add meat, salt, pepper, garlic & sage. Brown the meat, chopping up with spatula. If you need to brown the meat in 2 batches, that’s fine.
Once the meat is cooked through, place in a 9×13 lasagna pan. Add carrots and peas (no need to thaw) and mix all together, then press down evenly in the pan.
Top with mashed potatoes.
Top with favorite seasonings- I always do paprika because it’s pretty.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes
Basic frittata (can adapt to any ingredients)
Broccoli & Onion Frittata
1 tbsp cooking fat (I used bacon fat)
1/4 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup leftover broccoli, chopped (can use any veggie)
4 eggs
2 tbsp milk of choice
salt and pepper to taste
Sautée onion in fat in an 8 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli to heat through. Add eggs beaten with milk (you can add seasonings now), let cook undisturbed for 3 min. Transfer to a 400 degree oven on broil, cook for 2 min (watching) and DONE!
Make sure to use a potholder for transfer to oven (and of course after); cast iron handles aren’t heat proof.
Makes 2 servings (or whatever)
Salmon, roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes
I boiled the potatoes in an inch of water, stirring occasionally, then added salt and butter.
Tossed the cauliflower in avocado oil, salt, onion powder, minced garlic, dried parsley and red pepper flakes
Baked cauli at 375 for 35 min, added salmon for the last 15 min 👌🏼
Chicken Wings
Garlic Parmesan Wings for dinner tonight!
Paired with a Caesar salad, this meal was. These are @costco party wings which come with around 10-12 wings per pack which is perfect for us.
These came out garlicky and crispy with that hint of Parmesan that made them just delish without any sauce or anything! They can also be tossed in a sauce of choice though because they have that base of garlic flavor that goes with everything.
12 wing pieces
2 tbsp garlic mayo
1 tsp jarred minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
Take off your rings and use your hands to smash all these delicious ingredients into the wings to coat thoroughly.
Place the wings on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet (we line the sheet underneath with foil for easier cleanup). Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
They come out perfect every time.
If you don’t have garlic mayo, just use regular and add more garlic. (FYI @ccspof just tosses his wings in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and bakes them, then tosses half in bbq and half in buffalo sauce. Everyone wins!)
Creamy White Chicken Crock Pot Chili
**Recipe Update!!**
This is my most popular recipe by far, and over the years I’ve adjusted it- so instead of sending everyone on a goose chase, here’s the updated version. I’ll put additional adaptations at the end.
It is truly difficult to mess up this recipe; even for me each batch is unique in some way, but it’s always delicious. If you have an instinct about something to add, try it! Either way, let me know if you make this because people everywhere seem to love it!
Ingredients:
– 1.5 lbs chicken breasts (about 2 medium breasts)
– 2.5 cups chicken broth
– 1 large onion, diced
– 12 oz canned green chiles (I usually use 3 of the 4oz cans)
– 1.5 cups frozen corn
– 1 can cannellini or white northern beans (rinsed and drained)
– 1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
– 1 tsp oregano
– 2 tsp chili powder (or ancho chili powder)
– 2 tsp cumin
– 2 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp black pepper
For later
– 1 cup half and half (or nondairy milk of choice)
– 4 oz cream cheese (optional)
– 2 tbsp arrowroot flour for thickening (optional)
– 1 lime (enough for each person to have a small wedge)
– toppings such as avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream
Combine all ingredients in the first list (chicken to black pepper) in a large crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. When chicken breaks easily with a spoon, shred it with two forks.
Add cream cheese and half and half and continue to cook for 10-20 min. Mix to incorporate cream cheese evenly.
Serve with cilantro and a lime wedge (the citrus really balances out the creaminess and puts the flavor over the top)! We found that we didn’t need cheese or sour cream, but avocado was a “nice to have.”
ADAPTATIONS:
**Have pre-cooked chicken? Add all the initial ingredients except the chicken to the crock pot, and let the flavors meld for 3-4 hrs. Then add chicken and dairy or nondairy options and continue with the recipe.
**Want to go EXTRA creamy? Add 3-4 oz plain goat cheese. We did it one time and it was fabulous.
**Spice factor: this really isn’t spicy. If you’d like a kick, replace chili powder with ancho chili powder (it’s ground poblanos), or dice up a jalapeño and add it in!
**Want to feed more people? Add double the broth, seasoning more to taste. As it’s written the chili is hearty, so if you want it to eat more like a soup, you can also feed more!
Salad Dressings
Creamy Balsamic: mix greek yogurt with balsamic, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
Creamy Lemon: Mix greek yogurt with fresh lemon juice, dijon, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder
Strawberries and Cream Lactation Bites
These no-bake snack bites contain oats and brewer’s yeast, both of which tend to encourage milk production.
I used mixed nut and seed butter I found at Costco (which has almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds and ground flax), but you can use any nut or seed butter!
I used Juice Plus vanilla protein powder, but you could use collagen peptides or protein powder of choice. I found freeze-dried strawberries at Trader Joe’s
2 cups old fashioned or rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
1/2 -2/3 cup chopped freeze dried strawberries (1 cup before chopped)
1/2 cup white choc chips, chopped
1 cup nut or seed butter
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp brewers yeast
Mix all ingredients together and form into balls (a little smaller than a golf ball). If they seem too dry, melt 1 tbsp coconut oil and mix it in.
This made 38 bites (I probably could have stretched to 40 but I didn’t measure).
Butterscotch Apple Lactation Bites
I might still do some fine-tuning on this flavor, but they’re still delicious! I used a full cup of finely chopped freeze-dried apples, but between the butterscotch chips and the nut butter, the apple isn’t as pronounced as I’d like it to be. I’ll update this as I perfect it. In the meantime, I’m going to keep eating them.
I honestly feel like they help my supply, as I notice being able to pump more with the Hakkaa at our first feeding of the day when I’ve eaten even just a few per day in the day(s) before.
And remember, you don’t HAVE to be breastfeeding to enjoy these! Either omit the brewer’s yeast or leave it in (it won’t hurt you and has nutrients in it) and use them as energy bites!
Butterscotch Apple Lactation Bites
2 cups oats (rolled or quick)
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1.2 oz bag finely chopped freeze dried apples (1 cup after chopped)
1/3 cup butterscotch chips, chopped
1 cup nut or seed butter
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp brewers yeast
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and roll into balls with your hands, squeezing the dough to compact it as you make them. These are smaller than a golf ball and made 38 balls.
Raspberry Mocha Lactation Bites
Hear me out.
My all-time favorite coffee drink is the signature latte from a small chain in Delaware called Brew Haha, and it’s raspberry mocha flavored.
If this sounds like a big YES to you, grab yourself some espresso chocolate chips and make these as-is (and PLEASE let me know if you do!)
If you are anti fruity coffee flavors, use regular or white choc chips and it’s allllll good.
But either way you’ve gotta try these! The freeze-dried raspberries (from Trader Joe’s) are so full of flavor, and the sweetness of the other ingredients balance them out well.
You can eat them as energy balls (omitting the brewer’s yeast if you want) or use them to help boost your milk supply!
I ran out of my last batch 3 days before making these, and honestly I felt my supply dip a little. Then, two mornings later after having some the previous 2 days, I pumped a lot more milk than I had been! I had gone from not pumping any milk at the first feeding of the day (from the non-feeding side) with a haakaa for a few days, to getting 6 oz of extra milk. I cannot deny that!
Brew Haha Latte Bites (Raspberry Mocha)
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup chocolate protein powder
1.2 oz bag freeze dried raspberries (1&1/4 cup after chopped/smashed)
1/2 cup espresso choc chips (chopped)
1 cup nut butter
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp brewers yeast
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Roll into balls a little smaller than a golf ball or to your preference. If they seem too dry, you can melt 1 tbsp coconut oil and add it in to the mix.
Made 40 balls