Papaya Ginger Lactation Smoothie

SAY HELLO TO SUMMER AND NOURISH YOUR MILK-MAKING BODY WITH THIS REFRESHING TROPICAL LACTATION SMOOTHIE!

Is there such thing as a smoothie season? There is something about hotter weather that calls for blending up your favourite frozen fruit and veggies and sipping it in the sun!

With the first day of summer just passing, ‘tis the season for tropical fruits and an underrated one is most definitely papaya. As a breastfeeding mom, papaya is one of those “lactogenic” foods that makes this smoothie a perfect addition to your summer smoothie rotation.

A lactogenic food means the food has been traditionally incorporated into breastfeeding mothers’ diets to support milk-making. It is unknown if there is an exact mechanism where it increases milk supply, but we do know it is packed full of nutrients you need to make milk.

Although it is specifically green papaya (which means it is unripe) that has been purported to be lactogenic, it is more of a bland flavour and is used in warm foods like soup or seasoned with savoury spices. That doesn’t mean that ripe papaya is off the table to support your milk making.

Papaya is a great source of vitamin A (as beta carotene), potassium, vitamin C, but is also packed full of phytonutrients. The difference if it is green? Green papaya has an even higher phytonutrient content. A caution though: green papaya does contain latex fluid, meaning those with an allergy to latex should avoid it.

But whatever papaya you pick, you can be sure they are filled with so many nutrients you need for you and your baby.

In order to give this smoothie a little more lactation kick, I added two galactogogues – oats (as a milk) and ginger. Although the evidence is slim and not a guarantee, these foods have been thought to directly increase milk production by some specific way. Plus the ginger adds a nice zing of flavour.

Mango (and you can sub for pineapple if you want a sweeter smoothie) adds extra vitamin C to help with iron absorption from the oat milk and hemp hearts. Each ingredient carefully crafts this concoction to give you protein, energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals all to support you to make milk.

Remember that no food will determine your milk supply. They may or may not give you a boost – it’s your baby breastfeeding well and efficient that is the key to your milk supply. If you are struggling, get in touch with a lactation consultant.

In the mean time, this smoothie is the perfect way to kick off your summer! Enjoy!