Nourishing + easy postpartum recipes

These recipes are some of my favourite go-to drinks and dishes that are easy to make yet full of essential postpartum nutrients – including nursing tea, golden mylk, broth, porridge and some delicious one handed treats!

It’s said in Chinese medicine that what you eat and how well you take care of yourself during the crucial first 40 days after giving birth has the power to impact your health fro the next 20, 30 or more years. Similarly in Indian culture, the saying is 42 days for 42 years.

In both Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) a new mother’s digestive system is understood to be weak and depleted after pregnancy and birth. The digestive fire (known as agni) is reduced, which leaves the new mother low in energy and prone to indigestion, constipation and gas.

To warm up and stimulate the digestion, as well as give her the energy to make nutritious breast milk for her baby, it’s important to feed the new mother foods that are well-cooked, easy to digest, and delicious.

The common similarity between many cultures is that the mother is not expected to cook for herself. The food is prepared and served to her with love and care. While this may not be possible for all new mamas today, having lost the traditional support network of the village, there are some super-quick and easy recipes that pack a nutritional punch and can also be batch cooked during the final weeks of pregnancy and kept in the freezer.

Below are eight of our favourite go-to drinks and dishes which you can, and should, enjoy on a daily basis!

AYURVEDIC MOTHER’S MILK TEA

• Nettles are packed with minerals including calcium, iron, and magnesium, plus vitamins A, C, B and more, to help revitalise and deeply nourish the body so it can healthfully produce milk.
• Red raspberry leaf is rich in B vitamins and magnesium and an excellent support herb for the female reproductive system in general, as it helps to tone and strengthen the entire system.
• Fenugreek and fennel seeds are top milk-boosters, also easing digestion.
• Shatavari has cooling, calming properties that can help to soothe and balance Vata and Pitta doshas and is rejuvenating and nourishing.
• Ashwagandha helps in reducing stress and anxiety.

Add 1 generous teaspoon of herbs per cup and allow it to brew for 10+ minutes. For a gentle flavoured tea, brew for 5 minutes. The longer brewing time allows the herbs to release their full flavour and beneficial value. For the most therapeutic benefit brew your tea overnight, giving eight hours for the herbs to release all their goodness.

Strain and drinks 2-4 cups a day.

GOLDEN MYLK

In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric milk (golden mylk), often mixed with ginger, is commonly drunk postpartum. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory that’s highly recommended for new mothers. It also helps to avoid clogged milk ducts and swollen breast tissue for mums who breastfeed. 

• 1 cup organic whole milk (pref. unhomogenised) or almond, oat, coconut milk etc
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon & ground turmeric
• 2-3 cardamom pods or ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Ground black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated or ½ tsp ground ginger (optional)
• 1 tsp organic ghee (optional)
• 1 date or 1 tsp jaggery or honey to sweeten (optional)
  
  Add the milk, water, spices and the date, if using, to a pan. Season with black pepper and whisk well. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, being careful not to let it burn or bubble over. Add ghee and jaggery, if using. Mix well and remove from heat. Allow to cool a little, strain and serve.

OATS + CHIA PORRIDGE (CONGEE)

Serves 3

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• ½ inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and halved
• Sprinkle of chia seeds, goji berries and coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon ghee or grass-fed butter
• Pinch of sea salt and turmeric
  For the toppings (optional):
• Drizzle of honey or maple syrup to taste
• Sprinkle of cinnamon to taste
• Dried or fresh fruit and chopped nuts

In a medium pot, bring 2½ cups of milk of your choice (organic dairy, almond, coconut) with the oats, ginger, butter or ghee, coconut flakes, goji berries, chia seeds, turmeric and salt to a boil over medium-high heat.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more milk or water if needed

Once the grains are soft and creamy, and most of the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat. Serve with extra milk, honey or maple syrup to taste, plus dried or fresh fruit and nuts.

GINGER FRIED RICE

Serves 2

• 2 cups cooked white rice (leftover or fresh)
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil, plus more as needed
• 3 pieces of 2-inch bacon slices (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 slice of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 large organic eggs, beaten with a pinch of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, add bacon (if using), garlic, and fresh ginger, and cook until tender and fragrant.

Add the cooked rice to the pan and spread it out evenly, making a thick layer. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the beaten eggs into the rice and continue to stir frequently, until the eggs are cooked, for about 5 minutes. 

Add the green onions and cook for another 2 minutes, uncovered, until the rice is golden in colour, and the eggs and onions are cooked.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve warm.

KITCHARI

Kitchari is an ancient healing food used in Ayurveda to balance the doshas, cleanse your gut and be easy on your digestion while still full of nutrients. It’s a one-pot dish that’s ideal when you’re feeling exhausted or want something lighter on your digestion.

You can tweak the spices and veggies to suit your doshas. The coriander and cumin seeds, fresh ginger and turmeric in this version are great for vata and pitta:

* 2 tbsp coconut oil
* 1 tbsp coriander seeds
* 1 tsp black mustard seeds
* 2 tsp cumin seeds
* 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger root
* 1 tsp turmeric
* 1 cup split mung dal (I used red lentils, which are easier to find), soaked and rinsed
* 1 cup basmati rice
* 6 cups stock
* 1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat)
* 4 cups veggies of your choice. I used broccoli + cavalo nero**
* Sea salt + pepper to taste
* Fresh coriander for garnish
**Veg traditionally said not to be good for vata, like cabbage, are more digestible cooked with spices

In a large pot, melt the coconut oil and add coriander seeds, black mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few minutes until the seeds pop
Add fresh ginger root and turmeric. Stir and cook for 1 minute
Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine, cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick
Serve warm and garnish with fresh coriander

BASIC BROTH RECIPE

An immune-boosting and nourishing chicken or shiitake broth that is healing, nutritious, warming and easy to digest. It’s easy-to-make and can be used as the basis of many of your meals in early postpartum and beyond.  

Boil cooked organic chicken bones OR shiitake and baby portobello mushrooms with the following:

Onion
Carrots
Celery
Daikon radish
Ginger
Dash of apple cider vinegar
Turmeric
Lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Fennel seeds
Any fresh herbs of your choice

Simmer for as long as possible – at least a couple of hours. Strain and drink at least a cup every day.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE BIRTH DAY CAKE WITH REISHI GHEENACHE

I discovered this incredible cake recipe via the lovely Sophie at Milk + Seed, creator of the Postpartum Kitchen Apprenticeship I took in 2020. This is their signature “birth day” cake for mothers to enjoy on the day of their baby’s arrival, celebrating themselves as new mamas too. Did you know that “placenta” actually means “cake” in Latin and traditionally birthday cakes are round to honour the incredible life supporting organs 🥮

It’s super yummy! You will be happy to hear no placenta is needed, but the icing does include adaptogenic mushrooms and you can add a galactagogue like shatavari if you’re breastfeeding.

Use a 6 inch silicone mould or greased cake tin
Boil 1 x large or 2 x small oranges for 20 mins, remove pips and blend whole in a mixer or blender
Add and blend:
4 eggs
150g ground almonds
175g coconut sugar
40g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Bake for 45 mins at 180 (you may need to foil the top for last 15 mins to prevent burning)

For the gheenache (keep leftovers at room temp to spread on toast or for hot chocolate):

Melt 200g ghee & add –
100g cocoa powder
50g honey
2 tbsp reishi/ chaga powder
1 tbsp shatavari powder if breast feeding
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Refrigerate to set
Ice cake once cool + decorate with grated orange zest/ edible flowers

DATE MARATHON BARS

These stuffed dates packed full with nutritious ingredients are a wonderfully healthy, low GI, energy boosting version of a Snickers bar – or as I remember in the good old days the more aptly named Marathon – and are a perfect one handed vegan snack in postpartum.

Once known as the “fruit of kings” and reserved for royalty so prized were they, Medjool dates are nutritional powerhouses containing natural sugars, a good amount of fibre, 50% more potassium than a banana, copper, magnesium, vitamin B6, calcium, iron, selenium and vitamin K.

The addition of coconut oil thins the chocolate and also includes the antiviral medium chain fatty acid, Lauric acid, helping mothers to create rich breast milk.

INGREDIENTS – preferably organic
20 x Medjool dates 
Peanut butter
Chopped peanuts
Dairy free dark chocolate of your choice – I used orange 
Coconut oil – I use the deodorised Biona one

METHOD
Melt a bar of dark choc and some coconut oil in a Bain Marie 
Cut a slit in the dates if not pitted to remove stone
Fill with peanut butter using a tea spoon
Coat the dates in the melted dark chocolate using a skewer or fork
Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and pop in the fridge to set

Enjoy this delicious and super healthy treat with all the family!

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