Galactagogue Foods That Have Helped Me Breastfeed Better

Regina Yunghans
Regina Yunghans
Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and children in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
updated Aug 26, 2022
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(Image credit: Dmytro Vietrov)

“Galacta-what?” you may have thought when you read the title above. Or maybe you didn’t. In which case, this post’s for you! Galactagogues are substances that naturally promote breast milk production.

I’m currently breastfeeding, and I’ve been eating a few foods that have seemed to help. Here they are, in case you’re breastfeeding too or know someone who is.

(Image credit: Faith Durand)

I decided to write this post when I recently whipped up an old favorite for a few days’ worth of easy lunches: Faith’s Warm Chickpea Salad with Cumin & Garlic.

After two days of lunching on this, I noticed an increased milk supply (I’m currently nursing my three-month-old daughter). Then I put two and two together:

cumin seeds

decreases breast milk supply, but clearly the cumin seed won out in this case.

Galactagogues are generally fresh herbs or foods like these that, when ingested, increase a lactating mother’s milk supply. They’re often taken in supplement form or teas, but you can consume them as really delicious prepared foods, too!

Galactagogues and their milk-promoting functions generally aren’t scientifically proven, but instead are used because of anecdotal evidence passed on from mother to mother. That’s what I’m doing here — I’m no scientist, but I am a mother with a few years’ worth of nursing experience sharing what I’ve learned.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Foods Considered to Be Galactagogues

Here are some foods that are considered to be galactagogues:

  • Whole grains, especially oatmeal
  • Dark, leafy greens (alfalfa, kale, spinach, broccoli)
  • Fennel
  • Garlic
  • Chickpeas
  • Nuts and seeds, especially almonds
  • Ginger
  • Papaya
  • Spices like cumin seeds, anise seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric
(Image credit: Faith Durand)

Recipes with Galactagogues

No matter how effective supposed galactagogues are for specific nursing mothers, eating these whole foods, especially such tasty and nutritious ones, is a probably a lot more fun than taking supplements or drinking teas. Plus, everyone in your household can enjoy them too.

Here are some delicious recipes from our archives right here at The Kitchn with ingredients that have been proven to work for me and many others:

Do you have any galactagogue-inclusive recipes that are tried-and-true for you? Please add to my list in the comments below!

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