The Salad Built for Milk Supply, Not Just Weight Loss

Postpartum is not the time to reach for the leanest, lightest salad you can find, breastfeeding asks for roughly 500 extra calories a day, and skimping on fat specifically can work against you, since a good part of what your body draws on to make milk is fat. This one is built to be genuinely filling, with enough healthy fat and protein that it holds you until the next feed instead of leaving you hungry an hour later.

What you'll need

• 2 cups mixed greens
• Half an avocado
• A small handful of walnuts or almonds
• A boiled egg or a portion of grilled chicken, if you want more protein
• Extra virgin olive oil, balsamic or lemon, for dressing

How to make it

Layer the greens with avocado, nuts, and your protein of choice, then dress with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic or lemon. This isn't a moment to go light on the avocado, nuts, and olive oil, they're contributing real calories and healthy fats (including omega-3s, specifically ALA, one of the fats your milk needs) that a lean salad won't give you.

Why this matters more than it seems

A salad that leaves you hungry within the hour isn't doing its job right now. Nuts, avocado, and a properly dressed base turn a side dish into something that can actually stand in as a real meal between feeds, which matters more than any of the usual "lighter is better" salad advice does at this stage.

Filling, fat-forward, and built for what your body is actually doing right now.