Lactation Cookies

Milk is often on my mind these days. Pi still feeds every two hours or so (sometimes every hour, sometimes 3hrs) and he is so quick these days to finish (5-10mins, as opposed to 40-50min) that I wonder if he is getting enough (don't a lot of breastfeeding mums?). He has plenty of wet nappies and is getting chubby, so I  don't think there is a problem, but as I am looking for a snack that isn't senbei (Japanese rice crackers), I figure at least lactation cookies have some healthy ingredients in them and will make sure there is plenty of milk to go around. The most important ingredients in lactation cookies are:
Brewer's Yeast (must be brewers)
Flaxseed meal
Oatmeal
(I bought all of these off I-herb- click this link for a discount http://www.iherb.com?rcode=MGH707 they have super cheap shipping to Japan too: 400yen flat rate!)

Unfortunately, brewers yeast doesn't taste very nice but is apparently the most crucial ingredient. I suppose it goes with the whole "have a beer to increase milk production" (I don't do this though, because of the alcohol.... and I don't like beer) idea. When I look on the bottle it contains HEAPS of important minerals, so it must be good for you(see the very bottom of this post for ingredients).

Here is a basic recipe I have found (and tweaked to make it super simple). I have tried a few recipes but this one is pretty easy.  From the basic mix below, you can then add ingredients that you like eg: walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit, hemp seeds, carob, almond butter, spirulina, sesame seeds.
Additional ingredients I have tried so far are:
Coconut
Raisin and chocolate chips (dark and white)

Basic Lactation cookie recipe:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar (or 2 cups if you like sweeter)
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 heaped tablespoons brewer's yeast
1 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups oats

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C.

Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 2 minutes.

Beat butter and sugar well then add egg and mix well

Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.

Add flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt and mix.

Stir in oats and any ingredients for flavour.

Scoop onto baking tray and bake for 12 minutes.




I have put generous servings of key ingredients and it makes about 12 large cookies. I have heard you can replace the butter with coconut oil, which is the new superfood. Flour should be sifted, and dry ingredients should be mixed in a bowl separately before added to the wet mix- but 



Keeping in mind that the purpose of these is milk production and health. They aren't as delicious as normal cookies, but they are still good. Also, if you have a little toaster oven, I heat my cookies up in that after a few days and they are even nicer. Happy eating.

Brewer's Yeast Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Heaping Tablespoonful (16 g)
Servings Per Container: 31
	Amount Per Serving	% DV
Calories	35
Protein	8 g	16%*
Thiamin	1.4 mg	93%
Riboflavin	0.7 mg	41%
Niacin	5.3 mg	27%
Vitamin B6	0.6 mg	30%
Folic Acid	240 mcg	60%
Vitamin B12	2 mcg	33%
Biotin	16 mcg	5%
Pantothenic Acid	0.4 mg	4%
Calcium	59 mg	6%
Iron	1.5 mg	8%
Phosphorus	234 mg	23%
Magnesium	33 mg	8%
Zinc	1.2 mg	8%
Copper	0.5 mg	25%
Manganese	0.13 mg	7%
Chromium	60 mcg	50%
Sodium	60 mg	3%
Potassium	222 mg	6%
Alanine	592 mg	†
Arginine	464 mg	†
Aspartic Acid	800 mg	†
Glutamic Acid	1120 mg	†
Glycine	400 mg	†
Histidine	208 mg	†
Isoleucine 2,3	400 mg	†
Cystine	112 mg	†
Leucine 2,3	624 mg	†
Lysine 2	592 mg	†
Methionine 2	144 mg	†
Phenylalanine 2	368 mg	†
Proline	400 mg	†
Threonine 2	400 mg	†
Serine	448 mg	†
Tryptophan 1,2	96 mg	†
Tyrosine	304 mg	†
Valine 2,3	480 mg	†