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Foods That Influence Milk Fat & Omega-3 Content By: Taylor Hussey

by Brianne Taggart

How Your Diet Helps Shape Breast Milk Quality

Your breast milk naturally changes based on your body’s needs, and what you eat can play a small but meaningful role in that.

This doesn’t mean your milk will ever be “bad,” but giving your body the right building blocks can help optimize what your baby receives. In this blog, we’ll explore the science, safe food sources, and simple strategies to gently upgrade your milk without stress.


What the Science Says

  • A 2024 study published in Nutrients showed that maternal intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is reflected in human milk. In other words: what mom eats does show up in milk.

  • Other research supports that mothers with higher fish or omega-3 consumption tend to have higher proportions of DHA in their milk.

  • Milk fat itself is flexible – when mothers consume more healthy fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated), the composition of triglycerides in milk shifts (though the total fat content has physiological bounds).

These findings are encouraging: they give breastfeeding moms a bit more control over the quality of their milk, beyond basic adequacy.


Key Foods to Include (and How Much)

Food/ Nutrient

Why It Helps

Safe Intake Tips

Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, trout)

Excellent source of DHA/EPA

2-3 servings per week. Choose low-mercury fish options (wild salmon, sardines).

Walnuts, flaxseed, chia

Provide alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-based omega-3 precursor

1-2 Tbsp ground flax or chia daily; handful of walnuts.

Seeds & nut oils (flaxseed oil, walnut oil)

Concentrated sources of ALA

Use as finishing oils on salads or veggies (not heated too high).

Eggs (omega-3 enriched)

Eggs from hens fed omega-3 rich diets contain higher DHA

1-2 eggs/day from enriched sources when available.

Leafy greens & algae-based supplements

Small amounts of EPA/DHA, support ALA conversion

Use as side dishes; ask your IBCLC or doctor before supplementing.

*Our bodies convert only a fraction of ALA to DHA/EPA, so combining both direct sources (fish) and plant sources (flax, walnuts) works best.


Practical Tips to Safely Add These Foods

  1. Swap, don’t force. Replace one less-healthy fat per day (e.g., fried food) with a nourishing fat (salmon, avocado, walnuts).

  2. Batch prep for DHA success. Bake or pan-cook a large salmon fillet and use leftovers for 2-3 meals.

  3. Grind your seeds. Always grind flaxseed or chia. Nutrients aren’t absorbed from whole seeds.

  4. Rotate & vary. Alternate salmon, sardines, walnut oil, flaxseed, ect., for a balanced intake.

  5. Check before supplements. Choose certified, low-contaminant DHA or algae-based supplements that are safe for breastfeeding after talking to your doctor.


Why It Matters

  • Higher DHA in milk supports infant brain and eye development.

  • Milk fat quality may influence baby’s satiety and metabolic signaling.

  • Moms often feel more empowered when they know their nutrition positively impacts milk quality.


Sources

Carretero-Krug A, Montero-Bravo A, Morais-Moreno C, Puga AM, Samaniego-Vaesken ML, Partearroyo T, Varela-Moreiras G. Nutritional Status of Breastfeeding Mothers and Impact of Diet and Dietary Supplementation: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2024 Jan 19;16(2):301. doi: 10.3390/nu16020301. PMID: 38276540; PMCID: PMC10818638.

Jensen, R. G. (1999). Lipids in human milk. Lipids, 34(12), 1243–1271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-999-0477-2

Makrides M, Neumann MA, Gibson RA. Effect of maternal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on breast milk composition. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1996 Jun;50(6):352-357. PMID: 8793415.

 

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