What you eat while breastfeeding can affect the production and nutritional composition of your breast milk. A varied and balanced diet will strengthen your health and speed up your recovery after childbirth. It will also help your baby grow and develop properly.
Breastfeeding requires increased energy demands, on average up to 600 calories per day. So listen to your body, increase your caloric intake and add foods that will fill you up and meet your nutritional needs.
You know that... Breastfeeding women tend to make healthier food choices than the rest of the adult population? Yet their diets still fall short of all nutritional recommendations. Explore our tips to help you tweak your diet and improve the quality of your breast milk.
Eat a rainbow of vegetables
Vegetables are rich in fiber. They contain high amounts of potassium, folic acid and vitamins.
A and C. It supports proper intestinal peristalsis and strengthens the intestinal microflora. You should not neglect its regular consumption. Add a vegetable rainbow to your eating rituals. Combine different colored vegetables with dark green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach or leaf lettuce.
Try these ideas
- Serve a green salad as a side dish with all meals.
- Add sautéed vegetables, such as mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, or peas, to your egg omelet.
- Make a smoothie with raw spinach, carrots, cucumber, celery, beets, or ginger.
Keep in mind that you should eat 2.5 to 3.5 cups of vegetables a day.
Be refined. Replace refined with whole grains.
About half of the grains you eat should be whole grains. Brown rice, oats, quinoa, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, teff, and whole-grain breads are important sources of fiber, B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients. This group of carbohydrates also helps increase breast milk production.
Try these ideas:
- If possible, use brown rice, bulgur, quinoa, or spelt instead of white rice.
- Replace white bread with whole grain bread.
- For breakfast, prepare oatmeal by soaking it in water overnight (you can add dried raisins to the flakes). In the morning, season the flakes with honey, walnuts, and grated apple, or other ingredients of your choice.
Keep in mind that you should eat 3 to 5 servings of healthy carbohydrates per day.
Milk and its alternatives for bones, teeth and muscles
Milk and dairy products have a high nutritional value. They are rich in calcium, vitamins A and D, which are important for the normal condition of bones, teeth and muscles. Yogurts and sourdoughs support the growth and activity of intestinal microflora. If you are vegan, have a lactose allergy or are not a fan of dairy products, you can get calcium with vitamin D from almond, soy, coconut or rice milk. (Plant milks do not have the same nutrient content as cow or goat milk. You can get the necessary vitamins and minerals by food supplements .)
Try these ideas:
- Enjoy Greek yogurt for breakfast or as a snack.
- Experiment! If you are not allergic to peanuts, try this nutritious smoothie: Blend 1 banana, 1 cup of your favorite milk with a dollop of peanut butter and a handful of spinach. You can add ice.
- Enjoy a latte with the milk of your choice.
Consider that you should drink 3 glasses of non-fat milk a day.
Lean meat and eggs for plenty of milk
While breastfeeding, your body requires about 15 grams more protein each day than it did before pregnancy. Beef, veal, turkey, and chicken, fish, including low-mercury seafood, and eggs are important sources of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, calcium, choline, and other nutrients that are essential for milk production and immune support. If you are a vegetarian, you can meet your daily protein needs with legumes, vegetables, and nuts.
Try these ideas:
- For dinner, prepare salmon in olive oil. If you have leftovers, add them to a vegetable mixture for an easy lunch.
- Boil some hard-boiled eggs. You'll always have them on hand when you need a snack.
- Carry a supply of almonds with you. They fill you up quickly, are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins E and B2, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, antioxidants, and monounsaturated fatty acids. They also reduce the risk of weight gain.
Keep in mind that you should eat 2 to 3 servings of protein per day.
Learn to love green proteins
If you are vegan or plan to cut down on meat, switch to legumes. Beans, peas, soybeans, chickpeas or lentils are rich in nutritional value and are a natural source of protein.
Try these ideas:
- Add garlic or ginger to cooked beans to improve their digestibility and reduce gas.
- Steam sweet frozen edamame beans for a quick and nutritious side dish or snack.
- Fry a portion of canned chickpeas with your favorite spices in olive oil and prepare a crunchy side dish for your salad.
Remember that all ingredients should be cooked or seasoned with vegetable oils. The unsaturated fats in breast milk support the development of the baby's vision and nervous system.
You know that... The daily requirement for vitamins, minerals and other substances can be up to twice as high as normal during pregnancy and breastfeeding. With regular use prenatal and postnatal dietary supplements you will balance their levels, especially with a balanced diet.
