Foods and recipes to eat well during lactation

A newborn baby really needs very little: adequate nutrition and to feel the security and warmth of the person who cares for him. The Breastfeeding It covers all these needs, since breast milk is not only the perfect food for the baby, with the nutrients it needs, but also has that emotional aspect through breastfeeding.

In turn, the months of lactation after birth are a very special period for mothers. A wonderful opportunity to maintain the bond between mother and child, who has spent 9 months in her womb. During pregnancy, the baby was nourished through the placenta and, after birth, continues to be nourished by her mother through breast milk.

It is a period of happiness, but also a period that impacts the mother on a physical, mental and emotional level: a time full of insecurities, tiredness, little sleep, a period in which we can be in our pajamas until noon, often without time to shower, take care of ourselves, sit down to eat… The most intense time a woman can live .

The Importance of good nutrition for the lactating mother it is crucial to maintain your health and the quality of milk for your baby. During this period, the most important thing is to wear a nutritious diet to cover all needs and recover after delivery. This is not the time to diet to reach the pre-pregnancy weight, but to try to bring the best possible nutrition.

In this article I will tell you some tricks to organize to be able to eat well in this intense period and we will review what can you eat while breastfeeding, that is, what should be the diet during lactation and what are the most recommended foods. You will also find four special recipes for lactating mothers:

How to organize yourself to eat well while breastfeeding

The nursing mother needs about 400 more calories to produce milk. It is very normal for lactating mothers to feel more hungry and, therefore, it is convenient to have healthy snacks on hand to snack between meals, such as fruit with nut butter, smoothies, hummus with vegetables, nuts, energy bars, avocado toast , rice pancakes with tahini and banana… Just two tips:

the snacks we can have them in different places like the sofa, where we breastfeedin the baby carriage, in the diaper bag to always have them at hand… We We can prepare them before giving birth and leave the freezer and pantry well prepared for the first weeks.

A few weeks before delivery, We can also freeze cooked legumes and cereals, stews, stews, vegetable burgers, energy bars, cookies, muffins…

In the pantry we should have easy to prepare food such as rolled oats, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, couscous, jars of legumes, pesto or tomato sauce, nuts, nut butters, energy bars, dried fruit, vegetable spreads, crackers or German bread. In the last weeks of pregnancy we can spend our time cooking quietly.

Once the baby is born, to eat well and have healthy foods on hand without feeling overwhelmed, we can do batch cooking little ones in half-hour blocks when the baby falls asleep or entertains: cook a pot of legumes or cereals for several days, cook vegetables in the oven, cut vegetables for a stir-fry, cook vegetable protein, make oatmeal for breakfast.

If the baby only falls asleep in the street, we can prepare the food in tuppers and take it with us, to eat quietly.

Feeding in lactation

A frequent question is what to eat while breastfeeding, if there are particularly recommended foods or others that should be avoided. In general, when you breastfeed, you should wear a varied diet based on natural foods. In particular, it is advisable to take:

Healthy fats: Healthy fats are necessary for the creation of breast milk and to maintain healthy stable energy levels. For this we can add nut butters to yogurt, half an avocado and seeds to salads, sprinkle cereals with ground nuts, accompany baked vegetables with coconut yogurt, add hemp seeds to porridge…Protein-rich foods: Protein consumption should be increased during the lactation period, because they are necessary for the development of the baby’s tissues. To ensure adequate intake, it is ideal to consume them at all meals in the form of legumes (especially chickpeas), nuts, seeds, tofu or tempeh.

There is a controversy about legumes during lactation. It can be heard that it is not recommended to consume legumes and certain foods, since they could produce gases in the child. But doctors say that gases are produced in the intestine during digestion, so they cannot pass into the milk.

Anyway, the best thing is to observe our baby. If it seems to us that he cries more than 2 to 6 hours after taking legumes or any other food, it is best to avoid it for a couple of weeks and then introduce it again.

If we decide to avoid legumes, we can get protein during this time from tofu, tempeh, red lentils (which are usually peeled), quinoa, amaranth, nuts and seeds, and eggs if we eat them.

Green leafy vegetables like spinach, Swiss chard, and kale: Cows graze to produce milk and we should do the same; the green leaves are full of minerals, including magnesium, which is important in periods of stress.Forest berries such as blueberries, strawberries or raspberries: They’re packed with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C. Plus, they’re easy to add to yogurt or cereal or take along for snacks on walks.Whole grains like quinoa, oats, barley, brown rice, and millet: They help with the production of breast milk and are sources of magnesium, fiber and stable energy.Seaweed such as kombu or wakame: They are a source of iodine and other minerals. We can add them to vegetable purees, stews or salads. The ideal is to consume a small piece every day.Sweet potatoes, carrots, beets and pumpkin: They provide beta-carotene and are stable energy sources.Nutritional yeast or brewer’s yeast: They are a source of B vitamins, iron and protein. They stimulate the production of breast milk. We can add them to purees, sauces, sprinkle on toast…

flax seeds: They are a source of omega-3 fatty acids, necessary for the development of the newborn’s brain and a source of phytoestrogens, which help with the creation of breast milk. They should be eaten crushed.Fennel: A midwives herbal remedy for infant colic and also helps with the creation of breast milk. The seeds can be eaten as a spice or the bulbs raw or cooked as a vegetable.Garlic: Garlic is one of the healthiest foods and a staple of the Mediterranean diet. It is also considered a galactagogue food, which means that it helps to create breast milk.Raw ginger: It helps with the creation of breast milk and is beneficial for digestion.Iron-rich foods: To recover after childbirth and prevent fatigue, it is advisable to include foods such as tofu, lentils, cashew nuts, apricot dried apricots, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, hemp, green leafy vegetables, potatoes with their skins on the menu.Foods rich in calcium: This mineral is necessary for the development of bones, brain and muscles; So that the mother’s deposits do not decrease, it can be obtained from vegetable foods such as sesame seeds and tahini, almonds, vegetables such as broccoli, kale and cabbage, tofu, legumes, cereals such as amaranth or fruits such as kiwi, oranges or dried figs.Water: It is necessary to drink enough fluids for the creation of milk.

4 recipes for lactation

These recipes are an example of nutritious dishes and snacks that are ideal for the nursing mother. An infusion is also included that provides essential minerals, favors the baby’s digestive well-being and helps to produce milk.

1. Quinoa salad with sweet vegetables and tahini

Preparation: 20 minutes – Cooking: 45 minutes

The whole grain salads with oven vegetables they are ideal to make in large quantities and have for several days. At a time when the child falls asleep or is in the hands of the grandparents or other people who help us, we can cut a couple of vegetables, put them in the oven and cook a pot of quinoa. We will take a little and so we have food for several days.

This salad contains sweet greens, tahini, and spices to promote harmonious lactation.

Ingredients (4 servings):

1 cup of quinoa2 cups of water4 handfuls of arugula4 tablespoons of nutssalt

To roast the vegetables in the oven:

4 carrots 2 onions 4 fennels 2 beets 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 4 tablespoons olive oil salt

For the tahini and orange vinaigrette:

1 orange, its juice4 tablespoons of white tahini1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil1 clove of garlic1 piece of grated fresh ginger (approximately 1 cm)1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegarsaltwater

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degrees. Peel the carrots, onion and beets and cut them into pieces. Remove the branches of the fennels and cut the bulbs in half, from top to bottom, and then into slices of approximately 1 centimeter.Put all the vegetables on a baking tray, drizzle well with olive oil, season with salt and spices and bake for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are caramelized.Cook the quinoa. In a pot, combine 1 cup of well-washed quinoa with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, lower the heat, and cook until the water evaporates, about 15 minutes.in a glass jar Combine all vinaigrette ingredients and beat well. Check the taste.When assembling the salad, Put a handful of arugula in a bowl, the quinoa, the baked vegetables, the vinaigrette and spread the walnuts on top.Save what you are not going to eat in glass containers separately: the quinoa, the vegetables, the sauce and the leaves, and combine at the time of serving.

2. Tempeh and vegetable stew

Preparation: 20 minutes – Cooking: 50 minutes

A well-done stew is a very comforting dish that we may crave in the weeks after delivery to regain strength. This one is made with tempeh, an easy-to-digest vegetable protein that is rich in calcium, iron, and other minerals. Double quantity can be prepared and frozen.

Ingredients (2 servings):

250g tempeh1 onion2 garlic cloves1 teaspoon smoked paprika1 teaspoon cumin1/2 teaspoon herbs2 carrots1 small bell pepper200g oyster mushrooms2 potatoes200g crushed tomatoVegetable broth or water2 tablespoons tamari1 tablespoon nutritional yeast1 handful frozen peas

Preparation:

Prepare all the vegetables. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Wash the potatoes and carrots well. Cut the potatoes with the skin, the carrots, the mushrooms and the bell pepper into chunks. Cut the tempeh into cubes. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and brown the tempeh with 1 tablespoon of tamari for all…